Do too many parents try to live through their kids and put too much pressure on them?

I wasn’t forced to play sports as a kid. My dad played hockey throughout his young life, up to and including high school. However, not wanting to force me and my brother to follow in his footsteps, he didn’t sign us up to play hockey, or any sport, when we were kids. Consequently, we didn’t end up playing organized sports at all!

Many parents don’t take this approach, however. At a young age, kids are pushed into playing sports or music or other activities. While there are some great benefits that can come from these activities like learning teamwork and gaining self-confidence, there are also dangers, none the least of which comes from the parents themselves.

The Gazette reports that “More than half of Canadian adults who attend children’s sporting events say they’ve witnessed verbal or physical abuse against officials and coaches by parents, according to a new survey.”

In the article Peter Crocker, chair of the Canadian Psychological Associations’ sports and exercise section and professor at  the University of British Columbia explains that “there’s a lot of pressure at these games because they want their kids to do well and there’s this dream of the college scholarship, or in Canada of (a hockey player) getting drafted and going through the system.”

Were you ever pressured by a parent in extracurricular activities? Have you witnessed an instance of angry parents at kids sporting events or unfairly trying to live out their dreams through their children? Share your experiences with us in the comments!

If you are struggling with issues relating to anger in your marriage or relationship, you may want to try our online interactive life lesson “Lovebusters: Angry Outbursts“. You can also contact an online mentor to talk about it confidentially via email.