I have been coaching basketball for around 12 years and soccer for about 8, and I am torn between wanting to keep score and wanting the kids to have a good time competing. I am primarily talking about young kids, say 2nd grade and younger, should we keep score? I have had this discussion with lots of parents, some feel that it is more important that the kids just have fun, while others feel it is important for the kids to learn how to win and lose gracefully. Honestly, I am completely on the fence, sometimes I think we should keep score, other times not. For instance, my 5 year olds soccer team, most of the parents keep score on the side, and the kids know when we win or lose......heck, I think they already know as the game is being played. Whenever a child asks me, I say we tied, or "I don't really know"....but honestly...I know, oh, I know... But the parents tell them the score...... So, what do you guys think, should we keep score, or not? Thanks, DD PS. Also, did you guys keep score when you played sports with your friends? I know we did.
Aren't you the same guy that makes threads bragging about how many goals his son scores and how much the team you coach wins by?
Absolutely, but I am not telling the kiddos..... I enjoy the coaching, and interaction more than the score, but this year, I am feeling an undefeated season coming on... DD
Not at all, I am asking everyone else what they think, should we keep score or not? I hear parents all the time arguing about it at practices, games etc.... I am comfortable either way..... I just want to hear what everyone else thinks. DD
I bet the parents that don't want to keep score have the son who picks flowers the whole game and pinch the other boys... personally, as far as I can remember we have kept score and I started w/ kinder-soccer at age 4. as a parent myself and having coached young soccer players before I feel the ideal of being gracious in defeat is something alot of parents don't think about because our society is so hard-wired to glorify the success of te best and brightest... I realize alot of this is out of your hands since you are coaching for a league, and they would much rather take the path of least resistence and "Make everyone winners!" but in the long run you are doing the kids a favor by teaching them they can't always win and it's not the end of the world
I agree with this, when we lost our only game last year (as I said the parents tell the kids the score), I took them all aside and congratulated them for playing their best. And as long as they played their best, there is no problem if they lost the game. And they were not bothered by it at all, we went and ate, I think some parents were more upset than the kids. I was a little bugged that we lost our perfect season, but that was just a purely selfish thing.....to talk about over poker with the fellas. DD
Fun Fair Positive Soccer. No score-keeping. You can do it offline, but it's frowned-upon. I'd rather NOT keep score, even if my daughters were the best ones in the team. You know who's scoring and who's not in your minds. Don't keep reminding the kids. Maybe when they're in their teens, but not when their under 10. How about that?
I understand that too, that it is more important to learn the game and enjoy playing it than to keep score, especially early. Swoly, we had our first practice for this year last night, and during our scrimmage, one of the teams had a guy steal the ball, a teamate took off to the other end and the 5 and 1/2 year old passed it up to him at his feet for the easy score. I was blown away.......that they made this type of soccer play at such an early age.....gonna be a fun year. DD
People win, people lose. It happens in life and it happens sports. Kids need to realize it. As long as the winners are gracious and don't rub it in the losers face, I have no problem with keeping score. In fact, I think not keeping score would contribute further to the pussification of America's youth.
I can't believe you have parents actually arguing about keeping score for their 5 year olds' soccer game. Complete losers.
You must not be a parent yet. Some think it is important, some think it is not.....heck some husbands and wives are on the opposite sides of the issue. As a general rule the husbands are for keeping score while the wives are not. DD
You play to have fun. You play in a league for fun and competition. You feel good when you win. You feel bad when you lose. Children should not be denied any of this.
I think you need to keep score. I agree with parents telling, but I think there should be a concept of winning and losing. That builds the idea that winning isn't everything and losing gracefully is just as important. Not everyone can be a winner in life.
WOW, DaDa. That brought a tear to mine eyes...! Good stuff! What's your definition of "children"? I think that, in this case, you're actually talking about the parents WANTING TO KNOW who loses and who wins.
No, I'm talking about my actual physical children, who live in this realm in ,my home. I do not want my children to not know the drama, emotions, highs and lows that go with sport, competition, losing and winning. It's how you as a parent address these lessons that will shape our future. It is unfortunate that some are extreme Soccer Moms/Footbal Dads and some Helicopter Parents. By the way the score isn't for me. I did my time in little league and I have ESPN.
