26-02-2016, 10:58 PM
The organisers of junior tournaments throughout Scotland deserve praise and encouragement not sanctions and scoldings. I think that what LJC have got rolling is fantastic and I intend to have a look for myself on Sunday once I've fulfilled my obligation to drop equipment off at SNCL.
The junior players who came to the rescue for the last two rounds of SNCL by answering the call and putting together a team deserve praise and encouragement too. They did not play in rounds 1 to 4 and only entered 5 and 6 to make up numbers. Yes, it would have been nice if they could have played in the last round but given the choice of a fun day with loads of other kids or a fun day with not so many kids and less games it's unsurprising that they've chosen the LJC event.
The SNCL is a fantastic event, well run and enjoyed by all who take part but it is pitched at players who you would not normally expect to play in a junior event. As Mike points out it has been an unexpected plus that some of the kids whom the LJC events are pitched at have felt that they would like to have a go at a couple of SNCL matches. The kids who have taken part so far at the lower levels have probably enjoyed the experience and hopefully gained something from it but to force them to take part in an event they were only filling in in, is wrong for so many reasons.
I have no problems with junior and "adult" events clashing. I view it as positive for the future that there are so many junior events being arranged and would hope that other areas, including my home County area, can develop similar successful kids events over the coming years. If we have kids playing every weekend throughout Scotland then the future of SNCL will also be secure and those like me who enjoy the SNCL set up will have someone to get beat by for many years to come.
The junior players who came to the rescue for the last two rounds of SNCL by answering the call and putting together a team deserve praise and encouragement too. They did not play in rounds 1 to 4 and only entered 5 and 6 to make up numbers. Yes, it would have been nice if they could have played in the last round but given the choice of a fun day with loads of other kids or a fun day with not so many kids and less games it's unsurprising that they've chosen the LJC event.
The SNCL is a fantastic event, well run and enjoyed by all who take part but it is pitched at players who you would not normally expect to play in a junior event. As Mike points out it has been an unexpected plus that some of the kids whom the LJC events are pitched at have felt that they would like to have a go at a couple of SNCL matches. The kids who have taken part so far at the lower levels have probably enjoyed the experience and hopefully gained something from it but to force them to take part in an event they were only filling in in, is wrong for so many reasons.
I have no problems with junior and "adult" events clashing. I view it as positive for the future that there are so many junior events being arranged and would hope that other areas, including my home County area, can develop similar successful kids events over the coming years. If we have kids playing every weekend throughout Scotland then the future of SNCL will also be secure and those like me who enjoy the SNCL set up will have someone to get beat by for many years to come.
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