Sometimes ya win and sometimes ya lose

[sahd2one]

DW wants to put DD on a soccer league this spring. I found out they do not keep score. I said no thanks, but not interested. It is like those "sports" where everyone gets a trophy.

Yuck!

 

[Crystal0608]

I have my kids in non-competitive soccer and I like it. Both kids try their best and have fun and at the end of the season they get a medal.

 

[antmaril]

DW wants to put DD on a soccer league this spring. I found out they do not keep score. I said no thanks, but not interested. It is like those "sports" where everyone gets a trophy.

Yuck!

I agree with you. Real life is about winning some and losing some. The sooner you learn that, the better - IMHO, of course.

 

[brockash]

DW wants to put DD on a soccer league this spring. I found out they do not keep score. I said no thanks, but not interested. It is like those "sports" where everyone gets a trophy.

Yuck!

How old's your DD? I get what you're saying about kids need to learn that sometimes they lose, but is it worth taking away your daughter's fun if that's all they have? Around here almost every sport "doesn't keep score" until they're in school, and my DH thinks it's rediculous. I personally could care less, but either way our DS has done soccer 3 times, baseball twice and flag football once, never keeping score in any, and he had a lot of fun, and learned, so I'm fine with that. I think especially at a young age it's more about having fun and learning before they need to make it about winning/losing.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

If your child is young and new to the game, keeping score is not what matters. Learning the game and skills required are very important in soccer. In all seriousness, soccer can be extremely competitive and injuries can be serious. It is better to put your child in a league and learn to play the game properly rather than teaching them to keep score.

There is nothing wrong with telling your child after the game that team "A" scored so many goals and team "B" scored whatever....

 

[Tumblwd501]

Eh, I think the non-competitive leagues have their place. IMHO, I think it depends on the age of the kids. Our "entry level" t-ball and soccer leagues for 4 and 5 year olds are non-competitive. This was a fairly recent change to both leagues (within the past two years) and I think it works out better for the kids. It lets the coaches concentrate on teaching the kids the basics and trying all the positions (more for t-ball than soccer) rather than having the coaches just get the best kids all the playing time at key positions so they can win. At the next level, we keep score when they have had a chance to get a good foundation of the basic skills and concepts of the game. As a coach, I appreciated the opportunity to help nuture the kids' love for the game without any pressure at this young age. Besides, they're usually competitive enough on their own, and they always know the score themselves anyway. lol

 

[5Slays]

Our soccer league does not start keeping score until U-10. I agree that it is very frustrating when the kids know the score, but the score is technically not kept.

 

[Tink888]

How old is DD? If she's really young and new to soccer, the scoring isn't as important as learning the fundamentals of the game and trying it out to see if she likes it.

If it turns out she enjoys the game, you'll have no trouble finding a league that is competitive once she finishes out this session.

 

[sahd2one]

How old is DD? If she's really young and new to soccer, the scoring isn't as important as learning the fundamentals of the game and trying it out to see if she likes it.

If it turns out she enjoys the game, you'll have no trouble finding a league that is competitive once she finishes out this session.

Sorry but to me scoring is the whole point of playing sports. She watched the Olympics and knows not everyone got a medal. If she is old enough to understand that, then she is old enough to understand that not everyone gets a trophy and not everyone wins the game.

 

[Tink888]

Sorry but to me scoring is the whole point of playing sports. She watched the Olympics and knows not everyone got a medal. If she is old enough to understand that, then she is old enough to understand that not everyone gets a trophy and not everyone wins the game.

Ummm, okay - find the most competitive league there is and sign her up. Make sure she understands the game really well before she starts and that she's a fast runner with a lot of power in her kick, otherwise she'll spend a whole lot of time warming the bench and handing out the snacks during the half break.

Even in the unofficial-scoring leagues, at the end of the game, all the parents and kids know which team won and who the strongest players are. You can always throw her token trophy in the trash when you get home.

 

[mom2rb]

I see non score keeping the same way I see gymnastics class. When you first start gymnastics you have a class. As you progress and if you are able, you move to team. Once on team, you compete, get a score, and maybe win.

I started my boys in non competitive soccer when they were five. If they had enjoyed it, I would have put them in a competitive league. They didn't so they tried other sports until they found their niche. One son does competitive gymnastics and the other does ballet.

 

[Sandy V.]

The question has been asked and is still unanswered - how old is your DD? My answer would vary depending on her age.

 

[padams]

I have a 13yo DS who plays competitive soccer, and has been playing since he was 3. The point of not keeping score is so that young kids focus on learning the fundamentals of the game, and not just on scoring. (And yes, the kids do all know the score but the coaches' focus is different and it is not just about winning). At the preschool and early elementary ages, it is much better to learn to pass the ball to a teammate than it is to boot the ball into the goal.

If you watch preschool soccer games in US, it is usually what I call "mob ball". All of the kids move in a pack up and down the field with the ball in the middle of the herd of kids. The biggest, fastest kid almost always kicks the ball towards the goal as hard as they can, and everyone else chases after the ball. So, to the OP, if your kid is going to be the fastest and biggest on the team, great. She will get a lot of touches. Otherwise, it's a lot of running and not much in terms of soccer skills.

DS's soccer program doesn't play competitive soccer games until the kids are 8 years old (and they start them at 3). Until then, it is all skills training and small sided (2-4 kids on each side) scrimmages.

My DSs played a tournament and went to soccer camp in the UK last summer. They were amazed by the skills of the 5 and 6 year olds. The European kids could pass and understand field strategy far better than any American kids.

 

[TheZue]

I think when you are first learning something the non competition has it's place. You are building the skills for later competition. I remember my old golf instructor didn't want you actually golfing or even hitting a ball until your swing was strong. I think you can compare it to that, the score can be distracting from proper form in some cases.

 

[brockash]

Sorry but to me scoring is the whole point of playing sports. She watched the Olympics and knows not everyone got a medal. If she is old enough to understand that, then she is old enough to understand that not everyone gets a trophy and not everyone wins the game.

So if the whole point in playing sports is for scoring and knowing there's always a winner and a loser, and not about your DD having fun... then why have her play sports at all???? -you've already stated she's learned that not everyone wins, and apparently you think that's all that matters

 

[wvjules]

The question has been ask and is still unanswered - how old is your DD? My answer would vary depending on her age.

That will be answered when he answers where he lives.

 

[BoyLovesBuzz]

Sorry but to me scoring is the whole point of playing sports. She watched the Olympics and knows not everyone got a medal. If she is old enough to understand that, then she is old enough to understand that not everyone gets a trophy and not everyone wins the game.

Really?

What about learning skils? Getting exercise? Sportsmanship? Making friends? Learning teamwork? Having fun?

Actually I support your decision. Youth sports needs fewer parents like you.

 

[Mom2Nick]

Sorry but to me scoring is the whole point of playing sports. She watched the Olympics and knows not everyone got a medal. If she is old enough to understand that, then she is old enough to understand that not everyone gets a trophy and not everyone wins the game.

Ug! That's just really sad. There's so much more then being the winner or loser. There's also having fun, building bonds and friendship, understanding the concept of a team and working together, promoting healthy activities....

 

[sahd2one]

Ug! That's just really sad. There's so much more then being the winner or loser. There's also having fun, building bonds and friendship, understanding the concept of a team and working together, promoting healthy activities....

And apparently that cannot happen when one keeps score?

 

[Sandy V.]

So how come you won't tell us how old your DD is?