As school sports return to the spotlight in Brownwood, a Brownwood News column is urging parents to keep their emotions from taking over the bleachers. The message is direct: support the students, let coaches handle officials and do not turn a game into a confrontation.

The column, published Aug. 24, 2026, was written by Todd Howey, identified as a BrownwoodNews.com columnist whose “Five Things Coaches Want Parents to Know” series appears Mondays. The installment focuses on the effect of parent and fan behavior on players, coaches, officials and the overall atmosphere at school athletic contests.

Why behavior in the stands matters

Howey writes that some of the most difficult situations for school administrators begin in the bleachers when anger takes over. Harsh words or actions may be regretted later, but the damage to students and the event can already be done.

According to the column, negativity from the stands does not help players, support coaches or improve the experience for students competing on a field or court. The concern is especially significant at sub-varsity levels, where officials are often still learning. Hostile criticism, the article says, can hamper that development and make the environment more difficult for both athletes and officials.

The column also argues that mistakes by officials are part of sports and should not automatically be treated as evidence that someone caused a team to lose. Coaches are trained to deal with officials professionally, and the article says that approach is the example young athletes should see when conflicts or controversial calls arise.

Officials, meanwhile, often work games because they enjoy athletics and being around children, while earning relatively little for their services. Howey notes that officials may have regular jobs or be college students, but all are human and will make mistakes. A shortage of qualified officials exists across sports and levels, the column says, in part because many become tired of repeated criticism.

A message directed from kids to parents

The article includes a 10-point list framed as advice from children to their parents. The guidance asks adults to avoid shouting instructions during games, criticizing officials, publicly yelling at their own child, or yelling at coaches, teammates and opponents.

  • Save instructions and reminders for another time so players can focus on their coach and their training.
  • Do not make negative comments about officials, teammates or the opposing team.
  • Stay calm, avoid losing your temper and never enter the field unless a coach asks you to.
  • Do not turn the ride home into a lecture about mistakes; talk later and remember to mention what the player did well.
  • Keep the experience enjoyable and help children remember that sports are games, not the whole of their future.

The column distinguishes between enthusiastic cheering and personal attacks. Parents can be loud and excited, it says, but the line is crossed when comments are directed at a coach, player or official in a personal way. Its practical recommendation is to “get loud” without “get personal.”

Schools can remove spectators

Howey also points out that a school may prevent someone from attending athletic contests for an extended period because of poor behavior. He writes from experience as an athletic director, saying he suspended a parent from games when conduct required action.

The column describes possible consequences of escalating behavior, including ejection from a gym, removal with police assistance, embarrassment for a child and losing the ability to attend games. It says administrators who ignore disruptive conduct risk promoting it.

The installment closes by asking adults to let coaches manage relationships with officials and to stop making games about themselves. Howey’s next planned column is “THING FOUR: Trust coaches to do the right thing.”