Who Tops The Table?

   In Ontario, the Soccer Association plans to phase out team standings for competitive under 12 players are on track, and will become mandatory province wide next year. The OSA is aligning itself with the Canadian Soccer Association to change long term player development. It's part of the strategy of the movement Canadian Sport for Life.
   Scoring in games will be counted, but the results won't be fed into a chart tracking standings of each team in a league table. That's going to make holding a championship game a little difficult. And why is this being done? Is it to prevent the kids self esteem and feelings from being hurt if their team posts a non-winning season? You'd think it would have the opposite effect.
   I know in some sports in some venues scores aren't being kept, so as not to label kids "losers". That's fine, as far as it goes, which I think is way to far. It's fine to protect children's feelings. We all want to do that. But this is shielding them from reality, esecially in a competitve sport like soccer, and may do more damage than intended.
   The ugly truth about life is we all have "wins" and "losses". It helps shape our characters and can make us stronger if we learn to cope with lifes little losses, not sweep them under the rug.
   But that's just my 2 cents.

TTFN