Does excessive parental pressure in youth sports harm children?
I've coached youth soccer for eight seasons, and I've seen parents shout at referees over offside calls that were clearly correct. At what point does sideline coaching cross from supportive to harmful for the kids? I think excessive parental pressure in youth sports is doing more damage than we admit, driving burnout and anxiety in players as young as eight. But maybe I'm just tired of the drama—could it actually be preparing children for competitive realities?