Next month I will be working as an interpreter for a large group of kids and parents from the USA.
They will be attending a football(soccer) tournament over here.
When I mentioned this to an American friend, he looked at me boggle-eyed and said, " Soccer Moms "
He shook his head, shook my hand, wished me good luck, and refused to say more on the subject.
A question to the American Chiff community - What are these ‘soccer moms’ that can cause such dread in a grown man?
Should I be worried? (FYI They are Californian.)
when my kids were playing soccer - ALL of the yellow and red cards were handed out to parents - and usually moms - of the players, never to a player or coach. This was kindergarten through 6th grade (kids couldn’t get enough players above 6th grade because most went to playing football).
Aw, c’mon, as long as they leave their Volvo wagons and minivans home it won’t be that bad. But they better have Starbucks nearby or there will be trouble.
I’ll keep you in my thoughts and prayers, Mukade. this sounds like a nightmare. Soccer moms pretty much wrote the book about the squeaky wheel getting the grease.
Seriously, Mook, we are all exaggerating. Mind you, America does not have that long and serious of a soccer tradition, so there is a factor of “newbie” behavior on the part of participating parents. But if they have gotten so far to visiting you, I guess they have a clue.
It just happens to be a cliche that came up during an election, possibly 96, I think, and referred to a specific demographic of middle-class, mostly white, educated women that had decided to stay home to raise their kids. Much was made of it and it’s all good fun.
The cliche involves a harried, tense mom recklessly driving her van or Volvo, with a Starbucks megalatte in one hand and a cellphone in the other. The prime conversations, when they congregate on the sidelines would be about the “best” local school, PTA stuff, childbirth stories, etc. etc…The only distinction, as mentioned before, was perhaps a bit more affluence and education than a non-designated housewife, such as from lower incomes or rural areas, for example.
But you should be okay. They just want to have fun, after all, for their kids and for themselves.
Soccer Moms 
