Parents and Sports: What Kids Want You to Know
Dr. Omli described 3 different kinds of parenting evident during kids’ sporting events – Hostile-Intrusive, Supportive, and Distracted. Distracted parents talked on their cell phones, read magazines, or talked to other parents during games. In other words, they weren’t focused on their child or the game. In contrast, intrusive parents tended to make numerous evaluative comments, positive and negative, critiquing their child’s performance and the game’s coaching.