ractice of the parents wanting their children to live out the parents dreams and strive for the lives that they were never able to achieve. This phenomenon is known as a reverse dependency trap, when the parent over identifies with the child and in some extreme cases actually looks up to the child. Such a scene was perfectly illustrated in the MTV movie Varsity Blues. Johnny Moxons dad says to him This is the opportunity of a lifetime, in return Johnny says to him Playing football at west Canaan was the opportunity of a lifetime for you, but I dont want your life. This scene perfectly illustrates how parents can easily, and often unknowingly, try to live vicariously through their childrens lives. The third theory is that the current behavior trickles down from the professionals, to college, and so on. At these college and professional events multicolored hair, body paint, drinking and foul language are not only allowed but in many cases encouraged. At these events people become very emotionally involved, and so when watching their own flesh and blood, they become even more emotionally involved. Parents that are normally very well mannered may become very involved and vocal and in less than acceptable ways. Parents often dont believe some of the things they have done when told about them later. This emotional involvement only increases exponentially when a parent sees their child get injured, especially if there is blood. Few things can bring out the rage within someone than seeing the bloodshed of one of their own. These parents often overlook the fact that contact, penalties, and even sometimes injuries are just part of the game and must be dealt with in a reasonable manor.As more and more people become aware of the growing problem, more people want to know what can be done to combat the growing plague that is overrunning the youth sports that used to be. A U.S. Government class in a Phoenix suburb high school recently created a b...
