A big thank you to PG for their awesome post. And Orlando made some great points as well.
Most of us recognize a "jerk" when we see one. Sometimes we can recognize a "HM" parent also.
Recognizing the HM parent is a step in the right direction. My guess is that many if not most of the HM parents do NOT place themself in this category.
The problem with that is that it does not matter if you consider yourself a HM parent. It does not matter if other parents see you as a HM parent. What does matter, is how the coach's see you.
The problem is that sometimes the HM parent is a friend (or parents of one of sons friends). Do you simply cross your cross your fingers and hope their child never suffers the consequences or their parents behavior?
Are there other appropriate options?
After all, that is my primary reason for starting this post.
How do you (and should you even try) convince a friend (or team mates parent) to take a step back. How can you convince them that in doing so they will actually be helping their son more than they are right now.
By all means, there are times when a parent should get involved. There is also a point at which the parent becomes too involved.
Are there tactful ways to help a parent realize they are skirting, or may even have crossed that line?