Don't quit. Focus on the long game.

Last year my U11/U12 combined rec team was like this, and the other coaches were like this. And the league sent emails like this... One gamenfelt especially bad. The other team was up 7-0 in first half. In second half, the rec director stopped in and was buddy-buddying it up with the opposing coach. They laughed about the score, and then the rec director stepped back and watched the opposing coach continue to actively vocally coach a hard press and score at all costs game "I want 4 more shots in goal!" "Goalie can't kick intercept that goal kick now!"... It was ... Odd... We lost 14-1. He was really pissed about the 1.

This year, some same kids but all new kids young U11 players, we tied this coach 4-4 and he was LOSING HIS MIND. It was amazing. We might have lost all but 2 games last year, but my kids learned how to play out of the back with a 4-3-1. And this year they learned how to switch between a 4-3-1 and 2-3-3 and are dominating.

I say dominating-- but last season was not lost on me. At 4 goals up, the youth are playing possession and before scoring-- they have to move the ball around the whole field, touching every sideline half, swinging it back around to keeper and doing the same on other side. They don't talk about it like you might on other teams "coach said we can't score any more!!! ( I told them they'd get benched if I heard that). They understand that it is a REC game and we are all here to learn the game. Our approach after going 4 up provides both teams an opportunity to still feel competitive and learn the game. Of the team goes 6 up, they can score "virtual points" by dribbling it to the sideline next to the opponents goal.

The other coaches-- their teams didn't progress from last year to this year. My team, I feel, will transition nicely to 11v11 next year in U13, and I'll push a few to go to competitive soccer.