Hockey Parents - Humorous Column

[Podein25]

I found this kind of funny, especially #9 in the list, which should be familiar to Flyer fans at least:

http://www.sportsnet.ca/magazine/2012/09/06/feschuk_scott_uncompromising_views/

[flyercanuck]

Funny, or should I say sad, that you could see and hear all of those at any rink.

[Podein25]

Yeah, it's pretty ridiculous out there in the world of kids hockey.

[DinahMoeHumm]

The truly obnoxious hockey parent may even possess the capacity to flip it around: “Ref, ref! That other kid just hit my boy’s elbow with his pancreas!”

LOL!

In all seriousness though, it's unreal what you hear at kids' games sometimes. My youngest daughter is in the midst of basketball season at school right now, and the audacity of some parents at the games never ceases to amaze me.

[Podein25]

@DinahMoeHumm

That's a funny line. It could only have been funnier for me if it said "spleen" instead of pancreas.

[Polaris922]

I've been coaching awhile now, and sadly this behavior hits us everywhere. I've been fortunate I think, but even then some of the things I've heard parents say to their own kids is disgusting. And the few who cross the line to say such things to other kids just shock the hell outta ya. I'm sure most of you have similar stories!

[blocker]

"Use a stopwatch to meticulously monitor your child’s ice time."

I've seen that one.

The hockey ref's signal for charging is the same as a basketball official's for traveling. I've heard a parent scream at the ref that her son wasn't traveling. The best one was from an elegantly dressed lady who obviously only spoke French. She, like the rest of us, learn swear words in other languages first. This particular woman kept screaming at the ref that he was a co##su##er.

[Podein25]

This particular woman kept screaming at the ref that he was a co##su##er.

As a player I generally had that view, but felt that it was the players who should be telling the refs what kind of job they were doing not fans. That just makes them mad. Whereas, if a player can establish a rapport, even one that sees the odd expletive thrown around in the heat of battle, they have a much better chance at influencing the behavior.

I always made sure our fans understood that they could make the situation worse for us on the ice by being boneheads. Leave it to the players, even young ones, to police the refs. It's a skill they need to learn, because refs generally suck no matter what age you are.

Edited September 25, 2012 by Podein25

[blocker]

That's an interesting point. When Martin St. Louis and Eric Perrin played for UVM, the fans (IMHO), made things more difficult for them. They were small, quick and skilled. So, other teams tried to slow them with tough play. The crowds would constantly ride the officials to call penalties on opposing players. I think that constant complaining interefered with the flow of the game. You and I both know that too much preoccupation with the officiating is bad.