From the know-it-all to the overprotective – supportive parents we love to hate

In their own way, parents are our biggest supporters. They motivate us when we fail, listen to our problems without judgement, tell us when we’re wrong and share life hacks they've picked up along the way. How they do it varies.

I’ve seen parents encourage their athletic children. I can recall a time. It was in a corporate office- dull walls, teeny-weeny cubicles, messy file cabinets and flickering office lights that made the space look more bleak. After speaking with the receptionist, he insisted I sit in the waiting area. While waiting, I could see directly into one of the rooms in the office despite the door having an ‘authorized workers only, keep door closed’ sign on it. I could see five desks. Three on the left side of the room and two on the right. One of the desks on the right stood out. It had pictures of three different boys. The pictures were being used as the monitor’s screensaver, they were featured for the month of March on the calendar and randomly decorated the plants in vases.

Typing at the desk was a lady. She had medals hanging from the sides of the monitor and trophies on top of the system unit. The boys in the pictures resembled her. They were her sons. I realized this when another employee said it.

From eavesdropping, I also found out her sons were athletes. As a matter of fact, she started packing up, claiming she had to catch a match and she couldn’t afford to miss one. This parent seemed like a die hearted parent. On any given day, you might encounter five more types.

The Clueless Parent

As the name suggests, this parent hardly knows anything about sports. They show up for matches but yell terrible advice from the stands in hopes to help their children win. They are identifiable by giving advice like to tell the referee off, push your teammate out of the way or give consent to willingly handle the ball with the hand that is not touching the bat. They mean the best, but their lack of knowledge makes their intentions more harmful than helpful.

The Absentee Parent

This parent is never at a game for many reasons. It could be that their job is demanding, they live abroad or you're not that great for them to show up. Usually you’d have to tell them what happened at a match or training that day whether at home, via phonecall or over the internet.

The Motherly Parent

They mother the team. That is, they make sure everyone has something to eat and everyone’s all right in general. Bringing fruits for the team is a common way they show their support. The fruits are already sliced and packaged and they’ll distribute them to ensure everyone’s covered. You can always depend on them to have a first-aid kit on deck too. You won’t have to tell them you’re hurt. They’re present and will act quickly before you can say a word.

The Giving Parent

Two words: very generous. Personally, I think they try to compensate for lacking sentimental attributes with money. Often, the giving parent buys their way into the team’s heart. A big practice is buying patties after a game or even new gears for a team member who can’t afford it.

The ‘Know it all’ Parent

At all costs, do not argue with this parent about anything. They eat, breathe and sleep statistics. They effortlessly keep up with numbers and are at every match. At times, these parents believe they know more than their child’s coach. Frankly they aren’t afraid to debate anyone because they believe they’re a credible and accurate source.

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