And, they feel the elation when their child hits a home run or scores a goal. The problem is that a mother can't release the building intensity the same way as her child. She can't go on to the field and block an opposing player. She can't dribble the basketball and focus her anxiety in that activity. By that I mean they literally lose sight of what is important in youth sports and focus narrowly on their child, to the exclusion of everything else.
Tunnel vision is often the reason parents act out at the game.
While in tunnel vision parents often lose the ability to make good decisions. They find themselves saying things they normally would not say. They find themselves confronting other adults to the point of threats or violence. When a parent cannot stay out of tunnel vision during a youth sporting event he is far more likely to act inappropriately. Athletes and parents alike perform better when they are relaxed.