After some good spirited discussion and difference of opinion on one of the other threads, I thought I'd put out this poll to get a feel for the general consensus on this issue. I think it really goes to show the cultural differences between British and US attitudes to football and youth sport. Drinking at any youth sport in the UK wouldn't be tolerated at any level, whereas it seems to be viewed in a different light in the States Cast your vote!
On the sidelines? No, I don't think parents should be drinking. They literally sell beer though at the complex where we play a lot of tournaments. It has to be consumed in a small, fenced in area, next to where it is sold. I often see adult league teams drinking next to the parking lot after weekend games. They pour it in cups to be a little more discreet. I don't have a problem if people tailgate a little. It's an American tradition.
Re-post from other thread... I will have a beer or glass or wine on the sideline at games…once again, discreetly and in moderation…not every game, not every time...but when I feel like enjoying a beer/glass of wine while watching my kid play; I have a beer or glass of wine....many youth tournaments actually sell beer/alcohol…
Should parents be drunk at a youth soccer event? NO! But having a beer and being drunk are two different thing…
i think having a beer on the sidelines of a youth sporting event is just a bad look. if its a tournament and parents want to party in the lobby of the hotels go for it, i certainly do but at a game? nah.
I think it’s worth noting that Youth Sports covers a lot of ground…it covers everything from pre-kindergarten to college, and everything in-between…Personally, I think at really young ages (4-12-ish), there probably shouldn’t be any drinking…games and days tend to be short…not a hard fast rule, as I could see a long, hot, summer 3v3 tournament requiring a beer or two…and it did in my experience… As the kids get older and the days/games tend to get longer, I can see alcohol creeping in a little bit more…especially at the club level, never at a high school games, maybe not at the DA level either, but I am not part of that scene…although college games I wouldn’t have a problem with it…
DS played in the MIC tournament a couple years ago in the Costa Brava region of Spain. I think every field we played at had a full bar. And these weren't "complexes" with multiple fields. I'm talking a single field, stands, and a clubhouse. I'd say drinking alcohol during events is not just an American thing.
It's probably a cultural thing. I like a good drink, but I don't think it has a place at youth sport. My view on this is probably moulded by the number of idiots I see out on the drink in the UK. I'd rather not see that behaviour at youth sport. Also, I find many parents a pain in the arse at games without putting up with parents who've been consuming alcohol. Maybe it works in the US and other European countries, but personally I don't see the need for it.
In that other thread, I don't remember anybody advocating for drinking DURING GAMES. Tournaments are all-day affairs. Some of us mentioned that in between games we've picnicked with food and beers to kill time. Not sure why that's controversial.
Drinking during youth games would seem odd to me, and I think most others as its been very rare in my experience. I've seen a parent or two buy a beer during an evening indoor game, but it draws some side-eye. But I'm talking U13. Having drinks as part of inter and post-game social times is completely different though, IMO. Responsibility needs to be exercised of course, and demonstrated for the little ones who take their social cues from the adults, but otherwise fine. That describes the childhood of many of us who's parents played rec softball or volleyball.