This fall GBYSL season there have been a few matches where some teams have outscored opponents by more than 10 goals in a match. This has caused some concern on the GBYSL board of directors and they are now proactively addressing this issue as one of the most common signs of poor sportsmanship.

Richard L. Jay (President of GBYSL) wrote on www.GBYSL.org, "18-0 and 15-0 does not demonstrate true sportsmanship." This is true for competitive and recreational leagues alike.

In spite of GBYSL being a competitive league, the board of directors proactively encourages coaches to control the scoreboard from running up when their teams face opponents with less skill.

Jeff Cade, technical director puts it best when he says "For the Good of the Game." It is important for coaches to not only teach players to enjoy and win games but also to display good sportsmanship while doing it.

Some leagues like the Toiyabe Spring League in Carson City has actual penalties for teams that score more than 5 goals differential on an opponent.

The GBYSL board has also implemented the automatic review of run-up scores by the executive board and will start implementing sanctions for those teams that display lack of sportsmanship in this fashion.

GBYSL does offer recreational level of play for teams that are not up to the skill of the competitive teams.

For more information on the league and the programs they offer, please visit the Great Basin Youth Soccer League Official site at www.GBYSL.org

John Chavez
www.CarsonSoccer.com