Pushy and shouty parents are the “biggest problem in sports performance”, sports psychologists have said, amid growing concern that pressure and abuse is hampering competitive sport in the UK.

This week parents were banned from attending sports events at a number of south London primary schools due to “concerning behaviours”, including abuse towards officials and children and creating “too much pressure around performance and winning at all costs”.

In recent years, a number of schools have banned parents from attending sports days over bad behaviour, while growing levels of abuse from parents on the sidelines of grassroots football is discouraging people from refereeing. ‘One father threatened to stab the referee’: why does kids’ football bring out the worst in parents? Read more

See Full Page