Since the majority of a tennis officials' time is spent in grass roots tournaments, that also means that a majority of their time is spent in interaction with players--AND THEIR PARENTS!We all have horror stories to tell about abusive and intrusive parents but as a whole, I would say the vast majority of parents are law-abiding citizens who simply enjoy tennis and having a child who plays in tournaments. HOWEVER--there are always a few strange apples in the barrel.
Here are some brief observations about tennis parents:
* Most parents love tennis and love watching their children play tennis.
* Some parents are overprotective and always feel their child is being cheated, abused, or otherwise slighted whenever they are losing.
* Some parents try to "make friends" with roving officials and then try to use this to their advantage.
* Some parents actually cheat and coach their children when they are playing. Its a reality that we have to learn to cope with...
* Some parents actually do get into verbal and/or physical altercations with other parents. Sometimes this even extends to whatever official is close by...
* Many kids are embarassed by their parents and their behavior.
GUIDELINES ON DEALING WITH PARENTS
* Always be fair and consistent in your officiating. Do not single out one child for all of your attention.
* Do not be confrontational in your dealings with children and/or their parents.
* Do not tolerate abusive behavior by parents or children. There are specific steps in the FAC to deal with this issue.
* Feel free to use a "wise caution" in dealing with children. Sometimes a simple caution will save a battle...
* Be sure to report abusive behavior to the proper authorities.
* Encourage the parents and children to enjoy tennis. After all--this is only a game!
7 comments:
I forgot to mention one truth I learned a long time ago...
When a parent is hugging and kissing on you--remember, they are just licking off a place to bite.
Ewwwwww........
Having been on both sides of the fence, I can fully understand how parents go beserk when an official makes a very poor decision that could (and has) impacted the outcome of a highly contested match. A lot of money goes into financing junior tennis at the state, national, and international level and the worst thing to witness is an inept official at an important tournament.
And now I know why I was preparing to nominate you for "Tennis Parent From Hell."
To be fair though, inept officiating can cause one to become nauseous and somewhat agitated if untreated.
We hear about inept, poorly trained or just plain "poor" officials but who's repsonsible for telling someone they are falling short and need additional training or, need to find a new hobby? Is there a process in place or like a bunch of other things relating to tennis officiating, is it hit or miss? Translated: Ripe for a lawsuit.
Maybe a parent should file a lawsuit against the USTA for inept officiating. Knowing how the USTA reacts to lawsuits, this will surely get the ball rolling in the right direction.
A lawsuit would only work if the parent was of minority descent.
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