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Post by davecisar on Apr 10, 2009 4:31:19 GMT -6
Rich Rodriguez says no to youth sports that don't keep score
Posted by Justin Rogers | MLive.com April 09, 2009 16:37PM
Categories: U-M Football
There are many things I don't like in this world, but at the top of the imaginary list is stripping kids of the will to be the best.
Yes, I'm looking at you, parents who pushed the local school board to ban tag from playgrounds. The United States is never going to catch the top countries in math if kids are not allowed to play tag. It's a fact. I think I read it in Reader's Digest.
It's reassuring to know University of Michigan head football coach Rich Rodriguez is aligned with this tiny fraction of my world view.
April 9, ESPN.com: Despite the struggles in 2008, Rodriguez is upbeat. It is his natural front. Rodriguez may be the least self-important head coach in college football. A smile is never far away. But behind that smile there is no fiercer competitor. Here's a father who pulled his son Rhett out of T-ball a few years ago because the league didn't keep score.
"Everybody bats, and everybody scores," Rodriguez said. "At the end of four innings, there's no winner. I said, 'To hell with that.'"
The quote actually comes from a lengthy column by ESPN's Ivan Maisel that paints a positive outlook for the Wolverines this season. I highly recommend reading Maisel's column instead of taking anything in the opening few paragraphs of this blog post seriously.
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Post by eickst on Apr 10, 2009 12:09:31 GMT -6
I know who I want my kid to play for.
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Post by ramsfootball on Apr 10, 2009 12:36:16 GMT -6
Can you post up a link? I'm struggling to find that article.
I'm with Rich on this, soccer is like T-ball! no standings, basically no score, it's only kept so that the board is aware of blow outs. (kids keep their own score) The director of soccer advises us coaches not to teach strategy at the youth level. thats mini - U13. Can't wait for they day my boys say they don't want to play soccer anymore. lol
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zbessac
Sophomore Member
Posts: 149
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Post by zbessac on Apr 10, 2009 18:58:08 GMT -6
Not keeping score is so dumb. What do the kids learn when they don't keep score, that everything in life will always be equal! Man I wish I lived in that world.
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grotto
Freshmen Member
Posts: 15
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Post by grotto on Apr 10, 2009 19:15:29 GMT -6
Kids playing T-Ball are probably only 5-7 years old. Whatever happned to letting kids just have fun and learn a game without having to "win" or "lose"? There will be plenty years in their athletic endeavors and working careers where there will be a winner and loser to each game.
Now I don't agree this means not to teach strategy. Coaches should still teach kids of all ages how to play a sport, understand the sport, and encourage them to always do their best. There are a lot more important life lessons to be learned from playing sports than just who won or lost, especially before high school.
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Post by bigshel on Apr 11, 2009 6:45:23 GMT -6
Kids playing T-Ball are probably only 5-7 years old. Whatever happned to letting kids just have fun and learn a game without having to "win" or "lose"? There will be plenty years in their athletic endeavors and working careers where there will be a winner and loser to each game. Now I don't agree this means not to teach strategy. Coaches should still teach kids of all ages how to play a sport, understand the sport, and encourage them to always do their best. There are a lot more important life lessons to be learned from playing sports than just who won or lost, especially before high school. Can't agree with you on this Grotto. Keeping score is not just about who won or lost. It forces you to focus your efforts on those areas where you need improvement. In fact, the most important area of their lives, academics, already keeps score. Report cards and progress reports keep score of how well they are doing relative to instructional standards. Following your line of reasoning, we shouldn't even grade spelling tests because knowing who got the higher grade will somehow damage them. We live in a competitive world, and teaching our kids that competition isn't important is setting them up for failure, IMO. |
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Post by coachorr on Apr 11, 2009 6:45:24 GMT -6
Dave, great post. I have a six year old and he keeps score on everything, basketball in the driveway, pass routes in the yard, Rumikub, Playstation 2. I am not saying I encourage it, but he keeps score. It is human nature to succeed.
