The Storm of Fair-Play

There is a storm raging that undermines the experience of our most popular team sports. It's sweeps in over the participants, over the game officials, over the spectators, over and through the structures that provide space for the game. It's a storm that many fear to acknowledge, because in doing so one is thought to challenge the vary nature of the sport and in someway diminish the visceral thrill of the game.

This storm is the storm of "fair-play". In the basic understand of a game, the players expect to abide by a standard set of unbiased rules that allow each team to compete on a equal terms. And where winning is desired each team will bring forth it's best players. I was at attendance at the Sporting KC game (11-2-11) against Colorado and while sitting in the pouring rain, blasting wind in my face, 40 degree temperature and huddling with my family, I began to make a connection between little problems with the sport and the storm sweeping over us.

Why in the world would a family brave such weather to watch a game an cheer for a team on the field? It's really based on a love of the game. And where does that come from? The love comes from the various positive experiences one has with the game. We all have our limits, but in this case there is a something significant about a player's and a fan's dedication. The American Football affection-ado would not get as much out of a viewing of such a game as I would, being that I have a long history of soccer involvement.

So we have the players and we have the fans all enjoying the sport and this plays out in different ways for different sports. But who is missing from the picture? Yes, that would be the coach. In team sports, the coach is just as significant as the players and spectators, playing the arbitrator and coordinator for the team's strategy for winning. And the relationship between winning and how the coach builds a starting line-up for competitive play is critical. At the professional level there is money on the line and politics at play that factor into the dynamic which creates a bit of a mystique about what is going on. At the youth level, things are simpler with learning and skill building being the focus. But considering the youth levels for sports for a minute, are things really simpler and more clear cut?

The sad truth is that in competitive youth sports things aren't any simpler and the learning and skill building that a child and parent expect to happen is cast aside as something of a noble pursuit, but not reality. Also, as a sport program develops and becomes more competitive, money becomes part of the picture and now people pay for their aspiring players to be a part of an elite team that competes at higher levels. It's here that the role of coach in elite sport programs becomes a part of a career (coach's career and career aspirations)... And unfortunately the performance of the player (and team) is thought to be an indication of the coaches ability. All these variables work to erode the the fundamental value to the person playing and loving the game. 

Kids want to play and learn how they can get better and work toward winning games. The determination and work ethic required for competitive sports like soccer is certainly something parents hold in high regard when comes to providing character building opportunities. What parent does not want to provide the right challenges for their child so that they can grow, become stronger and more focused on long range, hard to attain goals? This is essentially the proving ground for a person's character.

Fair-play is what makes this all possible. This is not the same fair-play that a referee must maintain during a match, but rather fair-play in terms of a coach's behavior towards a youth player. Each player is different and develops at a rate that is unique to that player. There will likely be plateaus that are difficult to work through.  And playing time during games is essential for practicing the game related skills under pressure (in the clutch) with spectators watching.

And this is the foundational problem for so many people who love the game. A Fair-Play promise must be maintained by a coach in his management of game-time provided to youth players. Some coaches choose to see talent where they see it and mix the metrics of talent, skill, and work ethic into something they consider the criteria for playing-time (starter-criteria). It's completely subjective and typically tainted by familiarity biases or political factors. What happens in most cases is that kids who are considered unfit or not as fit as they should be (performance and ability) are given less playing time at the exact time when they need it most and kids who are considered to be fit and competitive are given added time when they do not need it.

Simple rules could correct this so that it would never become and issue and development of youth players would be grounded in the promise of fair-play. Adding this law to the game would establish real-fair play at all developmental levels: "During matches involving players under the age  18... the game will be divided into equal quarters and all players must play at least 2 quarters of the game, unless injury prevents the players from playing". Make the team and you will play.

Why even bring young players onto a team if they are considered to only be filler for what is considered better players (given the preferred player a chance to rest). The coach has too much control of the game results and in may cases use methods that destroy the confidence and skill of aspiring players. Coaches should not be allowed to carry youth players on a team when the coach does not believe the player is fit enough to compete... it's demeaning and insulting. Youth coaches should be more focused on the practice and teaching aspects of the role rather than the command & control approach. In the case of the proposed campball game from my previous blog entry... the time could be measured other ways... simple timers on the wrist. But there should quarterly durations of play so that the player can sync with the rhythm of the game.

Any sport involves risk and each child that steps up to play competitive sports should be celebrated and nurtured toward a love of the game. The coaches role should never stand in the way of that. Not all players will play in high school, college, Olympics, or professional, but some will go that far... even the kids that as some point in their gaming career fell below what the coach may have though was acceptable.

The only way to weather this storm is to think a little harder about not only the rules of play on the field for youth players, but also the rules of fair-play that nurtures these little wonders and protects them from the biases of coaches who do not appreciate the broader aspects of the game. In the end the games we play are systems and systems require feedback loops to fix problems... this problem seems obvious and something that is not hard to correct.