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Teaching kids to compete - the value of keeping score.

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout' started by DaDakota, Oct 1, 2009.

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Should we keep score in youth sports

  1. Yes - keeping score is part of a valuable lesson

    108 vote(s)
    93.1%
  2. No - keeping score can hurt the feelings of the losing team

    8 vote(s)
    6.9%
  1. DaDakota

    DaDakota Balance wins
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    Times have changed dramatically since I was a child, when I was younger, we kept score, we learned how to win and lose, and the value of competition.

    To me those are valuable lessons learned, it helped to learn that hard work often resulted in winning more often.

    Now, we teach kids that it is just ok to play, and that there are no winners and losers on the field.

    I don't get it, I never will, competition is what made this country great, the will to succeed, to me this is just the grass roots of the wussification of America.

    What is wrong with keeping score? What is wrong with learning how to win and lose, and respecting your teamates and opponents?

    Life lessons are being lost - should they keep score or not? Does keeping score add to the fun for kids?

    I can still recall scores from my youth games, and the feeling it left me with when we overcame a tough opponent.

    What say you? To keep score or not?

    DD
     
  2. arno_ed

    arno_ed Member

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    Were is the option "I do not care?"

    I think it doesn't matter if you keep score or not. Keeping score can make a game more fun, but I do not believe it jurts the feelings of kids. And if someone doesn't want to keep score that is also ok. Who cares?

    In general I like sports and games betteer if you keep score, and there is a winner. But if someone has more fun playing sports without keeping score they can do that.
     
  3. updawg

    updawg Member

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    DaDa, quit trying to live through your kids :)
     
  4. DaDakota

    DaDakota Balance wins
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    Why have competition if there is no score?

    How can you teach kids that are not giving the effort to give more if there are no consequences to being lazy?

    I just think score should be kept and it is part of the equation of life lessons.

    Almost everyone keeps score anyway, and most kids know the score as well....

    To me it is silly.....like a faux attempt at being PC.......

    Healthy competition is good, it teaches acheivement.

    Heh, I live my life, but my family is clearly the biggest part of that.....

    My kids know the score, they are going to be acheivers in life. They will learn the value of winning and losing.

    :D

    DD
     
  5. Rockets1616

    Rockets1616 Member

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    Ive never heard of that anywhere...not keeping score
     
  6. Shovel Face

    Shovel Face Member

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    I have no problem with not keeping score. It's hard to lug a laptop to the field, but I guess you could use a phone app these days. I would also encourage parents make make sure their kids are always wearing helmets when engaging in dangerous activities like playing soccer. Using a pretend ball can also ensure safety.
     
  7. DallasThomas

    DallasThomas Member

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    I agree with you 100% on this DD.

    There is absolutely no point in sports (or any competitive game) without having a decided winner.

    I can kinda understand not wanting to teach your kid about losing (not really), but the best way to do that is to not enlist them in these types of activities.
     
  8. DonnyMost

    DonnyMost Member
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  9. bobrek

    bobrek Politics belong in the D & D

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    It appears you have changed your mind over the past year. Why are you now in favor of 7 year olds keeping score and last year you weren't?
     
  10. moestavern19

    moestavern19 Member

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    DaDa the question becomes, Do you want to feel good that your team's soccer team blasted another team 34-2 and your kid scored 9 goals so you can brag about it at the water cooler on monday morning, or do you really value teaching young children the nature of life is keeping score / winning and losing?

    I agree with you BTW, I mean I'm seeing these High School Football coaches who are mortified after games when their team won 70-3. Whats the damn point of teaching your team to work hard and be the best team they can be if someone is just going to complain that you're being "too good"?

    Its hilarious to me how this seems to keep happening in High School games more and more these days, but then nobody gives a **** in College when UT beats Southeast Mississippi Valley Tech 77-0. In fact they're pissed off when Colt McCoy gets pulled in the middle of the game because they wanted to see him throw 6 TDs instead of 5.

    Its a joke.
     
  11. Lil Pun

    Lil Pun Member

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  12. DaDakota

    DaDakota Balance wins
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    I think that I bought into the prevailing system but after a few years of it, I just figured it was crap, and that score should be kept.

    Something I always did anyway.

    I don't work in an office, to me it is more about teaching the value of work....the lopsided score days are pretty much over as there are more kids on the field and different rules....



    DD
     
  13. SwoLy-D

    SwoLy-D Member

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    Maybe only if those kids just came from MEXICO? :rolleyes:

    :D LOL! Bwahahahahaha...!!! :p

    [​IMG]
     
  14. Air Langhi

    Air Langhi Contributing Member

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    <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/IMk5sMHj58I&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/IMk5sMHj58I&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
     
  15. DaDakota

    DaDakota Balance wins
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    What does that even mean?

    And yes, I guess this is the same thread from last year, new season.......

    I guess that since my boy is now 7, and has played in some sports that kept score....summer baseball.....fall soccer tournaments..and he loves it....

    I am with him on keeping score.

    Now, I do understand not doing it at a very young age, as teams do not have a draft, and they can be unbalanced, and you don't want to discourage kids that might otherwise grow to love the sport.

    I guess a better question would have been at what age should you keep score....

    For me....it is 7.

    :D

    DD
     
  16. macalu

    macalu Member

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    It's not about winning or losing. It's about how you react to winning or losing. Does your kid gloat when he wins? Does he pout when he loses? The more important issue is really how the kid copes with the outcome.
     
  17. SwoLy-D

    SwoLy-D Member

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    You don't answer my questions, so I won't either. :p

    I bet you are talking about Fun-Fair-Positive League, where the league doesn't keep score... and there are some really lopsided results from kids of all sorts of competitive levels.
     
  18. Invisible Fan

    Invisible Fan Member

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    There are other ways to teach the value of work...by example, through joint projects, or making the kid follow through on hobbies.

    Moes was trying to say that our culture tends to focus on the score itself than any other life lesson the kid could learn on the side.

    If a kid is mooching off the star player's coattails and the parent is bragging about his teams victory (...it fosters teamwork...yeah!), maybe it's the wrong lesson the parent is teaching.

    Our nation is sports crazed. Competition comes natural. If parents think their kids is not learning how to work hard because of some numbers, then they should be responsible for having to work harder for their kids.
     
  19. DaDakota

    DaDakota Balance wins
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    Yes, but those basically stopped when we went to 4 on 4 this year, and have an arc they can't get inside of and have kick ins instead of master of the ball where parents just keep it in play.

    Now there is a lot more strategy and play...so far we have had 2 games...we won 4-2 and tied 1-1....

    Big difference this year from last.

    DD
     
  20. bobrek

    bobrek Politics belong in the D & D

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    You've written in the past that most parents know the score and most kids know who wins and loses, so what's the point in keeping it? Do you feel the need to make it "official"?
     

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