Posted on 11/14/2008 7:08:39 PM PST by ebbscomic
Incredibly scary, Soviet-style stuff going on in the People's Republic Of California. Below is the text of the decree from a youth soccer league, stating that parents are not permited to cheer for THEIR OWN KIDS, or they will be THROWN OUT. Below that is an excellent freelance article penned by one of the parents. PLEASE EMAIL THIS ROGUE SOCIALIST LEAGUE AT reg46rc@ca.rr.com and let them know what you think. FLOOD THEM. -----------------------
Region 46 will be holding a Sunday edition of Silent Saturday on November 16th, 2008, during the make up games. The AYSO Board requests that there be no comments from the sidelines audible to players or the referee during games.
We are sponsoring this program to allow our players to better develop their game skills by communicating with each other without interference from coaches, parents or other spectators and to learn to make their own decisions in games.
* * * * *
Players: Have fun and enjoy the opportunity to communicate with your teammates. Play fairly and show your best sportsmanship. While on the field talk to your teammates in a positive supporting manner and while on the sideline as a substitute please follow the same rules as your coaches and parents and only clap for your teammates. After the game, let your coach and parents know how you felt about playing on Silent Saturday, or send email to reg46rc@ca.rr.com.
Coaches: You may not provide any direction, verbal or non-verbal, to players who are on the field. You may speak quietly to any players who are on the bench. You may address the players before the game, at halftime, and during water breaks. Remember as the coach you are responsible for the behavior of your sideline. Please help make sure everyone follows the rules for this day.
Parents: Speak only quietly, if at all, to others on the sidelines. Avoid any comments that could be heard by players for either team or the referee. We ask for your respect for our efforts. When a goal is scored, please restrain your reaction to low-key applause. Please do follow the game closely, think about the effects of what is going on and let us know your thoughts by email to reg46rc@ca.rr.com. We need your help to make your child’s soccer experience the best it can be.
The referee will halt the match and issue a warning to the offending sideline the first time any person from the sideline breaks the rules. The warning will apply to every person on that sideline. If any person from that sideline breaks the Silent Saturday rules following a warning that person, or persons, will be asked to leave. The game will be suspended until the person has left the field.
There will be board members and field monitors at the fields helping to monitor this program.
* * * * *
We appreciate your giving us the opportunity for a single day to get a new perspective. All feedback will be used to evaluate the possibility of having a Silent Saturday again in the future.
ARTICLE WRITTEN BY ONE OF THE PARENTS IN THIS LEAGUE
California Sinks To A New Low
PARENTS NOT ALLOWED TO CHEER AT YOUTH SOCCER GAMES ON "SILENT SUNDAY"
Stephen Thomas
Valencia, CA Nov 14, 2008
California has sunk to a new low. A mind-boggling level of psuedo-intellectual social engineering is underway at a youth soccer league, of all places. AYSO Region 46, in Santa Clarita CA, is holding what it terms "Silent Sunday" this weekend - a Sunday where coaches are not permitted to direct their team from the sideline, and parents are not permitted to cheer for their own children.
I'll repeat that so there no confusion: Coaches are not permitted to direct their team from the sideline, and parents are not permitted to cheer for their own children. Direct quotes from this Pravda press release follow.
By decree from on high by the Region 46 Board, coaches "may not privde any direction, verbal or non-verbal, to players who are on the field." That is a direct quote. If that is not galling enough, parents - PARENTS - are the told to "speak only quietly, if at all, to others on the sidelines." In other words, children as young as 5 will be rewarded for their effort and athletic achievments by "low-key applause," and nothing more. The insidiousness of this idea is abhorrent and terrifying. Any child who scores a goal or makes a good play will now wonder why no one is cheering or encouraging them. The younger ones -again, some as young as 5 - will be confused and likely scared, thinking they've done something wrong. They will wonder why Mommy and Daddy, who have always told them that they will be rewarded if they try their best in any endeavor, have now abandoned them just at the moment when they have achieved something wonderful. The detrimental effect that this incredibly confusing message will have on these children is immeasurable, and the social-controlling aspect of this is frightening on a "big brother" level that is quite real.
