Policing the sidelines at a soccer game can be tough for a referee focused on the pitch, but it's part of their responsibilities.
And a raucous sideline can be tough on players.
Laurentian University soccer player Bruce Oickle says parents can get into the game more than kids.
"Even if your kid gets injured or something, they are more aggressive and more angry than the kids get," Oickle says. "It gets in your head. You have people swearing at you. You just have to keep calm and keep your head clean."
It's all a player can do, he says.
Barrie resident Bryce Churcher, who grew up playing soccer in Barrie, agrees it's something players have to manage. But he adds disciplining behaviour can be difficult. He says ejecting an aggressive parent from the sidelines could also mean cutting the game short for the player.
"As far as development of soccer goes, it's not the biggest sport in Canada," Churcher says. "If you are taking a parent out of the game, you are taking the kid out of the game."
