My ex used to referee community softball games including several kyd's team such as the "pee wee" leagues on occasion, as well as substitute at elementary-highschool football, soccer, basketball, and baseball/softball games. I went to the games often,, in the beginning, because of the parties held afterwards for the refs, coaches, and other adults. NEVER in my life have I seen such nonsense when it comes to the SHITTY behavior of parents and it's true that the younger the players, the WORSE that parents get. Screaming and yelling obsenities at the refs, coaches, AND sometimes other students, running out on the fields or courts and making asses out of themselves when they don't agree with a call, and occasionally, physical altercations with refs, coaches, or other parents. I observed that the main offenders were the ones who felt that THEIR child had "talent" and had a shot at the big leagues IF he didn't get any lousy calls, BAD coaching, and was allowed full and regular playing time.
It's hard to believe, but some of those parents who had kyds on a 5-7 age pee wee team were convinved that an SEC scout was looming in the bleachers with his eye on
their kyd.
This was almost ALWAYS fathers who did this and they ALL had been former players of the game and obviously had been mediocre players themselves, at best. The MOTHERS however, seem to surface at gymnastic competitions, ice skating, and cheerleading, and are at least as bad as the duddies, if not worse. Parents like this are living vicariously through their kyds and it's a transparent and PATHETIC sight to behold for objective onlookers.