Top team aggressively fouling second team in scrimmages

[Anonymous]

Top team players are there for a reason. They tend to be more skilled obviously but also tend to have more hunger and tenacity for the ball. This can often come across as aggression or dirty play. No top team wants to lose a scrimmage to the team below them so expect them to try and put the lower level team in their place.

You dont have to like this idea but its natural for the kids to think this way. The last thing they want to to do is walk off the field knowing and hearing that the 2nd team just got the best of them.

The lower level team benefits form this interaction and will take some of that to their games against lower level teams.

Get used to it, the kids are growing, their playing is getting faster and more aggressive. Enjoy the game and watch how they respond. Encourage your kid to battle back. Great lesson learned on so many levels

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Top team players are there for a reason. They tend to be more skilled obviously but also tend to have more hunger and tenacity for the ball. This can often come across as aggression or dirty play. No top team wants to lose a scrimmage to the team below them so expect them to try and put the lower level team in their place.

You dont have to like this idea but its natural for the kids to think this way. The last thing they want to to do is walk off the field knowing and hearing that the 2nd team just got the best of them.

The lower level team benefits form this interaction and will take some of that to their games against lower level teams.

Get used to it, the kids are growing, their playing is getting faster and more aggressive. Enjoy the game and watch how they respond. Encourage your kid to battle back. Great lesson learned on so many levels

+1 Came here to say this. I have two boys who play. Put in the same situation, my better player will probably not tell me about the rough play at all. But only about the instances where he got the best of them. Whereas my other boy who is a weaker player will complain about the rough play and wonder if he should say something. I’d tell him to play smarter and figure out ways to outmaneuver them without getting injured. At the end of the day, I want my kids to be injury free and telling them to play the same way is a sure fire way to get injured. Play smarter, not harder or rougher or “dirty.” That’s the point of playing better teams, to be put in situations where you have no choice but to adapt and learn how to improve your play.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Top team players are there for a reason. They tend to be more skilled obviously but also tend to have more hunger and tenacity for the ball. This can often come across as aggression or dirty play. No top team wants to lose a scrimmage to the team below them so expect them to try and put the lower level team in their place.

You dont have to like this idea but its natural for the kids to think this way. The last thing they want to to do is walk off the field knowing and hearing that the 2nd team just got the best of them.

The lower level team benefits form this interaction and will take some of that to their games against lower level teams.

Get used to it, the kids are growing, their playing is getting faster and more aggressive. Enjoy the game and watch how they respond. Encourage your kid to battle back. Great lesson learned on so many levels

+1 Came here to say this. I have two boys who play. Put in the same situation, my better player will probably not tell me about the rough play at all. But only about the instances where he got the best of them. Whereas my other boy who is a weaker player will complain about the rough play and wonder if he should say something. I’d tell him to play smarter and figure out ways to outmaneuver them without getting injured. At the end of the day, I want my kids to be injury free and telling them to play the same way is a sure fire way to get injured. Play smarter, not harder or rougher or “dirty.” That’s the point of playing better teams, to be put in situations where you have no choice but to adapt and learn how to improve your play.

If DD's team is being fouled excessively, I have no problem with her retaliating. Sometimes you have to play dirty to get the other team to back off. Just because the first team is expecting to win doesn't mean that the second team has to let them play physical without responding in kind.

[Anonymous]

In a slightly different situation (two "peer" teams (U10 girls) within a club scrimmaging), with the other team playing dirty and nobody calling fouls, I decided as a parent that my DD would not participate in the scrimmages. I am fine with kids being aggressive in a game and even at practice, but I wasn't going to subject my DD to dirty playing in an intra-squad scrimmage. I know it annoyed the coach when I announced my position (I was also the team manager), but I was clear that he could do what was best for the team, and I would do what was best for my DD. Fortunately, I didn't have to worry about her standing within the team, so that is going to be a bit tougher.

If opting out isn't a real option, you are going to have to teach your child to "fight" back. Maybe if one of the top team kids gets hurt, the coaches will start actually refereeing the scrimmages.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If the coaches won’t control it, it’s up to her team to foul back.

