Why doesn’t my child’s hockey league keep score or have playoffs?

Don’t confuse competition with results

Children do not get involved in sports because they want to win. They play sports because they want to have fun, because they learn and master new skills and because they get to spend time with their friends.

Competition takes care of itself; it’s built into the game and kids “get” that. The difference is that kids don’t worry about the results like their parents or coaches often do. The vast majority of kids, especially children under the age of 12, forget about the result within a few minutes of the game being over.

At young ages the key is to develop skills and confidence in sports. This will keep kids playing sports, and when it’s time to keep score, they’ll be better able to handle the pressure.