No more awards for the losers in North Texas youth football league [Archive]

Eurodriver

10-24-13, 08:05

It's about time people came to their senses:
http://www.kvue.com/news/No-more-awards-for-the-losers-in-North-Texas-youth-football-league-229055221.html

Hugh Whittington didn't.

"It is very rewarding for them after a season to go out there and have a ceremony and receive a trophy," Whittington said. "They put their trophy on their dresser at home, it is a sense of pride."

montanadave

10-24-13, 08:12

Deleted

austinN4

10-24-13, 08:16

Hugh Whittington didn't.
Obviously Whittington doesn't get it, but the Keller Youth Association does. Kudos to them!

On its Facebook page, the Keller Youth Association stated:

"Giving participation medals or trophies isn't sending our children the right message. Trophies are something you should strive for and earn. Life does not give you a participation job or medal, life makes you earn everything you get."

3 AE

10-24-13, 08:34

Here's one Texan Blogger's opinion piece on the matter. I approve his message!

http://www.texasfred.net/archives/22193#more-22193

austinN4

10-24-13, 08:44

Here's one Texan Blogger's opinion piece on the matter. I approve his message!
http://www.texasfred.net/archives/22193#more-22193
Funny stuff! Thanks, TexasFred for the laugh:
"I think a rubber stamp to print LOSER on their foreheads would be a lot better, it would teach them that LIFE is not fair and we’re not ALL winners."

brickboy240

10-24-13, 10:54

Not keeping score and handing everyone a trophy does NOT teach kids any valuable life lesson whatsoever. These things need to go away in all kids sports leagues.

-brickboy240

SteyrAUG

10-24-13, 12:36

One thing that attracted me to martial arts was there were no "teams" for the most part. You succeeded or failed by your own merits, can't blame it on others and nobody can blame you.

While I was talented for my age, and I even placed a few times, rarely did I win giant six foot trophies (most tournaments didn't have a junior division yet so for form and weapons you competed against adults).

The one thing I always stressed to my students later as I prepped them for their first tournament that usually the ONLY thing I got after a tournament was a cheeseburger and fries which I paid for.

I was at a tournament to test myself, to see if I could apply what I have learned. It wasn't to show everyone else how great I was, it wasn't so I could be better than the other guy. The only person I truly competed with was myself, to be better than I was.

As a bonus, I was able to see some other people who had talent and learn a few things from watching them compete.

I participation ribbon would not have enhanced that experience, it probably would have cheapened it. Getting a trophy for nothing would have been embarrassing and shameful to accept.

Safetyhit

10-24-13, 12:50

Funny stuff! Thanks, TexasFred for the laugh:
"I think a rubber stamp to print LOSER on their foreheads would be a lot better, it would teach them that LIFE is not fair and we’re not ALL winners."

Yea, take every child who's busted their butt for months, suffered through injury, practiced and played in the rain while doing their personal best for the team and physically brand them a loser.

If ol' TexasFred is over 12 he needs to grow up.

_Stormin_

10-24-13, 12:58

I've always said that should I have kids, I will raise them not to accept "participation trophies."

That entire mentality is whats ruining things in the US right now. The "I am to good for that job" mentality is the direct result of teaching people that everyone is a winner and gets a medal. Sometimes you start in last place and you get nothing. You have to work your way up from there.

austinN4

10-24-13, 14:15

Yea, take every child who's busted their butt for months, suffered through injury, practiced and played in the rain while doing their personal best for the team and physically brand them a loser.
Give 'em a trophy instead, that way they will be winners!

brickboy240

10-24-13, 14:26

Many times in the real world...yes...you WILL work your butt off in the rain and still not get anything to show for it.

Not getting a ribbon or trophy STILL teaches kids a lesson..if you let it.

Live is not always fair, we sometimes work hard and still fail, we don't get trophies for everything in life and yeah...this might not be the sport for you. Also, if the kid really likes the sport...maybe the loss will encourage them to try harder next time.

I sucked bad at soccer and quit but started playing tennis and found I did well there. This is life.

Again...life lessons are everywhere in rewards and NOT getting a reward.

-brickboy240

Safetyhit

10-24-13, 14:49

austinN4

10-24-13, 15:08

If you and Austin would like to read again I wasn't advocating trophies for everyone. Then again maybe the two of you know that and would like to justify stamping loser on every non-championship team member, yet hesitate to clarify so.
Sarcasm evades you. Like when I said "Give 'em a trophy instead, that way they will be winners!"

I said the guy's blog was funny. I think he was being sarcastic also. Did you even read the page 3 AE linked to?

