Loudmouth parents?

Question

My daughter is playing softball again this summer and I love going to watch the games but this year she has one girl on her team whose mother doesnt know when to shut up. She is constantly belittling her child from the bleachers if she misses a ball or strikes out, yelling so loud when the kid is in the outfield we can't hear anything else and curses the umpire for making "stupid" calls. No one is enjoying the games anymore and I feel sorry for her kid. All the other parents just want to tell her to shut up and actually the coach has but she says it is her kid and she has to motivate her. This isnt motivation it is cruel. How can we get her to lay off so we can all enjoy the game. Or does anyone know if you can ban someone from a public park?

Answer 1

In Australia they have rules to deal with these parents. It is simply  not allowed. You get a couple of warnings and then you are not allowed in the area anymore. Go to the manager of the field and see if there are similar rules and if not can they be implemented

Answer 2

we used to have the same problems at our ball games.  but they passed a rule last year about that sort of thing and now the umpire and the coach has the authority to throw some one out of the field and ban them from coming back.

good luck

Answer 3

I am not sure if this is rec or a travel league but I know when my son was playing travel soccer some of the coaches would ban parents who behaved like that.  Unfortunately there will always be parents like that.  Talking with them is most likely not going to change their behavior.  I have even seen referees that have kicked parents off the sidelines for negative cheering.  If it is really that big of a problem talk to the association that your child plays for.  They may be able to help with this.  I know my son's soccer association would because they have banned both kids and parents for unsportsman like behavior.  You may however need the support of other parents not just your say so.  Good luck I know it can be really frustrating!  If it is a public park it may be an issue but they may be able to ban her to a certain distance away from the event.

Answer 4

Band together with the other parents and tell this low life in no uncertain terms that she is verbally abusing her child and that if it continues, all involved will have no choice but to contact the child abuse hotline.

If you make a united front, then one of two things will happen. She will shut up or she will pull her kid from the team and leave.

And you can also get some of the other parents to praise the girl a long with you every time her mother has something negative to say. "Way to go Amy! You're doing great and working really hard! Keep at it!" And then everyone can shoot the mother dirty glares.

Answer 5

Actually I think the coach should speak to her about how she talks (yells) to her daughter and that it is not only not going to help her daughter, but it is also upsetting the parents and himself. There is a difference when it comes to cheering on a child in a positive way than too down that child with negative words. Maybe he could try using some great encouraging words like, you can do it!, just watch the ball.  Way to go! Nice swing, good try, stuff like that. If someone talks to her in a nice round about way maybe she will think before she speaks. If that doesn't help maybe other parents can cheer her daughter on with the positive comments and she'll take the hint and pick up the positive behavoir from the rest of you. (hopefully anyways, but it's worth a try & her daughter would probably be glad someone is trying to support her not down her) Games are suppose to be fun for the kids & parents too! Good luck!

p.s. Where we live coaches are allowed to ask a parent to leave if they are being obnoxious. The umpires are not supose to be yelled at by nobody!

Answer 6

Have other parents join you in shouting encouragement to the girl. Shout encouragement to every kid on the team, but pay special attention to shouting encouragement to the belittled girl. After each game, tell her something good she did. Have the other parents say something to the little girl too. Then even if the mother doesn't catch on, the girl is hearing something positive. But I'm betting the mom will soon start feeling like a heel for being the discouraging one among all the supportive encouragement being heaped on her daughter.

Let the coach handle the mother. You don't want her feeling ganged up on by the team and taking her kid out of something that could be a source of encouragement if you and the other parents take that role upon yourselves.

Good luck!!

Answer 7

Most leagues have some sort of zero tolerance policy. Go to the board of your league and let them know what this lady does and see if they can issue her a warming or remove her for her behavior. The league my kids play in is very strick and any one of those behaviors listed above would get a parent banned.

Answer 8

if they're creating a scene i dont see why she couldnt be asked to leave by someone in power but i dont think this is the case. id just let her know whats what, give her a piece of my mind.

Answer 9

Well the only rational thing to do about it is tell her how every one watching the game and even the girls that are playing how yall feel!  Her daughter probably has self esteem issues because of her mother, try telling her that she needs to lay off of her before she wrecks her daughters self esteem even more than she already has!

Answer 10

well she shouldn,t be cursing in public and if my child was there i,d tell her  to watch her cursing. and if not speak to park security.

Answer 11

i dont know if its the same everywhere, but here the coach at such events has the right to ask any parent he finds inappropriate to leave and not come back if he needs to, they can either pull their kid from the team or they can drop them off and pick them up when its over.