E-mail from Youth Soccer. re: Silent Saturdays

Corben

Member
My mom got this email from my hometown youth soccer league... My seven year old brother plays.

Youth Soccer Parent/Guardian,
You are receiving this email because you have one or more children participating in our Fall Youth Soccer program. You may have already heard from your coach regarding the Sportsmanship Saturday (Friday too) event coming up as part of our Fall Youth Soccer program on October 3rd and 4th.

There are three things that will be taking place this weekend that we ask for your help in supporting.
1. We are asking all spectators to remain silent (no cheering) for the duration of this ONE game.
2. Teams will exchange players (divide and make new teams) for the second half of the game.
3. Teams will share snacks together at the conclusion of the game.

Below is some addtional information on these items associated with Sportsmanship Saturday (Friday too).

-->"Silent Saturday", as it is most often referred to, is ONE DAY on the schedule where spectators are asked to remain silent (no cheering) throughout the game. This may sound like a radical idea, but this concept has been met with huge success rates across the country. Oftentimes, it is the kids themselves who express the most positive feedback.

Some objectives of "Silent Saturday"; 1. To give players a chance to trust their skills and instincts without sideline input 2. To foster teamwork and leadership as players are required to communicate with each other while on the field 3. To remind coaches, parents and players that practice is the time for instruction and games are showcases for learning 4. To remind everyone that youth sports are primarily for the purpose of kids playing, learning and having fun.

-->Switching teams at halftime - is a concept that has been used around the country and in our soccer program and has been well received by players. It's a great way to meet new friends and compete with a slightly different set of teammates.

-->Sharing snacks - we are asking each team to bring drinks for their own team and snacks for both teams to share at the conclusion of the game.

It is our hope that coaches, parents and players will support this new event on the schedule and reserve feedback for our post-season questionnaire. We believe this will be a positive fun event for the kids. At the conclusion of the season we will be asking for your feedback on this and many other aspects of the Fall Youth Soccer program.

We hope your child enjoys the rest of the Fall Youth Soccer season!

Walla Walla Parks & Recreation
website: www.ci.walla-walla.wa.us
email: recreation@ci.walla-walla.wa.us
Phone: 527-4527

 
not as bad as some things i've been seeing in youth soccer leagues (no keeping score, penalty shots for everyone at the end of the game, etc). the switching players rule is actually kinda cool, it makes it more like a pickup game
 
yeah i kind of like the switching teams idea, but the no cheering is stupid. it helps keep the kids motivated or pumped up
 
we wouldnt want to hurt anyones feelings now would we.

people need to get real. you cant shelter children from life forever, youre going to end up with a bunch of pussys who cant deal with criticism or pressure later on in life.

 
Ok? So you just want us to comment on it? Usually people actually say things in their thread post instead of just copy & pasting.

...my 2 cents.

I was a referee when I was a young'n. I 1st started out reffing that age group. To be honest, if anyone makes a big deal out of it, it's gonna be the parents. The kids, I can guarantee you, will not give a fuck. They'll gladly change teams, share snacks. And I'm sure they'll love not having their parents yell at them for 40 minutes. The only way kids will start being upset is that they see their parents mad about it and they'll project the feelings of the parents.

So let them try something. They're 7 years old.
 
A seven year old is happy if they have fun, plus im sure they all love snack time, I know my 7 year old brothers baseball team sure as hell did!
 
Agreed I was a soccer ref also and parents yelling at their 8yr old because he didn't make a pass or score a goal is ridiculous. Let the kid have fun that is why he plays to have fun. They couldn't give two fucks what the score was they are out there to have a good time with friends and have some snacks.
 
I ref kids every weekend and the parents and coaches are such a fucking pain. Im going to try and schedule myself to ref as many as possible this weekend
 
thats not a terrible idea...the reason i quit soccer was because i hated my parents yelling at me from the sideline, it kinda sucks especially for a little kid.... and the kids wont give a shit that they have to switch teams and share snacks
 
When I used to ref, we called it silent sidelines and it lasted a whole weekend. Coaches weren't allowed to yell anything, and parents could only yell supportive comments, and no criticism. I fucking loved it, it finally got all the meathead power hungry coaches and parents trying to re-live their failed youth sports careers through their children to shut the fuck up and let me control the game like I was paid to do.
 
fuck, my high school soccer team kinda had snack time. we all got free hot dogs, chips, and drinks after every game.and it was the part that everyone looked forward to the most
 
It would be ridiculous for 12 year old kids, or even 10, but at age 7 an occasional low-pressure game isn't completely absurd. It would sure be a eerie experience to watch a soccer game in silence though...
 
Not a bad idea for 7 year-olds. Like people have already mentioned a break from screaming parents can only be a good thing.That said I remember soccer when I was that age. We would always start playing in the wrong direction when we switched sides at half time and the goalie (and several other players) spent most of her time picking flowers or drawing in the gravel. For the first couple of years we would actually have the coach on the field with us to keep us playing. I can see the entire game falling apart if there isn't a little bit of coaching allowed.And snack time is always brilliant. Our team had it all the way through U18 and could make a gross, rainy game a lot better.
 
Back
Top