the vote ... and the re-vote

I'm going sour on the soccer team. Here's why.

At the end of training last week, the manager (a mother) called the boys together and said that as the team had no name (no nickname, that is - like the Sharks or the Dolphins or whatever - it appears to now be de rigeur for a sports team to have a nickname), she invited them all to go home and think of a name, write it down on a piece of paper and bring it to the match on Saturday so that it could be voted on.

Olle took her at her word. No sooner were we in the car than he asked me to hurry home as he had to write down his name: the Legends. I was surprised and impressed that he'd thought of this (not an animal name) within a few minutes. Pleased to see that flash of mental creativity. We went home and he immediately got out a large piece of paper, wrote the name and drew a picture of his team scoring a goal. We put it inside a plastic sheet for protection.

Saturday arrived and the name was carefully carried to the car to be taken to the match. It was a miserable day - rainy, windy. Players were late arriving. We stood around with umbrellas. The manager finally arrived and after a few minutes, I reminded her about the name vote. She'd forgotten. I handed her Olle's entry. She asked the boys to gather round and asked if anyone else had an entry. No. No one else had written down a suggestion. No one else appeared to have given it a moment's thought. But they began calling out names - the Tigers, the Socceroos (that one's taken), the Lions. Somehow all names were disgarded except the Legends and the Lions. She asked the boys to vote. Two voted for Lions, five voted for Legends. So, 5-2, the team was the Legends.

For about five seconds.

The coach grimaced at the manager - "Legends isn't the right sort of name for a kids' team. Lions is a better name. It can't be the Legends. There's a lion on our club logo on our shirts. It should be the Lions". One of the fathers added that he didn't think they understood what a legend was.

"They voted for it. Democracy should prevail" I said, trying to keep my voice lighthearted, though I felt dismayed.

The manager called the boys back again for another vote, asking Olle if he'd be upset if they changed it. He said no, in a small voice. 'Lions would be a good name" the coach and the manager told the kids. They voted again. This time it went the opposite way, only two kids voting for Legends. They were declared to be the Lions.

It was time for them to play. Luckily the rain eased off for most of the match (which they won by an enormous margin).

I was trying not to let the double vote get out of perspective - it's just a children's soccer team after all. But it does rankle with me. In fact, I'm appalled. I'm appalled on several levels.

One, that 'legends' is seen as somehow too intellectual a name for a sports team.

Two, that children's ideas are not treated seriously - that the children themelves didn't follow up the suggestion to think about names, presumably weren't encouraged to follow up by their parents.

Three, what on earth does it say about respect for democracy when a vote is seen as something which can be overturned a few minutes later because some people don't like the result. (Gee, this reminds me of a few recent historical events.) What on earth does this teach children about democracy and decision-making? And really, why should children bother to think about anything when adults so blatantly manipulate and coerce them?

What was I supposed to say to Olle about this? I tried not to say anything yesterday, beyond asking him if he liked the name Lions (yes, in a small voice). This morning I told him that I thought the way that it happened was unfair, that adults sometimes act unfairly and if he was older - when he is older - he could and should argue with adults when they act so unfairly. That we all have to accept the results of votes - the majority of people voted for John Howard who we don't like or agree with but we accept that decision and hope that next time most people will vote a different way.

Am I making a mountain out of molehill? Or am I right to see this as a poor reflection of Australian culture? (Maybe not just Australian culture.) All the comments on my last soccer post were illuminating (thanks to those who commented, I meant to reply...) and I'm very prepared to take the rough with the smooth. But I am, as I say, feeling sour after this - and not, I should emphasise, because my own child's suggestion wasn't taken up but because of the process by which a name was arrived at.

Comments

[Liz]

I am also appalled (both from the 'ignoring a vote'/'dismissing children's contribution' angle and because I feel hurt on Olle's behalf). This would really get to me, too.

Not to mention the fact that the Legends is a much, much cooler name!!! (Most appeallingly Roy & HG, I think - although there are more profound classical connotations as well...).

Hmmmph.

[Valerie]

Other than that I don't know who Roy and HG are, I completely agree with Liz.

[Kay]

No, you are not overreacting, my blood is almost boiling. That is just blatantly wrong - to ask kids to make suggestions and vote on them, and then declare that they made the wrong decision? I can't even express how made that would have made me.

Sounds like a good conversation you had with Olle about it the next day though.

[Helen]

Yep, blood boiling here too. What a lesson in how to behave (not!) I agree 100% with what you told Olle. I'm sure it will get him thinking. Great post.

[susoz]

A tangential aspect of all this is that I notice that some of these kids ignore a great deal of what their parents say and now I think, no wonder! There seems to be a lack of mutual respect between adults and children, with neither side taking the other seriously. (But of course, adults have the power, ultimately.)

[joycelyn]

wow! What a terrible example to set for the kids. I'm sorry it turned out that way.
JWW

[Sandra]

Horrible. But maybe, in an age when democracy is becoming just a word used to justify empire-building, not so surprising.

I also think Legends is a much, much better name than Lions, which is a cliche.

[David]

Quite horrible behaviour on the part of the adults but as I said last time, I'm not really expecting the right life lessons from a football club (except that it takes all sorts). Our last match on Saturday ended with our two trainers having a huge spat in front of everyone, even though we'd won the game.

[susoz]

David, i think I might have to use that as a mantra next time I get too disturbed by the soccer goings-on: "It takes all sorts; it takes all sorts..."

[Susan]

Yes, I think you have a right to be upset. IMO, if the coach (ie: person in charge) asked for a group of kids to do an assignment (ie: come up with a name) and then no one did it except one child, then that name should have been chosen. Even if the name was not appropriate (which it was, again, IMO). That is why it is important to follow through with assignments. That would have been a good lesson instead of a horrible lesson that the coach gave them. How sad. I would write her a letter in the kindest of words.