We’re sorry to see Kevin Hermening drop out of the state senate race. Regardless of what you think of his politics, he was always a gentleman on the campaign trail and was always available for interviews. He forwarded a Canadian newspaper article to me that’s the subject of today’s News Blog

Policy limits youth soccer blowouts: http://tinyurl.com/2g2jlxs .

NEWS BLOG (WSAU) A youth soccer league in Canada wants to protect players from mismatches. They have a new rule: win by five goals… and no more than five. If a team boosts its lead to six goals, the game ends and the team that's leading automatically forfeits the game.

Some coaches have resorted to some strange strategies after going up by five. They’ve played keep-away trying to run out the clock. They’ve played a man short on purpose. They’ve kicked the ball with their weaker foot for the rest of the game. Players on the winning teams point out that mocking their opponents by not playing their best is more awkward than running up the score.

My oldest son Michael is playing competitive soccer for the first time this year. He’s on a team of 9 and 10-year-olds. His team has more 9-year-olds than most, and they often lose to more experienced teams. Some leagues have combined 9, 10, and 11 year-old teams, so there have been games when Michael’s team has been mis-matched against kids who are two years older. Those games would be forfeits under the “Canada rules”.

Last weekend we spent two days in the rain at the Wisconsin Rapids youth soccer tournament. One of the opponents was a team from Marshfield with older kids. They were much better than Michael’s team. They were better passers. They were physically bigger. They were more experienced. They won 9-2, with both teams playing their hardest to the final whistle. Instead of being dejected, Michael was excited that he’d get another chance to play the same team next week. “Maybe we’ll get better.” Michael's team lost the rematch, 8-3.

My son’s competitive spirit doesn’t seem to be damaged. Maybe he’s learning an unspoken lesson. In sports the only true way to measure yourself is if your opponent tries their best.

Chris Conley
Operations Manager, Midwest Communications-Wausau
6.17.10