Soccer season has started!

My son plays house league soccer during the summer which is fun for all of us – no pressure, just show up on the field and have a great game of soccer. But my son is competitive by nature and like many other kids, keeps close score on number of goals and wins.

But now, kids’ soccer has changed – there are no standings or wins and losses – since they implemented the new system. There is absolutely nothing we can do but accept these changes and encourage the kids to just go out there and play for fun, not worry about wins, losses and goals.

Yes I ranted about it last year.

I also wrote about why I think it is silly to have a Week of Silence on the soccer field or all kids receiving trophies.

But this post is about another problem I have with kids’ sports. When we first arrived on the soccer field, one of the coaches handed me a folder with a sign-up sheet for SNACKS.

Aw HELLZ NO! I thought we were passed the snacks for kids in sports? My son is now almost 10… TEN. Double digits. Do we really have to haul around soccer snacks for the kids at this age? Aren’t we past this now?!?

I can understand parents with young children who have joined for the first time, getting all excited about their kid playing a team sport… eagerly signing up to bring snacks, being well prepared for their turn and marking it twice on their calendar.

But at this age, I don’t want to have to add yet another item to my never-ending to-do list of things to remember, and then rushing around last minute scrambling to buy enough juice boxes for everyone (because everyone will expect that) along with a “treat” of some sort. Or worry about hauling a giant cooler with freezies onto the field – is there enough ice so they don’t melt?!  Can I bring a – God forbid – healthy snack?!?

Do the kids really need to run and sweat for an hour only to be given a sugary snack right afterward?

I have a ton of food issues and opinions about food but I’m not so extreme that I won’t allow my kids to have treats like popsicles and freezies. But I do try to limit these types of treats. I’d rather them have ice cream and chocolate than sugar-laden drinks and candies with food colouring.

I can only hope some parents will bring orange slices and watermelon wedges but the likelihood is that they will be rewarded with gummi bear snacks and packaged soft cookies. Totally unnecessary.

Not to mention the arguments that will ensue if there aren’t enough snacks for the players’ siblings! Then you have younger kids running around screaming their heads off because they don’t get a freezie too, after sitting in the heat and sun watching their older brother or sister play soccer for an hour.

Each child should be bringing a full water bottle from home anyway so is there a need for juice loaded with sugar? Soccer leagues should set rules for snacks instead or even coaches and parents can come up with an “approved snack” list to hand out to parents.

What do you think? Am I being too harsh here?