Competitive Dad Learns to Stop Yelling from the Bleachers

Despite his calm disposition at the office, Dr. Matthew Kelchner admits he can get a little excited when it comes to his kids’ soccer practice. Granted, it hasn’t happened in a while, but that’s because he’s found a new way to cope.

“I’m the dad on the sidelines biting my fingernails,” said Kelchner, 44, of . “I’ve been conditioned with my son not to yell at my daughter. I kind of laugh at the other parents now.”

The Santee resident says it’s the entrepreneur in him that makes him competitive and that his wife can get vocal, too―especially when it comes to the Chargers.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a sports household,” he added. “We don’t have a Chargers flag out front.”

When he’s not bridling his enthusiasm in the bleachers, he’s seeking solace in the garden. He finds the process to be a healthy, immediate gratification that the kids can also enjoy―even if only for a few undistracted minutes.

“Whatever they’re willing to do, you encourage it,” Kelchner said. “I’ve dissected bodies; I’ve studied the body. But just to look back and see the miracle of learning and development―it’s humbling.”