Have you been to a kids soccer game? Everyone makes the team, everyone gets to play, and everyone gets a little trophy at the end of the season. Some leagues don't even keep score.
My elementary school always had a 'field day' where the home room classes in the different grades would compete in simplified track and field events. Simplified as in things like a standing long jump, tug of war, 50 yard dash. There were a lot of events but you could only choose to be in 2 of them.
Apparently my class decimated the competition. Whoops. The most athletic kids just happened to be placed in the same home room. We had the fast kids and we had some big, strong kids (we owned tug of war by a large margin). We got almost all of the first and second place ribbons, maybe a third here and there.
So, the next year (2nd grade) there were no first, second, or third place ribbons. Everyone got a participant ribbon and that was it. The teachers were instructed to not talk about anyone being 'winners'. I know this because my mother was a 1st grade teacher there and we've talked about this a couple times over the years.
Kids who show a serious interest and aptitude and join competitive leagues definitely find themselves having a very different experience.
Those of us a little older remember when competition extended right into non-competitive play, for better or worse.
The overall point being that the move towards creating less "losers" by removing the opportunity to lose is actually a detriment to development.
Even if this kind of thing is widespread, is this much different from adult recreational softball leagues (besides the trophies)?
Yes, that is what we are trying to tell you.
I'm 38. I remember scores and standings in my soccer leagues all the way back to when I first started playing at 7. I don't ever remember not keeping score.
I'm not arguing this is good/bad. Coaching now I actually think it is better for younger children to not get too caught up in scores and stats and instead learn the game.
To say there hasn't been a noticeable change in the last 10-15 years though in our approach is just ignorant.
If they were still doing the "everybody plays, everybody gets a participant ribbon" thing on the varsity team, that would be weird.
Buddy, if soccer isn't a sport, then what is? Chess?