Today brings news of an untimely end that came to a soccer mom. Dead in an apparent domestic murder-suicide, she made headlines last year when she wore a gun to a children’s soccer game.

It made me google “sports parents,” and the second item that came up concerns “sideline rage.” Among the information: 52.9 percent of parents who filled out a questionnaire after watching a soccer game reported feeling angry at some point during the game.

Not upset. Not disappointed. Angry.

In our middle school program, we try to be guided by one question. “Will the child love the sport more at the end of the year than they do at the beginning?” So far we’ve only asked that question among the coaching staff. But in view of the issue of “sideline rage,” perhaps it would be useful to put this question in front of sports parents. Make it a point, when meeting with parents at the start of the year, to put this question up front.

Naturally, as athletes progress through high school, the stakes grow higher. There are honors, headlines and, for some, scholarships. Even then, however, the emphasis must remain on love. Who can excel at a sport they don’t love?