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grotto
Freshmen Member
Posts: 15
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Post by grotto on Apr 11, 2009 10:02:03 GMT -6
Not sure how you reasoned that we shouldn't grade spellling tests just because you don't keep score at a 6 year old T-ball game. This does not mean you don't work on areas that need improvement, no matter if it is school, sports, etc. Yes, I know life is competition, and we should teach everyone to do their best and give their best effort, no matter what they choose to do in life - be the best you can be. Just seems there is too much emphasis being put on winning in youth sports at younger ages.
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Post by los on Apr 11, 2009 18:43:44 GMT -6
I tend to agree with grotto......for crying out loud, its friggin tee ball.....not even a real baseball game.....do they stand the ball up on a tee in "real" baseball?.....lol.....all I read is coach's complaining about "fanatical" parents in youth sports, but I guess since this guy is a college football coach, its OK for him to be a "fanatic extremist", lol....these are the same kinda folks that thought our youth football games should "never" end in a tie.....they wanted overtimes....as many as it took, till someone won the game....this kind of thing, is a little over the edge of....."CRAZY"....to me, lol.
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Post by los on Apr 11, 2009 19:55:16 GMT -6
Just to add to the above post...they didn't keep score in tee ball here either, when my 5 kids played it....didn't effect their future competitiveness a bit, far as I could tell. Most of us parents, who watched the games, actually got a kick out of the tee-ball games, for the pure entertainment value, just watching all the funny things these little kids did, while trying to learn to play baseball. Now, I can watch my grandchildren play and get some more good laughs. Its not that friggin serious, lol.
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Post by bigshel on Apr 11, 2009 21:21:18 GMT -6
Not sure how you reasoned that we shouldn't grade spellling tests just because you don't keep score at a 6 year old T-ball game. This does not mean you don't work on areas that need improvement, no matter if it is school, sports, etc. Yes, I know life is competition, and we should teach everyone to do their best and give their best effort, no matter what they choose to do in life - be the best you can be. Just seems there is too much emphasis being put on winning in youth sports at younger ages. The point I was making is that grading IS keeping score. It's the way our society has chosen to highlight academic areas which need improvement. I agree with you about the emphasis on winning and losing, but keeping score and having fun are not mutually exclusive. |
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Post by ramsfootball on Apr 12, 2009 17:53:39 GMT -6
Just to add to the above post...they didn't keep score in tee ball here either, when my 5 kids played it....didn't effect their future competitiveness a bit, far as I could tell. Most of us parents, who watched the games, actually got a kick out of the tee-ball games, for the pure entertainment value, just watching all the funny things these little kids did, while trying to learn to play baseball. Now, I can watch my grandchildren play and get some more good laughs. Its not that friggin serious, lol. I wish I could find that same entertainment value in mini soccer. lol It's the most stressful, nerve racking, sometimes boring 60min spent on Sat. watching 8 kids stacked in a huddle kicking non stop until the ball finds it's way infront of an "OPEN" net to just go wide! O man! lol However there is some truth to what kids get out of sports at ages 5-7, I found that most had big fun just playing, winning or losing was not a factor. However, I can recall 2 of my players players at ages 6-7 get pi$$ for lossing or just flat out say "We suck" that was funny! Because he was right. |
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Post by coachd5085 on Apr 13, 2009 1:01:00 GMT -6
I am with grotto and los here. I would argue that one of the great benefits of not "keeping score" is due to the amount of a$$clown coaches at that level.
Dave, you have to realize that everyone is you. Not everyone's kid gets to be coached by someone as dedicated to the craft as you are. Remember dave your #1 goal is to make sure the kids have a great experience. Now, you are a skilled enough coach to ensure that that experience includes winning. I have witnessed many "successful" (by wins and losses) coaches who could manipulate the parameters of the youth sports to WIN...such as having only certain players swing at pitches, the rest taking pitches and getting walks/elevating pitch counts. giving the ball to your physcially dominant or older/lighter RB 45 times a game. Pressing and trapping so that your entire offense, game is your best guard dribbling down on fast breaks...
I am not saying keeping score is evil...and not keeping score will result in utopia. Just saying neither side should be dismissed easily.
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