That's why, to me, all kids should be rotated through D when they are growing up. Defense is work and effort, without all of the fanfare of "going to the cage" and scoring goals. The kid you see running and working hard on D is the kid you want on your team. The kid that only runs when the have a chance to score is the kid that hasn't been taught the right way. That's the parent who says "score 5 goals today and we'll get you a slurpee". Just the absolute wrong message to send. Unfortunately, a lot of parents send that message. A strong offense comes from a strong, aggressive, hard working defense. Those D kids should be praised as much, if not more than, the kids on the other end potting the goals.
Best. Post. Ever.
On BOTC it is often about goal scoring. In my somewhat limited experience, on the field, our coach ALWAYS praises great defense and goal tending to the players and the parents, and keeps defensive stats to discuss. What quality coach is not a lot about defense and valuing smart, solid defenders.
