Rolling Meadows versed Prospect High School in Boys Soccer on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2021. It was one of the best soccer games I’ve watched in a long time. It had almost everything you’d expect at a soccer game. There were amazing goals, bad refs, a great crowd and double overtime. The only thing that was missing was a winner. 

That’s right! The game ended in a tie. 1-1. Everyone went home dissatisfied. Heads hung down as we realized we sat in the cold weather for over 2 hours just for a tie. Now, don’t get me wrong, the game was exciting but a tie is almost as heartbreaking as a loss.  

Why does every other high school sport end with a winner and a loser? Because that’s how sports games are supposed to go, one team triumphing over the other, not both teams going home wondering what they could have done differently. 

High school soccer should never end in a tie. Penalty kicks could solve this problem with ease. Members from each team take turns shooting on the goal guarded only by the keeper. It’s a lot of pressure for the teams, but it would get rid of “we were going to win” or “we should’ve won.” It would clearly show that one team was better than the other.

There are penalty kicks in college. Why not have them in high school? College is the next stop for high school athletes and not preparing them for such a crucial tie-breaker is just wrong. They should have the experience because it will make them better players. Practice makes perfect, right? Why not start young and have penalty kicks become a part of soccer in high school. 

I think we can all agree that no one wants to sit in the freezing cold or the blazing hot sun for what feels like forever just to end in a tie. So let’s just do ourselves a favor and add penalty kicks to soccer games.