When is a Win a Loss? – Coaching Youth Football
I read a story yesterday on FOXNews.com about a girls high school basketball team winning a game 100-0. Wow. How does any coach allow this to happen? I am talking about the winning coach. And to top it off, the winning team is from a Christian High School.
There is hope for the school. The head of the Christian school is seeking a forfeit for winning; “recognizing victory without honor is a great loss.” I must say that I love the quote. Victory without honor is a loss. That’s when a win is a loss.
Coaches, especially youth coaches, we must rise be above the hype of winning at all costs for our young players. I am guilty too. Two years ago, I let my emotions take over during a game, and we scored 63 points on a team. We did try to shut the game down once we reached 49 by running our 2nd string, but I should have done this at 24 in the second quarter. Last season because of the above mentioned game, we started our second string players against 3 teams that we knew we could easily beat. Our starters played the 2nd and 4th quarters of these games. I must say this strategy worked great for our team. The second string players had a blast and they also experienced much needed “real” game reps.
So when do you consider a victory a win or loss? I think the head master’s request for a forfeit is a Win for the schools honor, and that’s more important than a Win on the court.