Quote:
Originally Posted by Phanuthier
I think thats a good comment. Just look at some of the "hockey dads" on this site when the Flames lose. Of all the critics, how many here actually still play in an organized league? Competitive league? Again, I'm not saying teams shouldn't have scoreless games or standings, I just think an alternative "pickup" would be pretty advantages. I played organized soccer when I was young until I turned 14, but dropped out because people were getting too serious and it wasn't fun anymore. Honestly, the most fun I had was playing at recess, when I could be Kristen Huselius instead of Rene Bourque. I got back into it when I was 18 and still play now (at 26) and I play 2x's a week in pickup and 1x's a week in a competitive league... I honestly have more fun in pickup.
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I think there is room for both though, certainly by the time a kid is 10-12 years old
I can see the value in a more non-competitive league, and why some families and kids would want that. the first 3-4 years of my son playing soccer he was not competitive, never scored once in 3 years, wasn't that interested in the score and I never saw his future playing with the potential to take off and was certainly more than fine with that. I could have pictured him in a rec league forever
then one year he shows up for houseleagues and scores 100 goals (and no they didn't keep score, and yes he knew exactly how many he scored)
I asked him how he improved so much and it turns out (I kind of knew this but not to the degree) that he and his friends have played soccer twice a day every day at recess year round for the last 3 or 4 years
well now he has sort of moved past the non-competitive leagues, and although he still loves the fun that comes from pickup soccer at school he also appreciates the more structured/competitive environment of the soccer league he is in now, I would hope that they don't remove that nature of the competition
it is a bit like hockey for some kids and families grassroots hockey is the way to go, for others more of a competitive stream, I know some families who do both or whose kids bounce back and forth depending on their mindset
I don't think there is anything wrong with prolonging a child's enjoyment in a sport by having those types of leagues, but there are some kids (in my prediction) that are equally likely to drop out or move onto a different sport if the competitive element is not there