Running up the score

[Unregistered]

I think it depends largely on the age.

Though 17 goals at any age is a bit ridiculous.

And the parents saying "deal with it" clearly have no empathy and probably shouldn't be parents.

By 6-0, you probably have a good idea that the teams are mismatched.

Things a good coach could do:
Put the GK on the field
Switch out positions
Pass a certain number of times
Only shoot with your weak foot

The bigger issue here is the message these beatings send to the kids on both the winning and losing team.

Soccer to me is about more than playing a game. It's about developing character, developing as a person, building leadership skills.

I would never let my son play for a coach who would let a team run up that kind of score. That's not the kind of kid and player I want my son to be.

Come up with all the excuses you want, but anyone who defends that kind of behavior is likely a jerk raising a jerk kid.

Completely Agree - we have an actual parent here who would do his/her job. Thank You!

[Unregistered]

Believe it or not the losing players usually feel worse if they know that the other team is slowing down and using restrictions to not score. Score is on the paper and I am sure they will look back at that game as a learning experience. The parents' ego is more bruised than players'.

Really - I here this all the time the other players would feel worse. You need to get more in-tuned with your child. Get off the pitch and have a REAL conversation with them.

[Unregistered]

Completely Agree - we have an actual helicopter parent here who would do his/her job. Thank You!

I fixed it for you.

You play to the whistle.

You listen to you coach.

Again, if you think some coach can undo all your hard work then you're getting spanked 17-0 in the parenting department.

Use it as a teachable moment during the car ride home instead of breaking down the game with your kid like some crazy scout.

What a bunch of babies.

[Unregistered]

There is nothing more humiliating and demeaning than keep away soccer. They should have just pulled the goalie right? Seriously, you parents are the worst.

Not at this age. When the score is 8-9 to 0 depending on how much time is left NEFC should have pulled one field player, maybe 2. That doesn't embarrass the other team at this age, it is usually once you get closer to adult age where keep away is more embarrassing. In any event, this fails to display the most important aspects of team sports, those qualities that last beyond a single game. Unfortunately for the NEFC parents and players, the lessons that should have been learned were not.

[Unregistered]

Really - I here this all the time the other players would feel worse. You need to get more in-tuned with your child. Get off the pitch and have a REAL conversation with them.

Maybe most of those girls playing on the beaten team should pack it in and play another sport if they're that scarred by this loss. It's getting to that time when kids cycle out of soccer. Stop pushing them to play and you won't need to have these conversations.

[Unregistered]

Very few things in life more worthless, or boring, than being a part of a 17-0 game. Stinks to ref that game, stinks to watch it from both sides, stinks to lose like that, and stinks to win like that. Just a complete waste of an hour all around.

Yes, you have the question of Aztecs are playing in the right league, and the fight they have left in them. But, there's absolutely no reason at all to put 17 up on the board. Half of that, and make them play, but force an extra pass or two, shoot with your left, play out of position.

Yeah, we get it...one team is better. But, we are still human beings here.

[Unregistered]

There is nothing more humiliating and demeaning than keep away soccer. They should have just pulled the goalie right? Seriously, you parents are the worst.

You mean the only option NEFC had was to play keep away? Is your brain really that dull? Let me help you out some:

Make you stud striker play goalie. Let the goalie play striker.
Let your full backs play forward,
Have your team score from headers only
Shoot with weak foot.
There are other things you can do too, but I will assume you are familiar with Google.

They could have used the game to work on their weaknesses (yes, I'm sure they have some).

But in the end, NEFC will get their just punishment - playing in the same bush-league in the spring because they can't get into ECNL (where this team belongs).

HA HA HA!

[Unregistered]

I run into this often.

For me it's simple, doesn't matter what age, I gain nothing from a blowout. So as much as I do think not scoring double digits is an act of sportsmanship, my main concern is how can I challenge my players. There are all sorts of restrictions to make the game more challenging physically and mentally. If you have a 6-0 lead and you aren't attempting to make the game tougher for your players on the way to scoring another 10 goals, you've done them no favors at all.

