This is a really good question and one that is difficult to answer. Firstly by paying a child any amount of money for any sporting act you are making them ineligible for the Olympics, scary really at U9, they are professionals! Just kidding but there is some seriousness in the subject. Most the time paying kids are done as a tongue in cheek way of motivating their kids by parents, I appreciate that.
There can be some serious repercussions though. Does this mean that the players now becomes more about himself than the team. Isn't one of the beauty's of soccer that it is a team game where everybody contributes ? Also what if you are a defender, seldom do you get the chance to score, so what is your motivation then ? I personally think that you need to make the game as fun as possible for players to love and enjoy playing, getting dirty and laughing on the field.
When we starting thinking about money as a motivation the game moves out of
the romantic love (playing for the love of play) into playing for a bigger
extrinsic motivation, money. I don't think that is a good idea. When does it
stop for example. Our youths are not Pro's even though we may want them to
be. Some parent are treat them if they are, when really what should motivate them is being member of a team, respecting themselves, the officials, there team mate etc. These are the life skills youth soccer should be teaching. We might be losing some of these if there start thinking it is more about I them WE. Being part of something bigger than yourself, I feel is an important part of growing up and finding your place as a youth. I know it was important for me personally, it teaches us humility.
Some people could deem the parents themselves a little selfish for wanting to see there kid do well (maybe for the team). Score a goal so I get that wonderful feeling of my child's success they are saying. I want that recognition from other parents about the contribution my family has made to the team. The game is the children's game and we sound never forget that. It is not about us.
The Positive Coaching Alliance an organization I speak for, make a great suggestion when they say that we should have targeted, symbolic rewards for
our children. I have a ball that I first used to play with, that I give to the kid that put the most effort in for the week (practice and game), why can you not use that as a motivation. Some ideals I have to motivate players that are so much more symbolic than the Yanky dollar that is over taking the culture of sports are:
1) Have a family member of the week award (we had Boy of the Week, with 3 of
us in the family), when you eat together or Sunday morning before the game give out the award for the person that has contributed to the family the most. Scoring a great goal and representing the family fits into this bracket I think. That is a great motivation.
2) Get to watch your Favorite soccer game on T.V a stay up a little late.
3) Affection and pride- giving your kid a big hug or smile is such a powerful motivation. I remember my dad saying to me, "I was so proud of the amount of running you did today." When I was U13 I score 23 goals in one season, but I don't think I remember many of them, I remember what he said and the tone he said it in. recognition goes further than parents think (as does ignoring achievement in a negative way)
4) Fruit Ice Creams (healthy) for the team. With the $20 you would have paid
the player, buy something from your Billy as a thank you gift from him to the team for all the effort in getting the ball to him to take the final touch to score the goal for the team.
What do I know. All I am saying is there are some great reason kids play youth sports. On that list I seldom see getting paid. They can worry about making money (montages, bills etc) that come with working for a living later in life. Let our children enjoying being children by playing for the sake of playing and let them worry about making a living later in life, which comes to most of us. They only have one childhood let them have it.
Bav Thakrar
Owner, www.westcoastcoaching.org
