A Kid’s Perspective: How Kids Feel About Yelling or Cheering During Sports
Torianna Swinson
By Torianna Swinson
When you hear parents yelling at their kids during sports, your first thought is that they are very connected to them and the game. There are many reasons parents could be yelling, but whether good or bad, yelling can be taken too seriously. Children, especially teenagers, may take it so seriously that they feel nothing they do is right. No matter what good things you say to them after the game, they choose to believe the bad things. Yelling is not a bad thing, but you have to be careful who you yell at and when in their life. Kids might take what you say and remember it all day long. Cheering for someone motivates them and makes them feel better about themselves. Chil-
dren take things really harshly, so you have to be careful what you say. Cheering for a child changes the way they think all day. Your child may even use your words as motivation for the rest of their life. On the flip side, cheering can also make you get embarrassed and mess up. I can’t think of a single kid who would want to mess up. When my parents yell for me, I feel like I’m not doing well enough sometimes. But I always know they mean the best. When they cheer for me, I tend to get embarrassed and sometimes mess up. Parents yelling at their kids when they’re playing disconnects the child from the game and messes with their head. When I hear a parent yell at a referee, I think they just need to accept the fact that a bad call was made. Referees can
22 July 2021 | Illinois Valley Parent | A NewsTribune Publication
be one-sided, but there’s not much we can do about it. Yelling at them only makes our team get worse calls. There are people out there who want their team to win and will do whatever it takes, but in our hearts, we might know we really won. When parents yell at referees, their kids get embarrassed, especially if the parents get kicked out, and the kids don’t work as hard because they’ve given up. Kids enjoy seeing their parents at their games, but they don’t want them to criticize them or embarrass them. If my parents were to yell at referees, I would be embarrassed and probably not play as hard. I like to be treated fairly by my coaches. I like them to know my skills and help me based on my level. Most coaches single kids out. Singling someone out
