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Are We Becoming A "Lets Givem All A Trophy" Football State?

RCKickOffFootball

By RCKickOffFootball
in Class 5A & Class 6A

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RCKickOffFootball

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Give'm All A Trophy * Are We Really There?

 

Every year at this time the conversation always seems to pop up. They talk about teams that should not be in the state football playoffs. There are as many opinions on this as there are teams in the playoffs. Many who fall on the side of letting them all in base their opinions on topics like: It’s good to be able to play an extra game or what about the 3 loss team that won their first round or it’s great for the teams moral. That one’s a real head shaker. Traveling half way across the state to get pummeled by a no loss team is good for your moral? I just don’t get that one. And the one that truly makes no since is they did it because of travel. Let’s face it, most of these 1 and 2 loss teams are from the outer lying counties that are underfunded and have a hard time keeping their players in equipment much less coming up with the funds to travel across state just to get beat. I do understand playing the extra game but that can be done by adding a full game in the beginning of the year instead of playing these partial games in the jamborees. The TSSAA will all their wisdom has come up with this system to accommodate their needs. And just what are those needs? Could it be the extra gate revenue or the payment for TV rights? It doesn’t take a genius to see what their intentions truly are. Then it comes to the underlying truths that we are seeing in all youth sports these days. That’s the “let's give them all a trophy “ crowd.  We see it spreading like wide fire in youth sports across the country. Sports programs that no longer have winners and losers but base their success on participation. It’s to the point where now they don’t even keep score. Having stock in a local trophy franchise is a good as gold right now.

But the real question is what is this truly doing to our athletes? Is it taking away the drive to win and succeed? Is it making our youth soft both mentally and physically?

Life is competition. There are winners and losers both on the field and in the board rooms. The winners have always taken the initiative to have the drive to do what’s necessary to win. They earned the right to be at the top. Participation trophies didn’t get them there.

So being a commentary allows me to give my opinion and here it is. There is no way a 1,2, or 3 loss team should be in the playoffs. In my opinion the TSSAA needs to restructure the football playoff system to allow the top 4 teams from each region to earn the right to get in the same way many other states do. Give these kids something to work for and to be rewarded for. It can be done if they would put some effort into it and no worry about hurting a team’s feelings. After all its football and the feelings that come with it are pain and euphoria.

We all have opinions. Share yours….

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Blaze45 Champion

Blaze45

Posted
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Give'm All A Trophy * Are We Really There?

 

Every year at this time the conversation always seems to pop up. They talk about teams that should not be in the state football playoffs. There are as many opinions on this as there are teams in the playoffs. Many who fall on the side of letting them all in base their opinions on topics like: It’s good to be able to play an extra game or what about the 3 loss team that won their first round or it’s great for the teams moral. That one’s a real head shaker. Traveling half way across the state to get pummeled by a no loss team is good for your moral? I just don’t get that one. And the one that truly makes no since is they did it because of travel. Let’s face it, most of these 1 and 2 loss teams are from the outer lying counties that are underfunded and have a hard time keeping their players in equipment much less coming up with the funds to travel across state just to get beat. I do understand playing the extra game but that can be done by adding a full game in the beginning of the year instead of playing these partial games in the jamborees. The TSSAA will all their wisdom has come up with this system to accommodate their needs. And just what are those needs? Could it be the extra gate revenue or the payment for TV rights? It doesn’t take a genius to see what their intentions truly are. Then it comes to the underlying truths that we are seeing in all youth sports these days. That’s the “let's give them all a trophy “ crowd.  We see it spreading like wide fire in youth sports across the country. Sports programs that no longer have winners and losers but base their success on participation. It’s to the point where now they don’t even keep score. Having stock in a local trophy franchise is a good as gold right now.

But the real question is what is this truly doing to our athletes? Is it taking away the drive to win and succeed? Is it making our youth soft both mentally and physically?

Life is competition. There are winners and losers both on the field and in the board rooms. The winners have always taken the initiative to have the drive to do what’s necessary to win. They earned the right to be at the top. Participation trophies didn’t get them there.

So being a commentary allows me to give my opinion and here it is. There is no way a 1,2, or 3 loss team should be in the playoffs. In my opinion the TSSAA needs to restructure the football playoff system to allow the top 4 teams from each region to earn the right to get in the same way many other states do. Give these kids something to work for and to be rewarded for. It can be done if they would put some effort into it and no worry about hurting a team’s feelings. After all its football and the feelings that come with it are pain and euphoria.

We all have opinions. Share yours….

 

The problem does not begin and end with TSSAA. This is a problem that has rooted itself in our society some 30+ years ago. We began telling kids that if you didn't play the coach didn't know what he was doing. If you didn't win it was the other team cheating, or poor officiating or poor coaching. If you didn't make the team it was never because they were bigger, faster stronger, or more athletic... it was because the coaches had favorites. See this give them all a trophy has not only affected our sports programs, it has impacted, schools, the work place, and the family as a whole. We have to accept the challenge of telling our kids " you were not the best or good enough" thats why. As for the playoff system it is certainly broke, and sending 0-10 to play 10- 0 is not the way to do it, but taking top 4 in a region and allowing them to play  region 1 vs 3  and 2 vs 4 with alternating( 1 vs 2 and 3 vs 4  with 1vs 4 2 vs 3) in the semis is much better. It allows the Maryvilles to match up with the Whitehaven, and Oakland vs Cordova in semi's for a change. Just a thought

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milo118 Medalist

milo118

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The problem does not begin and end with TSSAA. This is a problem that has rooted itself in our society some 30+ years ago. We began telling kids that if you didn't play the coach didn't know what he was doing. If you didn't win it was the other team cheating, or poor officiating or poor coaching. If you didn't make the team it was never because they were bigger, faster stronger, or more athletic... it was because the coaches had favorites. See this give them all a trophy has not only affected our sports programs, it has impacted, schools, the work place, and the family as a whole. We have to accept the challenge of telling our kids " you were not the best or good enough" thats why. As for the playoff system it is certainly broke, and sending 0-10 to play 10- 0 is not the way to do it, but taking top 4 in a region and allowing them to play region 1 vs 3 and 2 vs 4 with alternating( 1 vs 2 and 3 vs 4 with 1vs 4 2 vs 3) in the semis is much better. It allows the Maryvilles to match up with the Whitehaven, and Oakland vs Cordova in semi's for a change. Just a thought

Well said. We can encourage our children to be whatever they want to be. But we also have to be honest when they don't reach their potential or complain about not reaching their own goals.

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