Canada’s Next Generation, Gen L. L for Losers

The beaver, oh the beaver the pride of Canada and a national symbol. It is supposed to exemplify what this is country is about. Hard work, perseverance, etc….

For people like me, not born in Canada, the images that come to mind when someone learns of Canada as an outsider are, a Mountie, a Lumber Jack, a Fisherman (including ice fisherman) etc…. Hard working, working against all odds. Damn it, its -40 degrees and still outside chopping down a tree

What is happening to this hard working nation is puzzling. It has now come to be acceptable that hard work, skill, achievement, are all wrong and must be punished. We see it in sports. It has to be fair they say, everyone gets a chance. Ok fine, that’s why there are different leagues and levels, if your kid is not ready for prime time, let them play in an entry league. It was bad enough that a school in Ottawa does not permit blocking in the game of basketball so that every one has a chance to score.

Give everyone a chance that is fine. But the latest edition is concerning. According to the league rules for Dragons soccer in Ottawa Canada, the Nations proud capital. You are not allowed to win and run up to score beyond 6 goals. That is fine, mercy rules have been in place in the past and are the right thing to do if the game is not close, why rub it in. However according to the rules:

Respect your opponent: do not run up the score. and then it gets better “To prevent running up the score, a five-goal differential is the maximum allowed. If at the end of a game there is more than a 5 goal difference in the score, the team that scored over 5 goals will have the results recorded as a loss when the game is recorded at the office.”

www.dragonsoccer.ca/handbook/2010%20Handbook%20ENG.pdf Read them for yourself.

WHAT? If you win by a lot you lose? WHAT? What does this say to our kids? Winning, being good is not only not welcome, its punishable? Don’t win kids, winning is bad, because if you win you are going to get punished? It says don’t work hard, don’t build skill. Just be average, actually forget average, all you have to be in life sun is pretty bad, because the worse you are, the more likely someone else will be punished for it, and you will just be ok.

Screw that, if that is what we are teaching kids now, Canada will not be competitive in the long run and we are going to breed a new generation. Forget Gen X, Gen Y, Gen Whatever. Canada’s next generation if this continues is Gen L. A bunch of losers

Bravo. Kumbaya.