[Unregistered]

Very few things in life more worthless, or boring, than being a part of a 17-0 game. Stinks to ref that game, stinks to watch it from both sides, stinks to lose like that, and stinks to win like that. Just a complete waste of an hour all around.

Yes, you have the question of Aztecs are playing in the right league, and the fight they have left in them. But, there's absolutely no reason at all to put 17 up on the board. Half of that, and make them play, but force an extra pass or two, shoot with your left, play out of position.

Yeah, we get it...one team is better. But, we are still human beings here.

Please stop with the whining. Why is everyone assuming that the NEFC coach wasn't doing everything they could do to keep the score down? It takes two teams to have a game and clearly one of them never bothered to show up. When a team loses that badly, they either never belonged on the field in the first place or quit before the game even started. Who's fault is that score really? The bottom line in something like this is there is a problem with that Aztec team and nothing short of NEFC pulling all their players off the field would have kept the score close because Aztec put up no fight at all. That's not soccer and at U14 in club soccer, that shouldn't be expected either. The real compassionate thing to do would been for Aztec to forfeit the game before the game instead of during it.

[Unregistered]

Please stop with the whining. Why is everyone assuming that the NEFC coach wasn't doing everything they could do to keep the score down?

By seeing the team play? So why should that benefit of doubt be given?

[Unregistered]

Please stop with the whining. Why is everyone assuming that the NEFC coach wasn't doing everything they could do to keep the score down? It takes two teams to have a game and clearly one of them never bothered to show up. When a team loses that badly, they either never belonged on the field in the first place or quit before the game even started. Who's fault is that score really? The bottom line in something like this is there is a problem with that Aztec team and nothing short of NEFC pulling all their players off the field would have kept the score close because Aztec put up no fight at all. That's not soccer and at U14 in club soccer, that shouldn't be expected either. The real compassionate thing to do would been for Aztec to forfeit the game before the game instead of during it.

I wouldn't consider it whining, just voicing an opinion. I've been on both sides of a score like that over decades of playing, and it's a total waste of time. You are correct...Aztecs shouldn't be on the field with them. So what? Your solution is to pound them into submission?

Wow.

[Unregistered]

Very few things in life more worthless, or boring, than being a part of a 17-0 game. Stinks to ref that game, stinks to watch it from both sides, stinks to lose like that, and stinks to win like that. Just a complete waste of an hour all around.

Yes, you have the question of Aztecs are playing in the right league, and the fight they have left in them. But, there's absolutely no reason at all to put 17 up on the board. Half of that, and make them play, but force an extra pass or two, shoot with your left, play out of position.

Yeah, we get it...one team is better. But, we are still human beings here.

Completely agree up until the human beings. If the motivation is sportsmanship, that's fine, but everyone here defending the score doesn't seem to care about that or they're suggesting keep away isn't good sportsmanship. I'd argue what's best for the players who scored 17 was to not score 17. Simple as that. They weren't challenged nearly as much as NB could have, whether sportsmanship mastered or not.

[Unregistered]

if you don't like it, go back to maple. I'm sure SSS won't run up the score on you

Stupid comment. I'm the first one that will defend a team scoring a lot of points. I don't believe in asking a team to not play as hard as they can, but this is a bit much. Why not put all of your second line in and make is a possession game (after 10 goals)

[Unregistered]

Stupid comment. I'm the first one that will defend a team scoring a lot of points. I don't believe in asking a team to not play as hard as they can, but this is a bit much. Why not put all of your second line in and make is a possession game (after 10 goals)

Who says they didn't. You know the beaten team would never come on here and admit they played with 8 players and still kept scoring.

[Unregistered]

NEFC U14G's don't have a second line, sorry to burst your bubble. They probably played with 8 players in the second half too