Penalty Kick Chaos: How BC School Sports Dropped The Leadership Ball

Today, at a soccer pitch in Burnaby, British Columbia, involving roughly 40 teenage girls, a leadership tragedy took place.

As a leadership strategist, my job is to help people and organizations navigate the many nuances of leadership. Much like a chef who critiques every meal, even when off duty and having dinner with friends, I can’t help but assess leadership situations wherever I go.

At Burnaby Lake West Sports Complex, I experienced a deep sense of leadership disappointment. The food was raw, the meal was appalling, and the overall experience was a leadership disaster.

As a parent and a leadership strategist, I empathized with the players and their families, knowing the potential lost in this moment.

The British Columbia School Sports Provincial Championships are underway in several spring sports, including AA Girls Soccer. I am the father of one of those players—full disclosure—and I have a vested interest in the outcome.

A hotly contested semi-final match between SMUS and Crofton House School ended in a 1-1 draw. As someone who likes to know his facts before anything, I read the tournament rulebook in the morning before the game.

Leadership Failure #1: Lack of Presence

The rulebook stated: “If any game is tied in the championship draw (after round robin), an overtime of two 7.5-minute halves will be played. If there still is a tie at the end of overtime, penalty shots will be taken (F.I.F.A. rules).” Makes sense, right?

Imagine my surprise at the end of the SMUS versus Crofton House School match when the referee immediately informed the coaches that the game would go straight to penalty kicks.

“That can’t be right,” I said to a friendly parent on the sideline. “This is the semi-final. It has to go to extra time.”

It didn’t matter. The five players from each team had been chosen, and the penalties got underway.

Leadership Failure #2: Unpreparedness

It was a nail-biter. In the end, SMUS prevailed and was understandably jubilant. They were off to the final gold medal game the next day. I got a quick congratulatory hug from my daughter and then headed to a meeting at my hotel.

Thirty minutes later, I received word that the opposing team’s coach had launched an appeal. Because the rulebook was not followed, the coach was adamant that extra time must be played. Can you imagine?

After about an hour, British Columbia School Sports officials determined that the extra time would have to be played. Not only that, should the extra time still result in a 1-1 draw, the penalty kicks would need to be retaken. The original penalty kicks would be forgotten.

You can now imagine what it might be like for the young women of SMUS. Here they were, still celebrating a huge win to advance to the gold medal game, when they were suddenly informed that their hard work and win might be rescinded due to several examples of leadership ineptitude.

I suspect you also know what happened next.

Indeed, no goals were scored in the extra time, and somewhat painfully, Crofton House School won the additional round of penalty kicks over SMUS.

Leadership Failure #3: Misguided Conduct

This saga highlights several large leadership disgraces, ones we can learn from as we think about our leadership skills in any organization.

First, where were British Columbia School Sports officials at the end of regulation time to inform the referee that he was to officiate two halves of extra time? Jordan Abney, the organization’s executive director, would have to answer that question. Tournament director Giorgio Santoro might also want to chime in on this example of leadership ineptitude.

Leaders need to lead when things go awry. Clearly, there was an issue going straight to penalty kicks and against the stated rules. However, no one in a leadership role was around to assist with the situation.

Second, how can a referee—whose ultimate position is one of leadership on the pitch—not know the rules? It was an incredulous example of “mailing it in” while being unprepared for a role that always requires leadership.

And third, what example does it teach these young women on both teams when a coach—who should know the rules much like I did—decides to protest the match after both coaches and the referee moved to penalty kicks at the end of full-time? Does it teach these young women to win at all costs? What is the leadership lesson in that?

I feel terrible, not only for the SMUS team but also for Crofton House School. It’s not the way to win; it only happened because leaders failed to lead.

Unfortunately, the circumstances serve as a leadership lesson for us all.

Don’t mind me; I’m off now to find a properly cooked meal for dinner.