@smokeminside's post got me thinking about me at my son's games. I can't remember when I made the transition from cheering dad to silent dad, but it was probably sometime around 10U ball. For what it's worth, I think being silent dad is the absolute best. A) it keeps you from getting known as "that parent" and B) I found that remaining silent and instead listening to other spectators cheer for my son felt amazing. It always came off as more authentic somehow versus anything that could come out of my mouth.
To ensure my kids (son=baseball, daughter=volleyball) understood why I stay quiet during their games, I had conversations with them explaining my rational. They totally understand that praise and excitement from dad comes AFTER the games. Usually in the car. It's a combination of praise and constructive critiquing that happens in back and forth dialogue. Very early I was fortunate enough to come across some articles that spoke to kids' worst youth sports experiences. The overwhelming majority cited "the car ride home" as the worst part. It resonated with me and I took it to heart. I can now look back and say easily that our car rides home after games were some of the best moments of my relationships with my 2 kids. I've screwed up any number of things, but I did get at least that one pretty damn close to right.