Girls High School Soccer Style vs College Style

[Oldtimebaseball84]

[QUOTE=EasyG;4807499]My reply isn't meant to be a universal answer that applies to all games/schools/etc., but I think lower skill level and diverse athletic ability create an environment ripe for increased physical and/or dangerous play. The kids want to be competitive and they are cheered when they offer 100% effort, so if they lack in some skill or athletic ability, they'll resort to fouling to maintain some level of competitiveness. There is nothing wrong with physical play that falls within the rules, but that can be a wavy line for some.

 

There's little doubt that dangerous play can escalate quickly and it helps to have a strong officiating crew to get it turned around but I think there are two very important groups missing from the list of "who to blame": coaches & players.

 

Coaches are the leaders, they set the example, they guide their players. Secondly, I think players have a responsibility to avoid dangerous play. And I put the referees third. They are left to judge and apply the rules. If the first two do their job ... it never gets to the third. It may sound idealistic, but I think the responsibility and professionalism that coaches and players maintain at higher levels of play is the reason you've noticed a safer environment at the college level.

 

I know I missed the role of the parents in this discussion, but I think sports should be one of those activities that parents should take a back seat. Sports should be an opportunity to let your kids learn from others. Maybe the most important role of the parent is to remove their kids from the activity when coaches, players, and refs aren't holding up their end of the bargain. Or at least have open discussions with their kids about these instances when they occur.

 

I would tend to disagree with this first part, having a daughter that played the previous 4 years I would say the skilled players were by far the most physical of them all. Sure a couple of girls that maybe were not as skilled my get a cheap shot in when they could but so did the skilled players.

 

My daughter played with Sam Bradford from HC when she was a senior, she kicked the crap out of everyone and she went D1 to UAB.

 

Most of NDA's players are always skilled but they are also very physical. They send a lot of kids to college.

 

Libby Leedom was probably the best player to come out of NKY in years and even though she is very skilled she got her hands dirty when she needed to.

 

My daughter was a very physical player actually breaking a goalies nose her freshman year, she didn't recieve a card or anything it was just one of those tough plays. She scored upwards of 40 goals in a little under 3 years, wasn't the most skilled player but had to be doing something right to put those numbers up.

 

 

I'm sure your daughter was a great player, but a pet peave of mine is quoting numbers to use to rate talent and not giving the opponents......

 

I am a an uncle of a girl's soccer player and have noticed there is a much larger gap in talent on the girls side between teams, than I could have imagined. So 40 goals against bad talent might be only half as good as say, 10 goals against a very good year of opponenets.

 

To bring it to the game level....which would you consider better......3 goals in a game that ends 10-0 at half.....or 1 goal in a 2-1 victory/loss against the state #1........

[Sweeperboy]

Schabell solution: Fouls are kept as in basketball. The fourth foul warrents a Yellow Card and a fifth a Red Card.

I think that would clean it up.

 

Thanks Mr Obvious...LOL

 

I too agree that since this game's original rules have been abused and manipulated to the point where kids are getting hurt because of kids playing out of control that it might be time to change the rules...

 

Why is it that Soccer is so sacred that nobody is allowed to change the rules of the game? Heck, they have changed the rules so many times in Football that they might as well go back to the leather helmets and no face masks. The NFL is smart enough to change the rules and they also know that it will trickle down to the lowest level of competition to protect the kids...:thumb:

 

Too many kids getting hurt because of a lack of control on the field...jmo

[Oldtimebaseball84]

Schabell solution: Fouls are kept as in basketball. The fourth foul warrents a Yellow Card and a fifth a Red Card.

I think that would clean it up.

 

EXCEPT.....you are giving 4 free shots at players. Cleats up, from behind counts as 1, instead of a yellow as of now.

[wideright]

" So 40 goals against bad talent..."

 

Oldtime,

I just had to reply and let you know that I absolutely love your consistency in these conversations. Keep sowing the seeds for thoughtful soccer discussions.