"Oh good, she looks like she's in pain... maybe that means she won't be able to play."   Positive I had misunderstood what I had overheard, I casually asked the woman in front of me what she said, and she clarified.  "See that girl on the other team? She's really good, but she looks hurt.  Hopefully she is and can't play long." 

I sat there, stunned at what I had just heard.

This was one of the many disgusting things I heard, from parents, at my neice's high school volleyball game last night.  Who my neice is or where she goes to school is not important... what is important is that the parents, the ones who are supposed to be setting the example of good behavior, were pretty much doing what I would call an "epic fail" in that department.   

Why on earth would you wish a young person to be hurt, or in pain?  It's beyond my comprehension.  And it's behavior I've witnessed over and over again, and not just at volleyball games.  It happens in pretty much every sport a child plays, no matter the age group.

I know how it is, as I have kids too... you want your child to win.  You want your child's team to win.   But it's pretty sad when teenage girls can act more respectful and mature than their parents.  I saw parents sniping at each other, making fun of each other, giving each other the evil eye.... meanwhile on the court, the girls were simply having fun playing volleyball.  They were competitive, sure, but nonetheless respectful of each other.   Even the coaches were respectful with each other, laughing and joking and cutting up before the game, congratulating each other at the end of the game.  If the coaches and players can be respectful and enjoy the game, then why the heck do the parents always have to act like such jerks?  

At a game earlier this season,  a player on the opposing team was hurt during the game.  Every player on the court from both teams did the respectful thing and took a knee while the injured player was attended to.  A woman next to me said "Why are our players taking a knee, it's not their teammate who got hurt."  Um really? It's a little something called respect.  Something more children and teenagers seem to have than adults do.   Teenagers get a bad rap for being "unfit for society" due to their attitudes and raging teenage hormones.  Not from what I've seen, it's their parents who are unfit for society.

y neice's team didn't win last night.  But it doesn't upset me.  Because all the girls, on both teams, played their hearts out in a good, exciting, clean, respectful game, and they are all winners in my book.  Too bad I can't say the same for most of the parents in last night's crowd.