In the spirit of the holidays, useful advice from the Blue Crabs to all.

12 Days of VLC, Bonus 1. Don’t Be THAT Parent by Mr. Lee

As a HS lacrosse official and long-time lax parent, I’ve seen a lot of bad parental behavior, including my own when my kids were young. Everyone has heard the mantra, “Only cheer for your kid”, but most parents can’t help but scream from the sideline. Here’s why you should curb your sideline commentary.

1. Coaches are the ones to instruct and teach the players, not parents. Not only is parental instruction usually contrary to what players have been taught, hearing multiple voices screaming different instructions only confuses the kids. Let the coaches do their job.

2. If your son becomes accustomed to his parents telling him what to do in certain situations, his development is being retarded and he will not reach his full potential.

3. When you yell at officials, you only hurt your son and the team. Even if the official blew a call, what does yelling at an official accomplish? Further, you are effectively telling your son, “In our house, we do not respect authority”. There is nothing more embarrassing for a kid than seeing his parent kicked out.

The worst parents scream at everyone because they so desperately want to see their son do well. They break down their son’s mistakes immediately after the game. Don’t be THAT parent – talk to no one else other than your son, and offer only words of encouragement. #crabnation