Why Scores Don't Matter in Kids' Scrimmages (and How to Tell Them)

The scrimmage ended, and immediately, arguments broke out…..

“'We scored five!' yelled Alex. 'No, it was four!' countered Maya. Taylor chimed in, 'Coach didn't even see half those goals!' 

This typical post-scrimmage debate (and often “in-scrimmage") over the score highlights a common problem; Why are we so focused on numbers in practice games? Especially in soccer, where scrimmages are meant for development, does the score really matter?"

Scrimmages are for practice, not winning. This is hard, no doubt, but it needs to be taught and addressed to soccer players (or players of any sport) as early as possible.  Here are some talking points for you to start using now:

• "Scrimmages are for learning."

• Say: "We're here to try new things and get better. The score doesn't matter."

• "It's about having fun."

• Say: "Focus on playing your best and enjoying the game."

• "We're a team, not rivals."

• Say: "We're all practicing together. Let's help each other."

• "Mistakes are okay!"

• Say: "If you mess up, that's how you learn. Scores don't show learning."

• "Try new skills."

• Say: "Use this time to try that new move you've been working on."

Why this matters:

Focusing on skills and sportsmanship in scrimmages creates a positive environment where kids truly enjoy the game. By prioritizing these aspects over scores, they learn valuable lessons about teamwork and fair play, fostering a love for the sport that goes beyond winning.

One of the hardest things to teach youth soccer players is to pass, and when keeping score becomes paramount in practice, passing skills go by the wayside as the best dribblers take over so they can “win a scrimmage”,   Here is an outcome I witnessed recently (with names being changed):

In a recent playoff semi-final, Maya, who used to over-dribble (“hogging the ball”) in scrimmages, implicitly recognized a scoring opportunity. Instead of continuing to dribble, she took what she had learned during scrimmages and made a crucial pass instead of taking a low-percentage shot. She had passed it  to Alex who then slid the ball to a wide open Taylor that led to the go-ahead goal. 

The team (especially Maya, Alex, and Taylor) will always remember the feeling of how great it felt to make such a special play in such a big game, and a big reason it happened is they focused on learning skills during their scrimmages, and not the score.