Link: https://old.reddit.com/r/tifu/comments/1tyc297/tifu_by_calling_my_sister_a_sideliner/

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The original was posted on /r/tifu by /u/tencarabaos on 2026-06-06 08:54:29+00:00.

My sister is an amateur footballer and she was recently invited by a national team to play for them at this league thing. So she flew to another city to do that this weekend, and we were all very supportive of her. She had been training very hard for this team, so it was nice to see her being recognized as someone good enough to play a national tournament.

She sent us the link to the live feed of the game, and my mom and I had been excitingly taking screenshots of when she would appear on the screen - on the sidelines, or talking to team mates. She never got to play, but there was like 20 people on the team and I think there was only like 6-7 people on the field at a time so I guess there just was too many people on the team idk.

Anyway, after the game (they lost), I jokingly sent her the screenshots and told her she was my favorite sideliner. It was meant to be endearing but she got really sad and told me she had been trying to hold it together the whole game and my comment broke her. She said, that's not funny and to think it would come from family. She says she regrets even sending us the link at all.

I immediately apologized and told her that it was completely inappropriate, that I regret saying it and I will never make that joke again. I messaged her friend to tell her to look after her because I had messed up. Her friend basically said yeah, when you're an athlete like that you really need focus during important games so I don't even really distract her in anyway, etc etc etc.

Just want to say, I don't play, follow, watch sports at all and I really didn't think it would be that big of a deal. I guess I was just trying to be funny, because I was so excited seeing her on a live feed like that, in such an important tournament. But obviously I miscalculated and I know now it was in poor taste. I plan to make it up to her when she comes back home, and I'm open to ideas about how. I feel really bad, y'all.

TLDR: I messed up by teasing my amateur footballer sister about being in the sidelines for an important game.