No wins for young soccer players?

[Admin]

That is what they are proposing. As I posted earlier in this thread, check the bold bit:

"Between the ages of eight and 12, the focus will be on developing skills and fostering a desire to play. The new plan also recommends two or three training sessions per game played and advises equal playing time for all players, who try out all positions on the field. Scores would be kept during play but league statistics and standings would not be posted."

I am asking because I got a call from the National Post today asking my opinion on what is happening in Calgary. They were claiming no scores were being kept at all, and this is what CBC also claimed.

Another source says they are doing something different for U10, U11 and U12....

[Admin]

Standings would not be posted, it says. Not that standings/statistics would not be kept. The point is that coaches and especially parents would not be tracking these things and putting external pressure on the kids to perform. The kids put enough pressure on themselves for each game. A losing season still will feel like a losing season with or without standings. I know that's part of the reason I'm struggling to get my daughter to rejoin soccer for this summer. Let's face it, playing better soccer is more fun.

It would be important to have a way to seed teams for "festival" (aka tournament) play, which is what many LTPD programs are trying to put the "competitive focus" on. You'd want each loop to be internally competitive so that teams aren't blown out. To that end, standings / stats would be useful for internal use.

Loops, micro seasons... whatever you want to call them that is really important.

It's interesting that left to their own devices children in pick up soccer don't create imbalanced teams. It's not fun. They will shift and switch players on the fly to make things more even.

They should be calling this structured pick up soccer. Maybe that will drive the idea home to some more people.

[Guest Ed]

Posted on the CMSA site today (note the sign-off line LOL). The bolded bit was in place last season as I coached a U10 girls team.

IS CMSA ELIMINATING REPORTING SCORES AND STANDINGS FOR UNDER 12 GAMES?

2011-02-11

The simple answer is ‘NO’.

IS CMSA ELIMINATING REPORTING SCORES AND STANDINGS FOR UNDER 12 GAMES?

The simple answer is ‘NO’.

BACKGROUND:

The Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) has created a development plan called ‘Long Term Player Development’ or ‘LTPD’. The LTPD Plan recommends: “Small leagues provide game fixtures, but no league standings are recorded at

U 12” as well as younger age groups, in order to emphasize training, not winning.

Currently, the CMSA does not record scores or track standings at U 6 and U 8. In 2009 our membership recommended recording standings only for U 10 with all scores posted as a 1 goal difference. We report both scores and standings for U 12 and older age groups.

Recently, Media has been reporting on this subject, triggered by discussions taking place in the Manitoba Soccer Association.

There are some smaller Leagues in Alberta who currently do not report standings or scores in their U 12 League Games.

CMSA has been asked by a member to investigate the possibility of having no Scores and no Standings, or some variation thereof, for U 12 Leagues.

WHAT CMSA IS PLANNING?

We will be reviewing this item internally and may bring it forward to our Membership at our Summer 2011 Planning Meeting as a discussion item.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

We encourage open discussion on this concept and ask you to share your opinion with your Organization so you may be properly represented in Association discussions.

THANK YOU

The CMSA strives to provide open discussion and transparency in all our affairs.

Gary Steen

CMSA President