Soccer clubs are not so different from schools; parents are stakeholders in the system, along with players, coaches, administration, and community. As the primary investors, I can understand parents wanting to have some input; after all, they are not just investing money--they are investing the well-being of their children when they choose who to trust with their development. In the school system, we have multiple people with various degrees who are trained, experienced, and specialize in helping students succeed in different areas--but without the support and cooperation of parents, we are not nearly as effective. Soccer is not so different.
The key is balance--and distinguishing input from control. Parents need to know that they are being heard, and that their child is getting something positive from their investment--but they also need to be confident that the people running the day-to-day activities are in control, knowledgeable, and confident in their own decisions, which they make after gathering all the relevant information. Most parents I know want someone to listen to their input, but at the same time would have little respect for someone who can be steamrolled into making changes every time someone pushes a little.
Before I got into coaching the club side of soccer, I had heard all the stereotypical stories about parents, and I was braced for it...what I found instead was a group of involved, positive parents who simply wanted to know that their young people were getting the best experience possible. In most cases, I've found that the parents I've dealt with don't try to change or "run" things unless there is already what they see as a serious problem with their child's quality of experience, and whether that experience--in development, attitude, character, and opportunity--is positive or negative means a lot more to most than the alphabet behind a person's name.
Maybe I've just been lucky with the best group of parents in club soccer...but there it is.
