As we are about to embark upon another year of baseball and little league, I find it interesting to reflect upon the various types of parents we find at the weekend games. We spent many seasons in the stands at youth baseball, and now enjoy weekends on the lacrosse field and football field. No matter where you are and what youth sport you attend, at each match, game, and meet there are a few distinct kinds of parents who grace us with their presence. I find people to be very entertaining, so here are my observations:
THE Mom of all Moms: She has individually-wrapped nutritious homemade snacks for all her kids. the baby sits happily in her lap as she casually mentions her daughter’s ballet practice and son’s swim practice as she hand quilts a cloth bag. She doesn’t freak out, she gets stuff done, and she does it with style. This mom trumps all moms. If you sit by her, she’ll probably have an extra water/sunscreen/wipies/whatever else you may need to borrow.
The Social Butterfly Parent: He (or she) isn’t really interested in who wins or loses. It’s all about having fun to this parent. Hang with this parent if you just want to chat and have a good time!
The Coaching From the Sidelines Parent: This is the parent who acts as coach on behalf of all kids on the team (especially their own!). The parent who coaches from the sidelines has a lot to say yell about each moment of the game. Cheer and holler along with this parent, but you may need ear plugs. 🙂
The Parent with Other Kids Than This One: Most parents have other kids, but this parent’s other kids seem to make it difficult to be punctual. You can tell this parent because they were excused for being late to practice because the baby got sick, or maybe they missed the game because their older kid had a game at the same time. If you can find this parent (me 🙂 )at a game, lucky you!
The Team Mom: Usually the actual team mom. I love this parent. You can email them or text if you missed equipment turn-in, or you can’t remember where or at what time the next game is. She is at every game and practice and, don’t worry, she will remind you when you have snack duty.
The Living Vicariously Through My Kid Parent: This parent played the game in junior high or high school. He was kinda good at it, but not good enough to start or get a scholarship. He’s really hoping that this will be his kid’s sport to be great at because he loved it so much. He’s a nice guy, who probably loves telling stories about playing the sport as a kid himself. If you ask, I’m sure he’ll tell you one.