I recently had the privilege of sitting in a session with a group of soccer coaches who work with kids ages 8-18.  As we discussed a few ideas about the purpose of sports and its impact on kids’ lives, a fascinating question was raised.

One of the coaches talked about how in soccer, if a defender is beaten and a breakaway is going to be the result, it’s commonly taught that the defender needs to commit a foul, keeping the attacker from having the easy chance to score.  (I apologize if my soccer lingo isn’t quite where it needs to be.  I am doing my best.)  The question was then posed, is this a good thing?  What does that teach kids about accountability and fairness?  If I make a mistake, should I do something illegal to fix it?

A couple other coaches jumped in and basically said, “Hold on here.  That’s just part of the game.  You commit the foul to keep the goal from happening.  There are consequences for the foul and the rules of the game and the officials are responsible to ensure the accountability and fairness.”

Honestly, I could see both sides of that one.  But then my world got rocked when another coach said, “If something is commonly understood to be part of the game, does that mean that we should always accept it?  Should we not ask ourselves how and why it became part of the game, and whether or not it’s beneficial that it is part of the game?”

That is an incredibly profound question, with far-reaching implications and applications.  Think about the game you play or coach.  Should a batter take first base when the umpire incorrectly rules that he was hit by a pitch?  Should a defensive back intentionally commit pass interference when beaten deep to keep the touchdown from being scored?  When my team is fighting for a fumble, do I point toward our goal-line to try and influence the officials?  Should a basketball player point in her team’s direction when a ball goes out of bounds, even if she knows it’s not really her team’s ball?  Same thing in soccer, do I grab the ball for a throw-in even if I know it was out on me or my teammate?  In high school tennis, how do I handle a line call that’s too close to tell?  What about faking an injury or flopping to gain some kind of advantage?

If the primary goal in any of these situations is victory on the scoreboard, then it’s obvious what the best decision should be.  But if I honestly believe that victory is important, but secondary to the development of young people, then the questions become more difficult.  In the scenarios above, some might be more clear than others.  In some of them, there is absolutely some gray area in which intelligent, loving people might disagree.

I have no desire to try and tell someone what to think about situations in that gray area.  But I have a burning desire to encourage every single coach to think about those aspects of your game and the way it is taught that could potentially send a confusing message to our kids.  We can disagree on the particulars, but we must never be afraid to question and challenge commonly held notions simply because they are “part of the game”.