A sports psychologist once said that he would make the clinical definition of a 'little league parent' as a parent who looks out onto the field and sees their own head on their child's shoulders - trying to live vicariously through their own child.
Perhaps that explains why former Liverpool and Scotland standout Graeme Souness lost control at a recent youth soccer match of his 9-year old son.
It was reported that Souness had a go at the opposing coach, the official, and some female spectators as well. Souness, who was renown for his physical player and his temper, seemed to think that he did not act in the wrong.
"I waited 90 seconds for the coach to take the lad off - but nothing happened," Souness told the Telegraph. " I said to him, 'What the **** are you teaching kids?'"
A witness, Jeff Goodwin, was quoted by the Irish Times as saying:"This guy should know better. There were ladies in our group. He did say to them 'excuse me' but he told our coach, 'If you think this is the way to teach kids to play, you've no ****ing chance.' Our coach was speechless. It was out of order."
Souness was highly regarded for his physical and combative play in the midfield, but where that kind of attitude was necessary to patrol the heart of the Liverpool, Rangers and Scottish national teams, he probably needs to learn how to check himself in relation to now being a spectator, and a parent.
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