Are kids too soft? AFL Qld wants to penalise juniors for win

It is underestimated how important sport is to your development as a child, writes Rebecca Singh.

Are kids becoming too soft?

CHILDREN get awards for simply turning up, scores are not kept in some games and now AFL Queensland wants to penalise junior clubs for winning by too many points.

Southeast Queensland clubs have been briefed on a rule change that would see junior clubs lose premiership ladder points for every game they won by 90 or more in 2020.

The AFL insists it will stamp out bad game-day behaviour - and stamp out any incentive for young guns to try their best along with it.

Bec Singh new sports reporter at the Gympie Times.

It is underestimated how important sport is to your development as a child.

You learn to play with others as a team, getting along with people you might not like, to not be a bad sport and the biggest, you are not always going to win.

Things are not always going to go your way on the sporting field, just like they will not always go your way in life, you win some you lose some.

 

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If one team has performed better on the day they should be celebrated for winning, not discouraged because they won by too many points.

If you are wanting everyone to win then sport is not for you, it is tough and competitive.

But you learn to fight harder, as the old saying goes 'to be the best, you have to beat the best'.

There is always going to be a winner and a loser, are we still allowed to say loser?

I would certainly not want to be in the coach's shoes at three-quarter time if the team is up by 80 points.

What are they going to tell the team? 'You are all playing such a great game but I do not want you kicking any more goals in the last quarter, just defend and if you have to just kick a behind.'

*This picture has been selected as one of the Best of the Year Sports images for 2019*Dustin Martin of the Tigers celebrates a goal during the 2019 AFL Grand Final between the Richmond Tigers and the GWS Giants at the MCG in Melbourne, Saturday, September 28, 2019. (AAP Image/Michael Dodge) NO ARCHIVING

I do not know how that is fair for anyone. The rule might stamp out arrogance by one side but it is also suggesting you need to give up when you are ahead by too much.

Lets hope they do not bring this rule into the AFL senior competition.

Who knows who the 2019 AFL premiers might have been, or the score.

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