Down with scorekeepers
How’s your football team doing, Timmy? “I don’t know. They won’t tell me”:
[UK] Football Association laws dictate that from this season, the results of matches between children aged seven and eight must not be published, league tables must not be kept and prizes must not be given out.
Some local associations have chosen to extend the regulations even further, it has emerged, banning league tables and trophies for 9, 10 and 11-year olds as well.
Scott Ager, who last season managed Priory Parkside under-9s ‘A’ team in Huntingdon, was sharply reprimanded after declaring that his team had won the league and having them photographed with a trophy by their local newspaper.
There is, you may be sure, a very good reason for this:
Sir Trevor Brooking, the FA’s director of football development, said: “In the youngest age groups there’s too much emphasis on winning leagues, often to satisfy parents and coaches.
“That’s what we’re looking to change. We need better, more skilful players coming through. Undoubtedly having league tables at this age is not helping their development.”
And Sir Trevor undoubtedly realizes that any policy which seeks to minimize the differences between winners and losers can depend on the unwavering support of losers.
(Via Joanne Jacobs.)
Tat »
20 September 2008 · 10:50 pm
any policy which seeks to minimize the differences between winners and losers can depend on the unwavering support of losers.
somehow this thought conflated with TV informing me about the government buying out bad assets and raising our debt to inordinate (300?) amount of billions…
CGHill »
20 September 2008 · 11:11 pm
This is the old robbing-Peter-to-pay-Paul technique, and you may be certain that Paul doesn’t object in the slightest.
soubriquet »
21 September 2008 · 6:39 am
And thus we breed a generation of “adequate players”. Sir Trevor Brooking will find, in years to come, that his intake of “better, more skilful players” have no concept of competition, and expect as much praise for losing as they would for winning. Let’s do the Olympics without medals, next time, hey?
These same policies have brought us the new recruits to the working world, those who have no concept of craftsmanship and being proud of their work, those who send letters from big companies, full of spelling and grammattical errors.
Those who think it doesn’t matter if pi is 3.1, 3.2, 3.3…….. hey, lighten up, what difference does it make.
I have a great suggestion! Take goals out of the game altogether! And teams! just put a lot of kids on the field and give each an equal number of kicks! in no particular direction… Let’s elect presidents the same way, with no concern for past achievements…. Ohhh! sorry, I forgot… that’s the way already…
McGehee »
21 September 2008 · 9:33 am
I think this is what happens when the people running the government are veterans of the Special Olympics.