Last October 5th, on a very hot Sunday in São Paulo, children in uniforms gathered on the Ibrachina Arena field, in Mooca, to play the first game of the round of 16 of the Campeonato Paulista, between Prata da Casa and Palmeiras, in the under-11 category.
In the small stand that runs along one side of the pitch, around 200 fans, mainly family and friends, enthusiastically followed the duel. They were thrilled with the goals — with two halves of 25 minutes each on a reduced pitch, the game ended with a 3-2 victory for Alviverde — and lamented in equal measure the wasted chances on both sides.
It was not in all championship matches, however, that the fans were able to watch the clashes between the little aspiring professional players.
Between the end of August and the beginning of September, the FPF (São Paulo Football Federation) even banned the presence of the public during two rounds of the Paulista under-11.
The measure, of an educational nature, was taken due to the inappropriate behavior of the fans in multiple games. The reported cases included insults against boys — with racial insults and homophobia —, fights and threats.
According to the federation, the initial 15 rounds of the tournament had 46 incidents, 12 more than the entire tournament last year.
Prata da Casa coach, William Rodrigues da Silva stated that situations are quite common during the championship in which fans and members of the technical committees end up getting excited.
“We are working with children, and everything we do is transmitted to them on the field. We need to control our nervousness,” he told Sheet the technician. “As a coach, I believe they need to be light to do what they love. They have to have fun before competing.”
According to him, scenes in which young players fall on the field after a harsh tackle and become the target of insults from fans, due to alleged wax, are common.
“The boy looks at his father, and he is cursing his opponent. What will he think? An 11-year-old child will end up repeating what his father says,” said Silva.
The professional recognized, however, that the coaches themselves have their reprehensible moments, whether in the demands they make on their players, or with provocations and criticisms of the opposing team.
“The coach also goes a little overboard in moments of distress. We overdo ourselves in the heat of the game. But, unfortunately, that’s what high-performance sports are.”
Sister of one of the Prata da Casa players, Giovana Tognin de Souza stated that, in the matches she watched in the stadiums, she never witnessed the team’s fans swearing at opposing players. “I’m totally against swearing. You can’t do it, they’re children.”
According to her, offenses coming from the stands are generally directed at referees and linesmen, because of “grotesque errors”.
“The problem is not losing, because that’s part of it. The problem is refereeing errors”, he pointed out.
Mother of one of the Prata da Casa athletes, Juliana Tessari Felício said that her son reported having heard during the tournament one of his teammates being called “shit” by the opposing fans, when he was going to take a penalty.
She believes that the punishment imposed by the FPF contributed to more restrained behavior from the stands. “After the punishment, there was no more fighting, no swearing, nothing.”
FPF’s executive director of competitions, Fábio Moraes stated that the public ban provoked “important reflections”.
“We received feedback from clubs, coaches and even families themselves, recognizing that the forced absence in the stands acted as a warning,” said Moraes. “We already have reports from game directors and other professionals regarding more controlled stands and greater cooperation between clubs and families.”
At the end of September, the FPF released a video against parents’ bad behavior during matches, with reports from young athletes. “It’s not cool to curse a child. I was sad. I even cried,” says one of them.
Moraes pointed out that children in this age group are undergoing emotional development and learn from the example of adults. “When they witness shouting, swearing or disproportionate demands, they can feel pressured, insecure and even unmotivated to continue in the sport.”
Instead of associating football with fun, friendship and learning, they may start to associate it with anxiety and frustration. “Our priority is to ensure that tournaments are spaces for learning, safety and motivation.”
Psychologist and vice-president of Assoperj (Rio de Janeiro Sports Psychology Association), Rodrigo Acioli stated that, for many families, sport represents a perspective of socio-economic development. Therefore, children’s participation in competitions is often treated as an investment that could result in future dividends.
“Some parents end up getting involved in this way because they see their own future at stake,” said Acioli. “On the other hand, there is the paternal and maternal instinct, to defend the offspring. These two aspects can mix a little too.”
According to the psychologist, young athletes have already arrived at his office with mental disorders caused by the pressure to perform in a sport that meets their parents’ and their own expectations.
“Therefore, professional psychological support is important, so that they can have sporting development from grassroots to professional and retirement.”