Also, if you read it, did you read the part about the team that was cleared of bullying charges after a loser's parent complained of a 91-0 win? Now that did bother me. Bullying? WTF!

Grand58742

10-24-13, 19:01

Also, if you read it, did you read the part about the team that was cleared of bullying charges after a loser's parent complained of a 91-0 win? Now that did bother me. Bullying? WTF!

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/highschool-prep-rally/91-0-texas-football-blowout-leads-bullying-charge-101510025.html

If it was surprising that Aledo racked up 91 points on Friday, it was no shock that their win was a dominant one. The Bearcats are among the state's most powerful squads year-in, year-out. Friday's victory improved the team's record to 7-0, with Aledo now averaging a whopping 69 points per game. They've outscored their district foes by an incredible 77 points-per-game.

Saw this the other day. Apparently somewhere in California there is a school district that fines the program if they go more than 50 points in a game or something like that.

Not bullying, just a great performing team and the other team hasn't won a game yet.

Safetyhit

10-24-13, 20:16

Sarcasm evades you. Like when I said "Give 'em a trophy instead, that way they will be winners!"

Your scarcastic comment was ineffectively used to divert from the fact that you endorsed an idiot who endorsed physically branding non-champions as losers. Now to hide from that reality you attempt to distort my message. Again.

As far as running up the score, just so happens it came up as myself and my fellow coaches discussed it during pre-practice warm ups. All of us agreed the bullying charge was bogus and likewise we all agreed that running up the score to 91 was blatantly unnecessary. And this ain't coming from a bunch of whimps.

austinN4

10-24-13, 21:03

Your scarcastic comment was ineffectively used to divert from the fact that you endorsed an idiot who endorsed physically branding non-champions as losers. Now to hide from that reality you attempt to distort my message. Again.
Try drinking less coffee.

kwelz

10-24-13, 21:10

As far as running up the score, just so happens it came up as myself and my fellow coaches discussed it during pre-practice warm ups. All of us agreed the bullying charge was bogus and likewise we all agreed that running up the score to 91 was blatantly unnecessary. And this ain't coming from a bunch of whimps.

I think this is the heart of things. There is winning and then there is rubbing it in others face. Nothing wrong with winning. In fact you should always strive to win. And you should strive to win decisively. But running up the score is poor sportsmanship.

I too think the participation trophies were an idiotic idea. but shaming losers is even worse. Both ideas send the wrong message.

SeriousStudent

10-24-13, 22:02

Funny, I think there was less bickering by the young lads playing in that football game, than in this thread.

Granted, it is Texas, and it is the sacred religion of football. But gents, really?

The trophies honestly mean nothing. What matters is the lessons those young fellows learn from good coaches.

I still remember lessons from my head coach. We had a horrifically bad team. Epically bad. National Geographic historical documentary bad. Yeah, that bad.

But he taught us an incredible amount regarding leadership, effort and perseverance. Lessons I recall to this day. Trophies and ribbons honestly mean nothing to me. Character does.

Do these boys have greater character now? That's the victory. If not, then all the ribbon and shiny brass were for naught.

Otherwise, is there any point to it, other than the parents reliving old glory? Which I am sure many of us have watched happen, in it's most ugly form.

austinN4

10-25-13, 06:55

Aledo stats and losing coach's comments:

If it was surprising that Aledo racked up 91 points on Friday, it was no shock that their win was a dominant one. The Bearcats are among the state's most powerful squads year-in, year-out. Friday's victory improved the team's record to 7-0, with Aledo now averaging a whopping 69 points per game. They've outscored their district foes by an incredible 77 points-per-game.

"I think the game was handled fine," [Western Hills coach John] Naylor said. "They're No. 1 for a reason, and I know coach Buchanan. We're fighting a real uphill battle right now.

"We just ran into a buzzsaw, you know," Naylor said. "[Aledo] just plays hard. And they’re good sports, and they don’t talk at all. They get after it, and that’s the way football is supposed to be played in Texas."

Grand58742

10-25-13, 09:11

As far as running up the score, just so happens it came up as myself and my fellow coaches discussed it during pre-practice warm ups. All of us agreed the bullying charge was bogus and likewise we all agreed that running up the score to 91 was blatantly unnecessary. And this ain't coming from a bunch of whimps.

I think the question that hasn't been answered is how that 91 score came about. I haven't seen whether or not the Aledo team kept in their starters for the entire game or were starting to play everyone by the water boys and cheerleader squad in the second half. If their 2s and 3s were making scores on the other team, it's kind of moot. But if they did in fact keep the starters in, that is unnecessary.

Sometimes teams just suck and no matter what you do shy of taking a knee every down on offense and having the defense sit down will affect the overall outcome of the game.

