Aw, come on Ref!!! – why parents should never let these 4 words escape from their lips

Here’s an interesting question for you. Why do you think some parents shout at the referee when they watch their kids compete in sport? There could be several reasons – they feel their pride and joy has been treated unfairly or they’re desperate for ‘their’ team to win are just two. But here’s a more important question. What good does it do?

I’ve yet to see a referee changing his decision because of a ‘shouty’ parent (or coach for that matter) so it can’t be that. Does it make you feel better!!?!! I think that could be a big part of it. But it’s more important to think about, what are your kids learning from you if you shout at the ref?

Remember they are like sponges and are more than likely to copy what you do. “My dad does it, so it must be OK”. That it’s … OK to blame someone else when things go wrong, OK to become distracted by things you can’t control, OK to be disrespectful of people giving up their time to allow you to play, OK to let your emotions control your behaviours.

So, it’s a simple tip this month. Your kids are always watching you and learning from what you do, even when they are playing sport. So, don’t shout at the ref.

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