Australian tennis pro Bernard Tomic made an unusual request last weekend to the chair umpire during his quarter-final match at the Sony Ericsson Tennis Open in Miami.
During a changeover he asked to have his dad "banished from the stands." Seems his dad was, according to an article in USA Today, "noticeably upset with his
son's performance", which the reader and fans might conclude, would
impact Tomic's ability to focus. "He's annoying me. I know he's my father, but he's annoying me. I want him to leave as soon as possible," Tomic reportedly told the umpire.
As a sports parent and an official, I have witnessed first hand the
effects of inappropriate sideline coaching from parents. Players rarely
perform better when adults other than their coaches bark commands, make
faces, gestures or statements intended to motivate. While some would
argue that such behavior is well meaning or overzealous, I respectfully
disagree. Such behavior is disrespectful and detrimental
to the game, coaches, team, parents, and most of all, the players.
