AS far as being way out of touch with reality is concerned the decision by the Football Association to ban trophies and results for young players is right up there with Donald Trump’s latest ravings.

The FA is banning the practice of giving out end-of-season trophies and collecting or publishing results for the under-nines age group. It already has a ban in place for the under-sevens and eights and plans to extend the trophies’ ban to the under-10s and 11s at a later date.

The thinking behind this frankly odd decision is because the FA believes that awarding trophies is “detrimental to the development of the player.”

It’s an extension of the “no-one must win a race just in case the other children get upset” thinking and I just cannot believe that an organisation like the FA, which is based on leagues and cups and sporting competition, isn’t allowing youngsters to experience this.

For a start, most children love competing. They love trying to win and they enjoy the rewards that effort might bring them in all fields, both academic and sporting. They also love seeing their achievements highlighted in a local newspaper or website.

Of course there are some children who are not natural sporting achievers but sensible organisers often give prizes for trying, and that counts just as highly. What can children strive for if there is nothing to be gained at the end of it?

Life is competitive, and sport provides an early snapshot of what it takes to do well and to achieve. Remove that basic premise and we do our children a disservice. They learn how to cope with failure as well as success by experiencing both – it’s how we grow and develop as human beings.

Sport teaches children so much about life – working together in a team for a common goal, being disciplined, how to get along with others and learning social skills. It’s a microcosm of life away from the playing field, the badminton court or the swimming pool, and it works.

The FA insists that games will still be competitive. They still want to encourage clubs to recognise youngsters’ achievements while moving away from the professional league model that children have been playing.

Sorry, FA, but you need to re-think this one or you’ll encourage local leagues and players to go their own way – and keep the competitive edge existing.