Shouting abuse at children, cutting up finish lines and urinating in bushes: How badly behaved parents are being banned from school sporting events

Parents of primary school children have been banned from sporting events for ‘concerning behaviour’, including shouting abuse and preventing youngsters from crossing the finish line.

Merton School Sports Partnership (MSSP), which runs sport and physical education at more than 40 schools in south-west London, wrote to disappointed parents last week telling them they would no longer be welcome.

Adults were seen ‘crossing the finish line’ to thwart teenagers, according to the letter sent to parents and guardians in the borough, which includes the affluent neighborhoods of Wimbledon, Morden and Mitcham.

They were also seen shouting ‘abuse at the authorities and other children’. Some of the ‘officials’ included young students who personally helped with the events.

The ban is understood to cover a wide range of events, including annual sports days, football and hockey tournaments and gymnastics competitions.

It was also found that some parents shared photos and videos on social media without their parents’ permission.

There is a long statement on ‘Respect’ on the MSSP website, which states: ‘All children have the right to participate in physical education and sport without being exploited, in a nurturing, growth mindset environment where they feel safe to make their own decisions and learn from their own ‘wonderful mistakes’.

‘Participants and officials should never be told by spectators and others what to do and when to do during their performance or play.’

He adds: ‘Spectators can enjoy watching their friends and family participate and make the event much more exciting with positive, encouraging, general support.

‘When children are playing their games, spectators should not give specific orders or advice (‘throw’, ‘pass, ‘go faster’).

‘They should also not make unconstructive (“you’re too slow”), derogatory/malicious comments or actively show or gesture their disappointment when a ‘brilliant mistake’ has been made by a player or official.’

MSSP said it would report ‘any concerning behaviour’ to the school principal as part of its ‘safeguarding protocol’.

However, it has now been decided that all parents will be banned from all sports events held in public spaces.

Director Nicola Ryan said in the letter:According to The Times, there is too much concerning behavior to continue entertaining audiences.

He added that such behavior created ‘a stressful environment for participants where there was a lot of pressure to perform and win at all costs’.

TikTok user themultidad expressed disappointment after his children’s school banned ‘father’s race’, calling it a ‘national institution’

Wimbledon MP Paul Kohler said it was ‘deeply disappointing’ [that] The behavior of a small number of parents led to this result; This punishes the vast majority who have always been responsive and supportive.’

He said: ‘I understand how disappointed these parents will be but I know that they, like me, would not want any child, teacher or volunteer to feel unsafe or threatened at what is supposed to be a fun family friendly event.

‘The focus should always be on creating a positive environment for young people to enjoy sport, develop teamwork and self-confidence,’ he added.

‘I hope this is a temporary measure to provide the space needed to reset expectations around respect and sportsmanship. ‘I believe that through collaboration between the Merton School Sports Partnership, schools and parents, we can find a solution that eliminates unacceptable behavior whilst allowing families to share in their children’s sporting achievements.’

Other parents reacting to the decision said they understood it after witnessing ‘overly competitive adults’ and ‘disgusting behaviour’ at sporting events.

One told the Daily Mail that their child’s school had banned parents from attending a sports day after two adults were seen urinating in bushes while waiting between races.

They said: ‘Absolutely disgusting and very disappointing. I was there to enjoy watching my daughter on her sports day. We share space with a nearby private school and they very kindly allowed us to use their space for the day.

‘I couldn’t believe it when I saw two dads sneaking off into the bush because they couldn’t be bothered to use the facilities just a short walk from the school.

Creator kellylorensmart also saw the lighter side of the parental ban with her TikTok video that showed two moms arriving with a foghorn; They then blew up the school gates as they watched from the street.

‘The actions of a few meant the punishment of all of us. It was embarrassing for us, but it was also embarrassing for our children.’

Angry parents also took to social media to express their opinions about the decision, with many agreeing with the ban.

One of them said: ‘My friends manage children’s football in London and it’s absolutely disgusting what they have to deal with. 90% of parents seem to be adult children.’

Another said: ‘We are delighted to be playing with some of the South London teams in my son’s football league.

‘I can wholeheartedly say that they often have the worst parent and coach behavior of any team we have faced. This is too bad.

‘And no wonder the kids on the pitch were behaving terribly too. “This is disgusting.”

A third wrote: ‘My former colleague was a level 6 referee outside of work. All kinds of colorful words were said to him and all kinds of gestures were shown.

‘His worst memories, though, are from the youth leagues where he was attacked.’

Meanwhile, TikTok user themultidad expressed disappointment after his children’s school banned ‘father’s race’, calling it a ‘national institution’.

He said: ‘I think it’s for insurance reasons. I know it’s wrong to sue the school for a torn hamstring, but there were some disappointed dads there today. Some have just come off a 5K warm-up lap with brand new 5K sneakers.

‘There’s nothing wrong with a few dads getting up with the odd calf injury or, you know, a touchline brawl in the photo finish.’

Creator kellylorensmart also saw the lighter side of the parental ban with her TikTok video that showed two moms arriving with a foghorn; They then blew up the school gates while watching from the street.

The slogan of the video is: ‘When sports day is not allowed, we will still come.’

Neither ‘multidad’ nor ‘kellylorensmart’ were accused of misbehaving at children’s sporting events.

The Daily Mail has contacted Merton School Sports Partnership for comment.