^^^this fight fire with fire

[Anonymous]

It could be that the top team should be scrimmaging teams of same level like playing the older year A team. If I recall correctly one of the reasons old DA coaches and some current coaches prevent players to play MS/HS is injure prevention. Players of lower level play may use more their physicality than their skill as an example of why some coaches prefer players not to do MS/HS. This is the oposite case of your DD but it is just an exemple on why teams should play meaningful games.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It could be that the top team should be scrimmaging teams of same level like playing the older year A team. If I recall correctly one of the reasons old DA coaches and some current coaches prevent players to play MS/HS is injure prevention. Players of lower level play may use more their physicality than their skill as an example of why some coaches prefer players not to do MS/HS. This is the oposite case of your DD but it is just an exemple on why teams should play meaningful games.

HA. The older kids do not want to lose to the younger kids, just like the A team doesn't want to lose to the B team.

My kid's A team plays the upper age group A team and those are much the same dynamic--especially because in big clubs (5-6 teams per age group), there isn't much difference between the A and B team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It could be that the top team should be scrimmaging teams of same level like playing the older year A team. If I recall correctly one of the reasons old DA coaches and some current coaches prevent players to play MS/HS is injure prevention. Players of lower level play may use more their physicality than their skill as an example of why some coaches prefer players not to do MS/HS. This is the oposite case of your DD but it is just an exemple on why teams should play meaningful games.

HA. The older kids do not want to lose to the younger kids, just like the A team doesn't want to lose to the B team.

My kid's A team plays the upper age group A team and those are much the same dynamic--especially because in big clubs (5-6 teams per age group), there isn't much difference between the A and B team.

IMO there is more overlapping between a team and its upper year team than there is with the B team. Remember how teams DOB were placed in line with school year.

[Anonymous]

Sweep the leg. No mercy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sweep the leg. No mercy

Let the kids get after it, they can handle it

[Anonymous]

Shoot the hostage

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our club pretty regularly has our top and second team scrimmage during practice. Not surprisingly, the top team is pretty dominant. However, as the parent of a second team defender, I think the experience is good for her.

That said, my DD complains that whenever she has sustained success defending a couple of players, they will lose their temper and start doing things like intentionally cleating her while fighting for the ball.

When I played, there was a clear answer to this that involved physically showing you wouldn’t tolerate it. I am wary of recommending this, though, given club politics, the risk of angering the top team coach, and I can see a situation where the top team player starts something, my DD responds, then the top team player plays the victim. I strongly suspect the club does not want their second team defenders being overly physical with their top strikers, but if those players are playing dirty, I’d the best option really just to take it or play matador defense?

She is a defender so she should have plenty of opportunities to mop up the floor with these strikers, if they play dirty in scrimmage. She won't impress her coaches if she shies away from a physical play. She should not retaliate, but she should pick her spot and go in hard with a tackle and then ask the striker in the nicest way possible if she is OK.

[Anonymous]

Consider those scrimmages your DD's tryout for the "A" team. She should be physical to the level "the ref" (in this case, the coach) allows. If your DD proves she can hang, she'll earn respect and possibly a spot on their roster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In what universe would your kid just not…ask the coach for, you know, coaching and guidance in this matter?!

+1
Coaches have interest in putting a stop to this especially because that could potentially lead to injuries within the club.
That said DD has.a teammate that plays dirty during scrimmages and players have been in a lot of pain due to hitting faces and that sort of thing. It's ugly and I don't think anyone has told the coach. For the life of me I have no idea why the coach does not notice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In what universe would your kid just not…ask the coach for, you know, coaching and guidance in this matter?!

+1
Coaches have interest in putting a stop to this especially because that could potentially lead to injuries within the club.
That said DD has.a teammate that plays dirty during scrimmages and players have been in a lot of pain due to hitting faces and that sort of thing. It's ugly and I don't think anyone has told the coach. For the life of me I have no idea why the coach does not notice.

He does