18+ to 0

My U9 team won today. They won 18 goals for us and nothing for them. I think the other team had 6 shots around our goal.

At U9, it’s really hard to get the kids to play keep away and not try to score. I mean… they’re 9.

I once had a U10 girls team play 5 touch before they could shoot, but I thought them screaming out “1”, “2”, “3”, “4”, “5”, “We can shoot” was kinda of not sportsgirllike. (They made boys cry!)

Tomorrow’s team that my U12 team plays lost 8-1 to a U11 team.

I don’t like whomping games.

1-0.

2-1.

Us. Them. They are entertaining. Who will win? Will we tie? Both teams are in it to the end? Even 3-1 is good up until the end.

We played a game last year where we were up 3-0 after 4 minutes.

4 minutes gone, 26 more to play. 3-0 us…

As a parent, you want to see your kid score a goal. Parents, who have not played soccer, think scoring a goal is the ultimate validation for their kid’s overwhelming skill.

It’s not.

Yes, scoring goals is the point of soccer. But when the game is gone, as it was today at 8-0 at the half today, is another goal more important than teaching the entire opposite of what they have been taught since age 4?

What I mean, at 8-0, scoring is obvious. Yes, their goalie is a kid in a pinny. She is not a goalie. Their defense will collapse on one player leaving others to dribble and score. A shot at goal will more likely be a goal than anything else.

What does our player learn long term? Shooting. Yes, but in the grand scheme of things, what have they learned?

At U12, I can switch out the players from their normal positions. I can try to help the other team to get a goal.

But why?

The NFL guy inside me says it is up to them to play defense, not us.

The 12 year old in me, who once got beat 17-1, says they are little girls. Don’t spoil their growing love of the sport.

My 12 year old daughter wants to match her sister’s score. I want to play a half of keep away. But the parents want to see their kids score. It’s a good problem to have, but the reality is today’s 18-0 win will eventually end up being our 10-0 defeat. The kids, and parents, reaction on that day will be…

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