Eurodriver

10-25-13, 09:13

I think the question that hasn't been answered is how that 91 score came about. I haven't seen whether or not the Aledo team kept in their starters for the entire game or were starting to play everyone by the water boys and cheerleader squad in the second half. If their 2s and 3s were making scores on the other team, it's kind of moot. But if they did in fact keep the starters in, that is unnecessary.

Sometimes teams just suck and no matter what you do shy of taking a knee every down on offense and having the defense sit down will affect the overall outcome of the game.

I'll try to find a link but they did not keep their starters in after the first 10 minutes or so of the game. They also did relaxed run plays for the rest of the game but still managed to score on average of every 3 downs.

There is no mercy rule for 11 man football games but it is allowed for the coaches to agree to end the game early although no one knew about it (because it's never used)

Edit
http://www.baynews9.com/content/news/baynews9/news/article.html/content/news/articles/bn9/2013/10/23/texas_dad_alleges_bu.html

Texas high school coach Tim Buchanan benched his starters after only 21 plays, kept to a conservative ground game and even allowed the clock to run uninterrupted after halftime to hasten the final whistle. Still, his Bearcats won 91-0.

Grand58742

10-25-13, 09:15

The coach said he wasn't aware of any mercy rule for 11 man football games (because it's never used)

Mercy rule in Texas? Figured that would be sacrilege lol

_Stormin_

10-25-13, 09:36

When you're playing the "worst" people on your team and still scoring every third down there is little more you can do to be a good sport about it.

Caeser25

10-25-13, 11:52

You should have seen the look only parents face when I threw out my participation trophies after earning a 2nd place trophy in the all star season that was after the regular baseball season when I was 10.

I had a coach for freshman basketball that only played us catholic school kids when there was a blowout. There was a few times we came back only to put the "starters" in and blow it again. Not sure what he had against us but the public school kids didnt know shit other than man to man defense and pick and roll or drive to the hoop offense. No clock management, zone defense skills, full, 3/4 and half court press skills whatsoever either. Catholic school basketball around here is like football in Texas.

Safetyhit

10-25-13, 19:14

If as a youngster you participate in a physically challenging sport, this with the potential for injury while enduring numerous hardships along the way for several consecutive months, getting an award in the form of a small trophy as a momento of their childhood endeavor isn't a crime nor anything worth ridicule.

The more one thinks about it the more one realizes what a simplistic backward-assed hick the supposedly quote worthy TexFred is. I well know a bigtime gun guy here in NJ who would say the exact same thing as Tex and bottom line is that my shooting buddy is dumb as a rock. Just the way it is.

_Stormin_

10-25-13, 19:35

If as a youngster you participate in a physically challenging sport, this with the potential for injury while enduring numerous hardships along the way for several consecutive months, getting an award in the form of a small trophy as a momento of their childhood endeavor isn't a crime nor anything worth ridicule.

And I, on the other hand, feel that the experience and camaraderie should be the reward, and we should teach kids accordingly. Team pictures and such are the "memento" that kids should be taking from these seasons. But I guess it's just agree to disagree.

SeriousStudent

10-25-13, 19:37

Indeed, simplistic ass-backwardness knows no bounds. In fact, I suspect hickdom rarely respects national boundaries, either.

As a nation, I think people often tend to confuse equality of opportunity with equality of results. People should discuss if there is an opportunity for success in their endeavors, and I am all for fairness in that regard.

But it honestly baffles me about people getting bent out of shape over fairness of results. One team had better athletes, who worked harder and longer, with smarter coaches. The other didn't.

That does not mean that the losing team needs to be ashamed in any way, as long as they delivered their maximum effort. They did, however, lose.

But I am never, EVER, going to brand a kid as a loser in the pejorative sense, with malicious intent, who played his guts out and came up short.

Those are often the kids that you see earliest in the pre-season, running up and down the stadium steps. They want it more.

Show ponies are nice to look at. But sled dogs deliver the mail in the deep winter snow. Sled dogs have heart.

Safetyhit

10-25-13, 19:49

Exactly SS, always best to keep things in sensible perspective. If the smaller participation trophies are given as a tolken for commitment and hard work then so be it, however if the coach dispenses them while making it seem as though the team didn't fall short, or in other words didn't clarify that the bigger, more important trophy wasn't earned by the team, then shame on him.

There is an appropriate context for most things. Trick is keeping within the sensible boundaries.

Safetyhit

10-25-13, 19:53

And it also might be prudent to suggest that instead of a trophy for the non-champion teams maybe a more subtle acknowledgement of their efforts would be suitable. Perhaps a small medal or tolken like a Boy Scout would receive after completing a challenge.