Shout out to cool parents and players

S

SDMama

SILVER ELITE
Really enjoyed a game yesterday where a parent from the other team looked over at us when it was all over and said he thought we had a good team. It got me thinking about the moments that make me love the game and my kids’ participation in it. Can we start a thread where people share positive interactions with parents and players, (same team, opposing team, whatever) etc.?

My list includes
- parents from the other team saying they thought we had a good team or liked our style of play
- hearing kids (on our team and the other teams) tell their teammates good try
- seeing kids from opposing teams tell each other “good game” in the parking lot
- parents complimenting players from opposing teams
- players thanking the referees
- teammates trying to cheer a player up after they are obviously upset about a mistake (Seen this more on the girls’ side. Not so much on the boys’ side)
 
Two clubs that have always been very friendly were the Del Mar Sharks, Surf , and United FC.
 
I tend to feel for GK since one of my kids is a GK.... so sometimes when a GK from opposing teams makes a killer save it's nice when a parent says great save or gives props to the GK (even if it means shutting down our goal) but it's even better when an opposing team yells keep your head up to our teams gk after either a fluke goal or a banger that seems to have gotten the gk down. In fact I just did this to the opposing gk when the GK appeared to have a brain fart and let a slow roller go right through... poor kid.

seeing kids from opposing kids tell each other good game

my kids are always stoked when the opposing coach tells them they did a great job
 
Futbol30 said:
I tend to feel for GK since one of my kids is a GK.... so sometimes when a GK from opposing teams makes a killer save it's nice when a parent says great save or gives props to the GK (even if it means shutting down our goal) but it's even better when an opposing team yells keep your head up to our teams gk after either a fluke goal or a banger that seems to have gotten the gk down. In fact I just did this to the opposing gk when the GK appeared to have a brain fart and let a slow roller go right through... poor kid.

seeing kids from opposing kids tell each other good game

my kids are always stoked when the opposing coach tells them they did a great job
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We don’t have any GKs in the family, but we always say “nice save” or “props to the keeper” or clap when a great save is made. Admittedly, we don’t do it too loud out of respect for our players (who just got a goal denied ). We try to cheer for good plays in general, but again, not always very loudly when it is by the other team.

Actually, sometimes we will shout great job to the keeper, but only after shouting out to our player for taking a great shot.
 
SDMama said:
We don’t have any GKs in the family, but we always say “nice save” or “props to the keeper” or clap when a great save is made. Admittedly, we don’t do it too loud out of respect for our players (who just got a goal denied ). We try to cheer for good plays in general, but again, not always very loudly when it is by the other team.

Actually, sometimes we will shout great job to the keeper, but only after shouting out to our player for taking a great shot.
Click to expand...

I always saw “great save” as a bit of a shout out to the attacker as well. It must have been a good hard shot to begin with.
 
SDMama said:
Really enjoyed a game yesterday where a parent from the other team looked over at us when it was all over and said he thought we had a good team. It got me thinking about the moments that make me love the game and my kids’ participation in it. Can we start a thread where people share positive interactions with parents and players, (same team, opposing team, whatever) etc.?

My list includes
- parents from the other team saying they thought we had a good team or liked our style of play
- hearing kids (on our team and the other teams) tell their teammates good try
- seeing kids from opposing teams tell each other “good game” in the parking lot
- parents complimenting players from opposing teams
- players thanking the referees
- teammates trying to cheer a player up after they are obviously upset about a mistake (Seen this more on the girls’ side. Not so much on the boys’ side)
Click to expand...
After my youngest daughters game against an out of state team I was sitting with her on the sidelines waiting for my older to play. A parent from the other squad on their way out told her, "She was a great little player". Moments like those are genuine and unexpectedly appreciated.
 
Maybe I'm odd, but I enjoy the adult social aspects of youth soccer as much as I do watching my kid play. IMO if your not engaging with the parents on your team and at least on occasion being cordial with the other team parents you are really missing out on the whole experience. The sideline banter and bull sessions between your teams' parents increases the enjoyment of the experience and can make a bad game bearable.

I have no problem congratulating the other team's parents and kids on a "good game"... win or lose. While this is trivial, I really appreciate when the kids from a team recognize both teams' parents by clapping in their direction at the end of a game. If your so wrapped up in your team winning or your kid's performance that you can't recognize great play from the other team your again missing out.
 
watfly said:
Maybe I'm odd, but I enjoy the adult social aspects of youth soccer as much as I do watching my kid play. IMO if your not engaging with the parents on your team and at least on occasion being cordial with the other team parents you are really missing out on the whole experience. The sideline banter and bull sessions between your teams' parents increases the enjoyment of the experience and can make a bad game bearable.

I have no problem congratulating the other team's parents and kids on a "good game"... win or lose. While this is trivial, I really appreciate when the kids from a team recognize both teams' parents by clapping in their direction at the end of a game. If your so wrapped up in your team winning or your kid's performance that you can't recognize great play from the other team your again missing out.
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Agreed, and note the players who don’t participate in this with their team. We always see at least one who opts out of this activity. If I was a coach, this would be a major factor in next years selection process.
 
watfly said:
Maybe I'm odd, but I enjoy the adult social aspects of youth soccer as much as I do watching my kid play. IMO if your not engaging with the parents on your team and at least on occasion being cordial with the other team parents you are really missing out on the whole experience. The sideline banter and bull sessions between your teams' parents increases the enjoyment of the experience and can make a bad game bearable.

I have no problem congratulating the other team's parents and kids on a "good game"... win or lose. While this is trivial, I really appreciate when the kids from a team recognize both teams' parents by clapping in their direction at the end of a game. If your so wrapped up in your team winning or your kid's performance that you can't recognize great play from the other team your again missing out.
Click to expand...
so agree with this. Many of my good friends are parents of my kids team mates. All have gone separate ways and some still playing and some not.
 
Reiterating a few thoughts already expressed by other posters.

As a parent of a goalkeeper, my daughter has received frequent praise in all types of situations; in game saves, draws, losses, wins. It's a big help as the physique of a goalkeeper is just as critical as the muscle memory training that they work on. My daughter is one of the better keepers in her age group and it has come via being on some of the worst teams / seasons that can seem unbearable, in particular at the younger ages. It's evened out over the past few years, but she's still not on the best team so that she can see a lot of action. Having cool parents and players to encourage her and pick her up along her journey have been extremely important in her growth and development.

My favorite experience with parents and players is when the positive exchanges come after games and aren't expected. This small community has allowed our family to build friendships with others that could have been forever strangers, weren't it for one of us taking that first step and showing the goodwill we're capable of when we realize how much bigger the game can be beyond wins and losses.

Every time I have a run in with a troll on the forums or on the field, I remind myself of the good people that make it all worth it.

Best of luck this and every weekend, and go out of your way to take that step and say something nice to someone out there!
 
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