The supposed goal of "Silent Sunday" is to allow the children to make their own decisions on the field, while keeping any bad parents from yelling at the kids or referees in an abusive or harmful manner. A fine goal indeed, and had this decree said anything even approachnig that, I would be its biggest supporter. However, like most social engineering experiments, this is directed at the wrong people. Why not simply address this problem with the individuals responsible for the offensive behavior? Why not approach the problem directly with the parents who have committed these acts, rather than punishing everyone in the league - most of whom are positive, supportive parents who have never done anything wrong on the sideline - by banning the cheering or encouragement of their own children? When it can be explained how "banning" emotions and actions results in "open mindedness" and "tolerance," perhaps I'll listen; until that happens, this horrific encroachment of freedom and liberties needs to be exposed as the repugnant, Soviet-style thought control that it is.
As a parent in Region 46, I am livid at the presumptiousness of the board members, in their thinking that they have a say in the raising of my child. AYSO exists for one reason, to provide the infrastructure of a sports league. That is all. AYSO is not a parent or a moral educator, it is a sports league. As such, board members telling me what to think, how to act, and what to teach my daughter is an offensively egotistical act, and needless to say far outside the realm of their responsibility. As parents we need to stand up and resist this type of action, and I will be the first to do so. I will teach my child that effort and hard work are rewarded, both on and off the sports field. I will teach her right from wrong as I see fit, as is my right as a law-abiding American citizen and a responsible adult. When she scores a goal or makes a good defensive play, I will cheer for her accordingly, and for AYSO or anyone else to attempt to stop me is disgusting, intrusive, and rabidly un-American.
Being a parent is a tough job, but despite the self-important and pseudo-intellectual opinions of a few small-minded individuals with Napoleonic complexes, raising a child does not "take a village." It takes two involved, caring parents. Keep the village out of my family room.
Score that goal, win that game, and cheer for your kids, America.
We knew that whatever infected Great Britain had to make its way over here sometime.
*sigh*
Kalifornia continues down the path of self-destruction. Liberalism is a mental disorder.
The solution is easy. Take the kid out. Start another league.
Well it is soccer after all.
Soccer is a commie sport anyway. Real Americans play football, baseball, basketball and hockey.
a union democrat friend of mine foamed at the mouth when
her daughter graduated from high school and the
school administration introduced the honors graduates.
my friend was very angry: “who do they think they are?”
“they think they’re better than us.”
she told me this story 5 years after the graduation.
INTREP
I don’t know whether to laugh or cry at this story.
Oh, geez... And deep in his heart, I bet the coach thinks this is good for his team.
I’ve lived in CA all my life, but recent and not-so-recent events here are making Nevada look very appealing.
Now that it’s her that the gov’t is going after, she’s upset, but I’ll betcha my paycheck she’s all for the gov’t going after smokers (ridiculous no smoking ordinances), etc. etc.
do unto thee but not to me..
If I lived nearby I would happily sign on with a parent to cheer for their child. Just to poke the idiots in the eye.
If this is not a joke, I will write the idiot and tell him what I think. And if I was the parent, I would pull my kids out and tell them where to shove their PC soccer ball.
Anybody remember that? I'm too lazy to look it up...
Its a voluntary organization, if you or your kids don’t like it- sign up for baseball, football or the boy scouts instead.
Morons sometimes get attached to youth sports. If they can’t be thrown out, you can leave.
Ah, soccer—the game for kids who have no game.
The Nanny State is alive and well in Kalifornica.
...We are sponsoring this program to allow our players to better develop their game skills by communicating with each other without interference from coaches, parents or other spectators and to learn to make their own decisions in games...
My sons have been in youth soccer for 11 years and I can tell you that parents are out of control. They try to coach their kids from the sidelines and most of them (parents) don't have a bloody clue.
They also heckle the referees and the opposing team, the latter being extremely bad form.
Having said all that, I disagree with the rule not allowing coaches to coach the kids on this day. But, it's only one day and it'll bring out some leadership in some of the kids.
I see it as more of a personality problem.
AYSO has become a joke. Coaches at this age are simply dads being part of their children’s lives. Yes there are some over nut case parents but they are the exception.
AYSO is also run by other parents that really don’t want the hassle of stupid parents.
I’ll do what I want. I paid for it.
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