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  Excerpt from Soccer Is Fun without Parents (Jonas): THE EGO PARENT The ego parent is sometimes hard to spot at first. One key is that they are often seen with large insulated mugs of coffee that have some ridiculous inscription, like: “It is a great day for soccer.”  They also have bumper stickers about soccer on their cars, so you know they are involved with the “beautiful game.” They will constantly bring up the premiership without really knowing what league it is or who plays in it, but they love saying the word premiership. The Brits put the emphasis on the first syllable of Premier, and Americans on the second. You know them within minutes of the conversation because their son or daughter, Sam or Julie, are the absolute best player on the team. There is no “we” in the Ego Parent.  In youth soccer there is a national ranking system where clubs, teams, and players get ranked.  Too many parents take these rankings seriously, and the president of FC told a story that he had a pare

The Passive-Aggressive Predator  The urban dictionary defines Passive-Aggressive as: “A defense mechanism that allows people who aren’t comfortable being openly aggressive to get what they want under the guise of still trying to please others. They want their way, but they also want everyone to still like them” (Urban Dictionary, 2005). I merely added the noun of predator because it means: 1) an animal that naturally preys on others, “wolves are major predators of rodents,” or 2) a person or group that ruthlessly exploits others. Both definitions fit in this case. The more talented the soccer team, the more problems they have with parents. Many of the select soccer teams report that they have a plethora of families that simply don’t pay to be in the club, and then come up with every excuse in the world not to pay their dues. It is typically the same families every year that say, “the check is in the mail,” but the money never seems to arrive. This type of behavior puts the

  As folks get ready to settle in to some great yelling, screaming, and cheering for today's Super Bowl, we offer readers a look at the everyday players, the kids who might grow up to be stars, and how their parents affect them and the game. Jonas is a long-term sports coach, and his insights and humor make for a wonderful, easy, and inspirational read in Soccer Is Fun without Parents .  I never played soccer growing up but my son, Kevin, latched onto it about the same time he learned how to walk. I have learned how to love the sport by watching kids play and being a high school referee. Apparently, Americans don’t find the sport exciting; not enough scoring, too many dives by players, slow action, etc.   Have you ever watched a baseball game? Come on. Any NFL game typically entails only 11 minutes of actual playing time compared to 18 minutes in baseball, and 90 minutes in soccer. Despite what many Americans say about the sport, there is only one thing that needs to be fixed in so

  The following excerpt comes from Soccer Is Fun without Parents by Peter Jonas.  The Screamer (Parent) The Screamer is loud, and you know them right away. They scream about the refs, the coaches, and most often, the players: “Get the ball!” “Big kick!” “Hustle Timmy, hustle!” Their voice typically carries into the next town, as if the louder they yell the better the kids play. It does not work that way, sorry. However, there is a direct correlation between how loud you yell and how embarrassed your kids are to be from the same family.   Have you ever thought about what the player thinks when parents are screaming at them? Here is someone twice as large as you, hollering at you all the time to perfectly complete tasks that you might not be skilled enough to perform. Talk about pressure! Freud would have a field day with the Screamer.    Sometimes it is not just one or two parents that do the unbelievable. Maybe the crowd mentality takes over and a group simply goes crazy. One beautiful

Released today! Approximately 75 percent of children who play organized sports quit by age 13. While there is no definitive answer about why, many researchers suggest that it is because of pressure from parents. One referee always likes to say that he equates kid's soccer to a musical recital. Parents don't yell instructions to their seven-year old when they are singing or playing the piano. They are not jumping up from their seats when the proper chord is struck, yelling, "Great job, Jimmy!" or "Big kick on the next chord!" Yet, they feel it is OK to do so on the soccer field. Why? This book will make every soccer parent and coach say, "I know that person." Unfortunately, sometimes they'll be talking about themselves. It's an entertaining and informative read as Peter not only tells the stories of insane, yet normal, soccer parents but delves into why and how our behavior needs to change. Rob Harrington Professional Soccer Coac

  This week's book back story is about Peter Jonas' book, Soccer Is Fun without Parents . From the publisher --  Unfortunately, Peter died a short time after writing this book so it probably did not get as much attention as it otherwise would. Peter was an athletic coach and professor, who saw two things that prompted him to write this book, weaving the themes together in a unique way: (1) Parents are too negatively involved in their children's sports  and (2) Leadership skills are an inherent part of sports. He develops both in an easy-to-read style. His ability to reach out to the everyday person is what attracted us to the book, and we do not regret publishing it though our association with Peter was too short-lived. He lives on in this book and others he has written. Obviously, literary experts concur with our assessment. The book has received two awards. Description of the book: Approximately 75 percent of children who play organized sports quit by age 13. While there

  Recently released - the audiobook for Soccer Is Fun without Parents by Dr. Peter Jonas. Approximately 75 percent of children who play organized sports quit by age 13. While there is no definitive answer about why, many researchers suggest that it is because of pressure from parents. One referee always likes to say that he equates kid’s soccer to a musical recital. Parents don’t yell instructions to their seven-year old when they are singing or playing the piano. They are not jumping up from their seats when the proper chord is struck, yelling, “Great job, Jimmy!” or “Big kick on the next chord!” Yet, they feel it is OK to do so on the soccer field. Why? A humorous take on the topic. KOPS-FETHERLING INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARD CATEGORY: LEADERSHIP Read less For more posts about Peter and his book, click HERE . Purchase the paperback at discount from the  MSI Press webstore . Use Coupon Code FF25 for 25% off. Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face B