Soccer Clubs NOT Keeping score??

[Long Ball]

Can someone please explain a local soccer club not keeping score for U10 Boys games and the ref telling the coach after a close game that "It's ok because there is no first place everyone gets a participation award." Is this really true? Please tell me I've been lied to.

[rip2506]

It would not surprise me.... The late great Jan Van Beveren once said that we put too much emphasis on winning and not enough on developing good players here in the US... it kindof makes since if you take the score and victory out of the game the coach might be more apt to experiment with his or her roster... in the early years the trend ( I was guilty of the same offense myself in U9 and U10) you put the best athletes up front and generally the worst in goal. My five best players were the two forwards and three midfielders.. we did not let the ball get to the goal in most occasions... I am glad that someone was smart enough to put Bailey Fontenot in the goal at an early age like U10.... not what I would have done since she was a great athlete and field player.. but she became the player she is today because of it