Maybe we should all take up needlepoint...

by - Friday, February 11, 2011

If we don't want to admit that there is competition everywhere in the world.

The Calgary Youth Soccer Association is considering taking scoring out of the game for players under the age of twelve.

Some of the reasons they give are that it will increase the skill level of the players, since they won't be so focussed on winning.  If you are concerned about skill levels, make kids participate in skills camps, where there are no games... hence no winning or losing.

Can someone please name me a sport where in the end, there isn't a winner and a loser?

Competition is something that we face every single day.  We compete for jobs, houses, parking spots, the best seats in the arena to watch a concert, admission to post-secondary institutions... heck - I compete for "my" side of the couch and the most foot space on the ottoman.

Competition is not wrong.  Bullying is wrong.  Parents that scream at their children during sporting events is wrong.

But competition is not.  It is a fact of life.  And in my opinion, you'd better used to it sooner rather than later.

Perhaps a compromise can be made on goal differential... heck - we even have that in my adult floor hockey league - if one team is up by 10 goals the game is "mercy-ed" and we play for fun the rest of the game.

But in the end, there is still a winning team and a losing team.

That's life folks.

And if you don't like it, I highly suggest needlepoint.  Nobody's a winner in needlepoint.

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4 Comments

  1. I so agree with you. Competition makes players BETTER. I play A LOT harder when a game is on the line than I do in a scrimmage. When you're focused on winning, you're focused on playing your best.

    And I thought this was already covered by things like not showing the goal spread? If a team is winning 6-1, the score will show 6-1. If that team is winning 25-1, the scoreboard will still show 6-1. 5 goal spread. Some do a 7 goal spread. Still the same idea and it is a good one.

    I'm baffled.

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  2. Anonymous9:28 PM

    What's the point of playing a game if you don't have a chance of winning! In softball they have a 7 run spread and as far as I can see that is a fair way of doing things. You will always find some super strong teams and some very weak teams but that shouldn't stop players from trying their best no matter what the out come. Teaching players good sportsmanship and holding skills camps is the healthy way to teach them to be competative. And above all enjoy the game you are playing. Love Mo PS It is like those stupid Participation ribbons everyone gets at sports days. How wishy washy is that. Run to win I say even if you don't win in the end.

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  3. sherri11:34 PM

    Hey Carmen. Just wanted to clarify the story a bit (coming from a cgy soccer mom). We received an email from CMSA today indicating they are NOT changing the score keeping for U12 and younger as indicted in the cbc article. Right now their policy is to not keep score for U8 and under. For U10 and U12, they score at a one point difference and track standings (meaning that even if the score was 25 to 3....which it can be, especially in seeding games....the score recorded is only 1 to 0). I think a majority of the parents in the leagur are okay with this as in the lower "U" classes, they really are just trying to develop their skills. In U10 and 12, in can be pretty demoralizing to the kids to see such a difference on the score boards (believe me, we've been on both sides of the score board). Don't be fooled, no matter what the age, those kids on the bench keep track of the goals and know exactly how many points there and who's winning. Competition (and good sportsmanship) is alive and well in calgary soccer. Oh and it should be noted that, on monday evening, when the some of the hockey leagues in the city were cancelling games because of the snow, our kids were still playing. Just sayin :-p

    Take care.

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  4. Have to agree with above post.. the kids ALWAYS know what the score is.. my nieces have played soccer since they were 6.. they always know the score and who won or lost.. and they don't keep score in their games.

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