To Stay or Not to Stay

I'm sitting in the school cafeteria while my son has lacrosse practice in the gym.  For the record there’s still snow on the ground so they can’t practice outside.  Most of the young players' parents are also in the gym watching. "Why?" I have to ask.  Don't they have other things to do?  What's the protocol for when your children play sports?  Are you supposed to go to the practices too?  I thought it was just the games.  The reason why I'm still in the building is because the ride home is 15 minutes and by the time I get home I'd just have to come back.  Plus it's wonderfully quiet in this empty cafeteria.  I have just enough time to write a blog and do some research.  Just not on Facebook because it's blocked which is a good thing for an elementary school I suppose.

So why do I not feel the least bit guilty for not watching his practice?  From a blog post from Sports Girls Play: 

Assuming your child is in a training situation which is healthy, safe and well supervised (which it should be), I don’t see any benefit to staying and watching every one of your child’s practices. Here’s why:

• As a parent, if you watch every practice you are less likely to see the gradual improvements that your child is achieving every day. Stay and watch once a month or so and you will be amazed with your daughter’s progress.
• Your child needs to learn to interact with other adults and her teammates without looking to you for approval/disapproval at every turn. For most children, the lure of looking out into the audience for parental approval after every turn is just too great.
• Certainly you have something more productive to do with your time – take a walk, go work out, do errands, or better yet, carpool so you only have driving duties one way giving you more time to do other tasks.

I totally agree.  I feel completely confident in the coach and the supervision my son is receiving.   My son knows I care or I wouldn't have signed him up in the first place.  And sadly I need some quiet time to write, but a walk would be nice since it's warmed up a little today.  But anyway.  As it is I can hear the yelling from the next room.  I hope that wasn't my son.

So why do parents stay?  Is it part of the helicopter thing?  Do they think it's the right thing to do?  I can see the argument that by sticking around you are showing your support.  And at this young elementary school age the child might still need to see a familiar face.  Also, if the coach needs assistance, someone is there.  And maybe some people just like to watch for the sake of sport.  I suppose we all have our own view.  Meanwhile, I've signed up to substitute teach at my son's school.  Purely professional reasons, but in my son’s mind, that's about 100 times worse than attending a one hour practice!