Anyone and everyone who has ever played organized sports knows that there's the certain type of parents that players love and players hate. As I have grown up and have been played organized sports for almost my whole life, I have seen almost every type of parent to sit in the stands.
1. The Cheerleader
Typically, the cheerleader is the over-enthusiastic mother (possible father) who loses their voice every game cheering for his or her child. They are the loudest parents in the stands, and sometimes they may have no idea what any of the rules of the game are, they just want their child to know that someone is cheering them on.
2. The Backseat Coach
This position is typically reserved for the parents that think they will be a better coach to their child (or the rest of the team) than the person who is standing behind the bench. You can usually hear them screaming directions at players or yelling at the refs if they make a bad call.
3. The Second Pair of Referees
These parents like to make calls that the refs "don't see". They like to move with the refs in order to get the best vantage point of the call, Whether it be off-sides, too many men, a bad call on a goal, or they blow the whistle too fast or slow. You will be always able to hear this parent's opinion about whatever the call was, loud and clear.
4. The Clueless One
These parents may not have had the biggest athletic background, but they sure do love to support their children. They tend to yell along with the crowd solely because they hear every other parent, even though they may have absolutely zero idea why or what they're yelling about.
5. The Ex-Player
These parents love to relive their past athletic careers through their children. They are overly-enthusiastic about career milestones, love to be early to games and practices, are always friends with the other parents, and loves to be an active parent in order to feel like part of a team.
6. The Normal Ones
These parents are the ones who drive their kids to games and practices every week, cheer on their kids (but not obnoxiously), and are friends with the other parents. However, these parents are reserved and are taken aback by the aggressive parents and vow to never become one of them. The coaches love these parents because they leave their children to develop by themselves, never argue with the refs or coaches, and are not a nuisance to have around.
7. The Silent Ones
Not the ideal set of parents, but they never make a fuss about anyone on the team, coaching staff, or the referees. They drop their kids off at practice, then come back to pick them up. They sit in the corner of the stands to watch the game, sometimes not even paying attention. After the game, they don't socialize with the parents and instead they wait for their kids in the car.
Every athlete has experienced these types of parents. Every parent has fallen into at least one of these categories while their children were in organized sports. I guarantee the kids know who their parents are, but parents, you will be in denial. Deep down, you know which parent you are.