Silent Spectators – Should Parents and Coaches Remain Silent?

Will crowds such as this one in Ridgetown, someday be required to remain silent? Would it benefit the players on the ice? – Photo by Kelsey Vermeersch/ CKSN.ca

I heard an interesting radio segment the other day regarding youth soccer in the United States. Over the past number of years, leagues have been testing a program they call Silent Saturdays. On these occasions spectators and coaches remain silent throughout the game.

It is an interesting concept with mixed reviews. Coaches are only allowed to speak to players on the bench. No yelling directions across the field of play. The players have to communicate with each other rather than the coach directing them. This has resulted in more kids becoming leaders on the field of play.

As for the parents and spectators, they have learned to use non-verbal communication. They bring signs showing support, or use hand gestures, clapping or a thumbs up.

Listeners started calling the shows hosts to give their experiences at youth sporting events. One caller was a teenage referee who has officiated games with the silent rule in effect. The teen explained how much easier it was to concentrate on officiating the game without the distractions from coaches and spectators. Another caller was a gentleman who had a son playing hockey. He stated that his eyes were opened when his son began playing on the same team as a boy who’s father was a retired Detroit Red Wing. He sat with the retired pro frequently during games. As he looked around the rink he saw parents and spectators shouting at the players, the referees, and complaining about the coaches. This is the moment his eyes were opened. He saw a lot of “experts” in the crowd that day, yet the one man who probably is an expert sat silently throughout the entire game. The former Red Wing said nothing about the referees, nothing about the coaching, and nothing but positive things about plays the kids made on the ice.

What this caller experienced is exactly what I see at the rink. Frequently I see spectators who have never played the game nearly lose their voices from all of the commentary they provide during the games. One little secret I can share with you if you have not played in front of a crowd. For the most part, the skaters can’t hear you. Now I’m not saying to yell louder, they just are not listening for spectators. They are listening to their teammates, their coaches, the opposition, and the referees. The spectator falls quite far down the list of people the skaters are trying to hear. If you take the time to look around the stands you will frequently see former professional, college, and junior hockey players watching the games. The vast majority of these men and women, who are experts of the game, conduct themselves exactly like the retired Red Wing the caller was speaking about.

Now I’m not advocating for silent games. I think cheers are good. Try to make your comments similar to what you would put on a sign. Anything that begins with “Go” is perfect. After listening to the radio segment and reviewing my own experiences, I would hope we can all take a cue from the experts of the game and conduct ourselves in a similar manner.