Cross country parents

You'd be surprised. If you explained that you only had so much time, couldn't get more then at least they would know it is out of your hands.

 

Minor sports parents can't get over the fact that their kids' sports are MINOR SPORTS!

 

Lacrosse parents are the new soccer parents. Major inferiority complex and can't believe you don't agree that "lax" is the BEST. SPORT. EVAR.

 

I had a high school AD call me once to fuss me out because I had TOO MUCH coverage on his school's state champion track and cross country teams ... basically he was ticked because most of information came from the volunteer assistant coach (who has been training state champion-type runners for more than a decade around here) instead of the official head coaches, who are teachers who do the job basically to make a little extra money...

The assistant coach is brilliant and passionate about the sport and making sure area runners (even those not at his school) get recognition. Sometimes he's a little over the top but I would rather have that than the coaches who never return calls or submit results ...

For the record, I've never had a problem with swim parents though I got one of the most hateful emails ever from a JV softball parent a few years ago for a "too little, too late" article on an undefeated JV softball team her daughter played for ... "The girls deserved better than what you gave them... blood, sweat and tears, they worked so hard, blah blah..."

 

If they worked so hard, they would have been on varsity.

 

I had a volleyball parents and players tell me I wasn't writing enough negative comments about one player. Turns out they were pissed becuase that player was a freshman (and eventual Division I recruit) and some crappy seniors were on the bench not getting playing time.

My revenge. Freshmen has great match. I ask seniors what it was like to have a phenom freshman on the team. Quotes weren't usuable, but I enjoyed saying FU without having to say FU.

 

Exactly. Varsity coaches in my area are happy we don't promote JV glory.

 

Walter's law of sports parents:
The insanity of the parents is in inverse proportion to the popularity of the sport.

 

I've always wonder if it was OK to tell parents who complain that we cover too much football, that we cover so much football because that is what our readers care about. For example, I covered a girls soccer state championship game that had maybe 500 fans. The Class A football state championship game have well over 7,000 fans.
It is our job to reflect interest, not create interest.
Also, I hate being told that "they deserve coverage." Why?

 

We live in the age of entitlement. Kids have been raised with constant praise, positive reinforcement, instant gratification, all reward and no risk. Too many parents think because their kids can run fast, throw hard and jump high, they are entitled to special treatment, when in reality there are a lot of kids who can run fast, throw hard and jump high. Very few are FORTUNATE enough to pursue an athletic career beyond high school.

 

What parallel universe did you come from and how do I move there?

 

It's whatever niche sport in your area that always feels as if its being overlooked. Water polo in my region.

Or

The overzealous "big sport" parents, who think the entire paper should be filled with eight stories on that sport/team.