Where do you draw the line at winning?

[Darran]

My grandsons under 12’s team won 27-1 earlier and everyone was feeling sorry for the losing boys.
What do people think?

Oh and just for the record my grandson is the goalkeeper and I was tamping he let one in.

 

[Mojack]

Impressive score that, I think its a good way to learn being on the losing end at times to be honest, good for character building

 

[theallseeingdai]

My grandsons under 12’s team won 27-1 earlier and everyone was feeling sorry for the losing boys.
What do people think?

Oh and just for the record my grandson is the goalkeeper and I was tamping he let one in.

Bench him for the next game. Hopefully he will learn

 

[jack_lord]

I remember playing in the Neath League as a kid playing against Neath Dynamos (i think they were called) and they were tonking everyone by ten goals. It was awful as most of the teams in that league were mates from school except the Neath team. I moved to Tawe 82 (best team in the Swansea league) and it was wonderful tonking them in the cup as they realised they were not anywhere near as good as they believed they were.
I guess teams should play in leagues of their peers or something similar as there is no benefit in getting tonkled. There was some talent in the Swansea team and it was brilliant tonking that Neath side as I knew a few boys and it was tremendous shoving it up them.

 

[Canveyswan]

Rugby in Essex at age group level gets stopped when you score 8 tries more than the opponents

 

[Darran]

Rugby in Essex at age group level gets stopped when you score 8 tries more than the opponents

That’s interesting.

 

[Cooperman]

Rugby in Essex at age group level gets stopped when you score 8 tries more than the opponents

That’s a very good approach. Something should be done at this sort of age to avoid such issues. Creating a competitive edge to things is fair enough, but this sort of scoreline has gone beyond that.

This takes me back to my Carmarthenshire League days. We didn’t win a game for a season and a half, and regularly lost something quite big to nil. It was only my colossus CB performances which stopped double figures each week

 

[magicdaps10]

That's a massive score but it's not uncommon for big scores in under age games. I think its part and parcel of character building but I think that game should have been called way before it got to 27-1.

My experience from under age football today. I promised my son if he got 3 goals today and I would buy him FC25, he got his 3rd literally seconds before the final whistle

 

[waynekerr55]

It's just bollocks frankly and 99 times out of a hundred it's adults thinking they're the next Pep. We have a real issue in this country that we give the players who need the most support the least qualified coaches.

I remember the hoo hah about the development centre beating the centre of excellence team 2 - 1, despite the two goals being biological goals (u15 out jumping an u14 goalkeeper and shelling the ball top corner in full size goals). Why aren't these in the centre of excellence??? were the howls. In the centre of excellence team someone went on to make 450+ premier league appearances, champions league final and played at Euros and World Cup. How many of those "better players" got anywhere near that level???

 

[magicdaps10]

It's just bollocks frankly and 99 times out of a hundred it's adults thinking they're the next Pep. We have a real issue in this country that we give the players who need the most support the least qualified coaches.

I remember the hoo hah about the development centre beating the centre of excellence team 2 - 1, despite the two goals being biological goals (u15 out jumping an u14 goalkeeper and shelling the ball top corner in full size goals). Why aren't these in the centre of excellence??? were the howls. In the centre of excellence team someone went on to make 450+ premier league appearances, champions league final and played at Euros and World Cup. How many of those "better players" got anywhere near that level???

A lot of coaches are also parents and a lot give their child more opportunities than more capable players....unfortunately some teams have up to 5/6 coaches who will all have kids in the team.

My mates boy played for a team last season, 20 boys with 4 coaches and each week they named a squad of 10 that included the 4 coaches sons....the 10 who were not picked did not have a game each week. Instead of having 2 squads of 10 and all playing each week, the coaches wanted to pick the strongest 10 that included their boys....not that 2 or 3(coaches boys) deserved to be in that 10 but the coaches(their dad's) felt they deserved to be.
My mates boy does not play for a team after that experience last season.

 

[Birchgrovejack]

It's at all levels. I coach u7s, we're up pure football. It's supposed to be mixed abilities, which most teams do, but there is a handful who play there strongest 4 together. They win by 10 against most teams and don't hold back either, they keep going for the jugular. I'm not really sure who that benefits tbh.

 

[waynekerr55]

A lot of coaches are also parents and a lot give their child more opportunities than more capable players....unfortunately some teams have up to 5/6 coaches who will all have kids in the team.

My mates boy played for a team last season, 20 boys with 4 coaches and each week they named a squad of 10 that included the 4 coaches sons....the 10 who were not picked did not have a game each week. Instead of having 2 squads of 10 and all playing each week, the coaches wanted to pick the strongest 10 that included their boys....not that 2 or 3(coaches boys) deserved to be in that 10 but the coaches(their dad's) felt they deserved to be.
My mates boy does not play for a team after that experience last season.

For me at grass roots level it's about playing and learning. When they're older around 14-15 then they can really kick on

 

[waynekerr55]

It's at all levels. I coach u7s, we're up pure football. It's supposed to be mixed abilities, which most teams do, but there is a handful who play there strongest 4 together. They win by 10 against most teams and don't hold back either, they keep going for the jugular. I'm not really sure who that benefits tbh.

Their (coaches) ego, probably

 

[magicdaps10]

For me at grass roots level it's about playing and learning. When they're older around 14-15 then they can really kick on

Absolutely spot on and agree on the age of 14-15 that it kicks on.

 

[Longlostjack]

In the Netherlands I think it’s 13 and until then they focus on developing skills and teamwork. Only after that age do they move to tables points etc.