"No balls, scoring" -"'negative effects of competition'"

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Toppy Vann
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I've been asking my soccer friends on my Facebook their views on how some parents are removing competition from kids' sports. This was from CBC Radio recently. As astute sports fans and parents or future parents what do you think of this? Make sure you listen to the audio:

"To ensure every child 'wins', Ontario athletic association removes ball from soccer"

http://www.cbc.ca/thisisthat/blog/2013/ ... om-soccer/

With the growing concern over the effects of competition in youth sports programs this summer, many Canadian soccer associations eliminated the concept of keeping score. The Soccer Association of Midlake, Ontario, however, has taken this idea one step further, and have completely removed the ball from all youth soccer games and practices.

According to Association spokesperson, Helen Dabney-Coyle, "By removing the ball, it's absolutely impossible to say 'this team won' and 'this team lost' or 'this child is better at soccer than that child.'"

"We want our children to grow up learning that sport is not about competition, rather it's about using your imagination. If you imagine you're good at soccer, then, you are."

This summer Peter Oldring spent time with the Midlake Thundercats, an under 11 boys and girls team, and put together this radio documentary. "
http://www.cbc.ca/thisisthat/blog/2013/ ... om-soccer/
Listen to how practices and corner-kicks work without a ball:
http://www.cbc.ca/thisisthat/blog/2013/ ... om-soccer/
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sj-roc
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Wasn't this whole soccer-with-no-ball thing an April Fool's joke or some similar sort of fiction?

Yes. Yes, it was.

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, Toppy, that you knew this yourself and were just trying to put one over on us ;)
Sports can be a peculiar thing. When partaking in fiction, like a book or movie, we adopt a "Willing Suspension of Disbelief" for enjoyment's sake. There's a similar force at work in sports: "Willing Suspension of Rationality". If you doubt this, listen to any conversation between rival team fans. You even see it among fans of the same team. Fans argue over who's the better QB or goalie, and selectively cite stats that support their views while ignoring those that don't.
TheLionKing
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Toppy is living 4 months ahead of the rest of Lionbackers. It's April 1st on his calendar.
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Toppy Vann
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You guys are too smart... My Facebook friends not only are falling for it - even AFTER I posted that this program is fake, they still keep posting how idiotic this is.

It is the CBC Radio Program This is That.

If you liked that one, you'll love this one:

http://www.cbc.ca/player/Shows/ID/2411703007/

THIS IS THAT | Oct 11, 2013 | 5:32
Headline: Canadian border guard bullies CBC Radio host
We find out first-hand why Canadian Border Services agents are being federally mandated to take public relations courses.

--

You should read the comments on their website as they fall for this.
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zark
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Couple of my favorites...
http://www.cbc.ca/thisisthat/blog/2012/ ... ing-games/
Saskatchewan politicians want to rename province to 'something shorter'
http://www.cbc.ca/thisisthat/news/2012/ ... g-shorter/
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http://www.cbc.ca/thisisthat/
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No balls scoring would seem to be something like the "No grades, reporting," performed, IIRC, a few years ago in some schools in BC. Teachers, I gather, were required to write report cards with no negative commentary, and no actual numerical or letter grades were allowed. I'm going from memory on this, so, if there's a teacher among Lionbackers, please make any necessary corrections.
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Toppy Vann
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zark wrote:Couple of my favorites...
http://www.cbc.ca/thisisthat/blog/2012/ ... ing-games/
Saskatchewan politicians want to rename province to 'something shorter'
http://www.cbc.ca/thisisthat/news/2012/ ... g-shorter/
Main Page
http://www.cbc.ca/thisisthat/
Those are brilliant.

These guys do a great show and I love reading the dumb comments as people on the CBC website still post serious condemning comments.
"Ability without character will lose." - Marv Levy
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Jim Mullin
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Actually, it sounds like what the athletic department at UBC wants to achieve after gassing the football and hockey programs.
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TheLionKing
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Jim Mullin wrote:Actually, it sounds like what the athletic department at UBC wants to achieve after gassing the football and hockey programs.
Have they actually rid of the football and hockey programs ? Last I heard was that they were going to do a "review"
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