It has become a familiar sight. Each spring, thousands of Canadian children pull on their cleats and join youth soccer leagues, some almost before they can walk. Fair play and teamwork are meant to be the main lessons, but lately they have been overshadowed by a hunger to win at any cost. These days, some parents scream at their children from the touchline to "push harder," argue with referees over every call, and trade sharp words with other families along the sidelines. Only a small share of parents behave this way, yet their conduct carries wide consequences, including costly disputes, wasted resources, and harm to the reputation of a much-loved game. To protect young players' enthusiasm, soccer associations in most provinces now ask parents to complete a short "respect in sport" workshop before their children may take the field.

At a recent community awareness evening hosted by PlayFair Canada in Guelph, Ontario, most parents interviewed lamented the current state of youth soccer, insisting that the behaviour of a few was spoiling things for everyone. Guelph parent Miriam Delacroix said both her daughters began playing at age five, burned out after years of hard tackles and repeated injuries, and now, to her sorrow, avoid all team sports. She blames their injuries on "soccer parents who pushed their kids to push mine." Former soccer parent Anton Petrenko felt his son had an easier time with bullies but faced a good deal of pressure from his teammates. "He took up badminton in the end," Petrenko recalled.