Can you imagine playing a game when no one off the field is saying a word? All you can hear is the referees and your teammates. Your coach can only speak quietly to the athletes off the field and the parents and spectators can not cheer, give advice or even talk. Well, for some AYSO leagues throughout the country this is known as Silent Saturday. Leagues designate specific saturdays where the fans are not allowed to cheer or say a word. Their motto is "Just Let The Kids Play!" The idea of these silent days came from when kids used to play in alleys and sandlots and had no one telling them what to do, it goes back to the good ol' days of recreational sports. This whole phenomenon started back in 2000 and has been growing like crazy in the past few years and I think it would be great to see it implemented in other sports, not just AYSO leagues. In my own experience, I loved playing hockey because there were boards and glass that separated me from obnoxious parents. But some sports like basketball, soccer, football and baseball have no boards or glass separating the players from the parents, so all of the comments are easily heard by the players. I brought this topic up because I recently coached flag football for third graders and as I listened to how the coaches were talking to their players and how parents would get in fights, it really opened my eyes and told me that we have a serious problem here. I heard one coach say, "If that kid hits him again, I am going to bust him!" Now, this coach was from a different city but I was completely appalled when I heard him say that. I thought, there's no way you should be allowed to work with kids. Another time, I had two parents yell across the fields at each other and the referees had to intervene. How embarrassing must that be for the poor kid? I just think that parents get way too involved at times and forget what youth recreation sports are all about. It's about letting the kids play and have fun. Furthermore, by having one Silent Saturday a month or a season, this could really open the eyes of the parents and show them how loud they can get at times. Not only will it make the parents more aware, but it will be much more enjoyable for the participants and it will let the kids do what they want as opposed to being directed by their coaches and parents off of the field. In conclusion, Silent Saturdays have been very sucessful in AYSO leagues and I think that other sports and leagues should at least try and incorporate one Silent Saturday to see how it goes.
Travis Benson
Kin 332I - 03
http://aysowiki.org/tiki-index.php?page=Silent+Saturday
3 comments:
I think this is a just great! I played sports for many years when I was younger and for the most part it seemed as if the sidelines were just as rowdy as the game if not more so in some occasions. From parents yelling at their kids, and coaches yelling at the players, and even players yelling back at the coaches and families to just let them play it was chaos at times. Silent Saturdays sounds like a breath of fresh air when I think back to all my experiences. I truly believe that this is a very beneficial method of bringing the game back to the kids. Being yelled at from the sidelines is just like a backseat driver, annoying! I do think that there are times when coaches and parents should cheer and yell for their kids. It feels good to be cheered on, but for the most part I do believe that the heat of the game tends to escalate this into less constructive cheers and yells for the kids. Again I think this is a great idea and I’m sure that it gives the kids a break and lets them focus on the most important part of playing, having fun.
Jason Trapschuh
Kin 332I T/R 12:30-2
I very much enjoyed this post! As a parent of two girls that were very involved in AYSO soccer in their younger years, I experienced first hand the aura of hostility surrounding these supposedly kid friendly arenas. At first, I enjoyed going to their games, they were fun to watch; then gradually, as the girls got older, the yelling from the sidelines became unbearable. As noted in the article, parents were directing the kids and the coaches from the sidelines. Not only was there yelling at what was going on on the field, but parents from opposing teams would sometimes get it on between them, almost to the point where brawls could have broken out! What kind of example are we setting for our kids who just want to get out there and play. I refrained from even cheering the kids when they were in the advantage for I thought even this act of encouragement would 'piss off' the opposing team's parents. Therefore, I am all for Silent Saturdays, let the kids play without the worry of violent tendencies.
Kluane Robbins
KIN 332I TTh
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