How much is too much for kids sports?

[Anonymous]

I actually don't think 9 hours a week is that hard on my family. He has practice for 3 hours, 3 days a week from 430-730. He comes home from school at 3pm. Snack, HW, rest. Then i drop him off and go home and make dinner or take the other kid to his stuff. Then we eat dinner at 735 when he gets home (we live 5 minutes from the gym). So we have family dinner every night still. Baseball disrupts that more than gymnastics.

We travel once a month from October-March for a meet, but somewhat locally (VA and MD). So only 3 required overnight stays and we had fun with all of them.

I don't know, it is what you make of it.

[Anonymous]

9 hours a week, with only 3 evenings and a bit of travel, sounds fine. Many figure skaters train from 5-8 am, 5 days a week because that's the only time they can get consistent ice time. They also do off-ice a few afternoons.
Gymnastics is relatively easy in comparison.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:9 hours a week, with only 3 evenings and a bit of travel, sounds fine. Many figure skaters train from 5-8 am, 5 days a week because that's the only time they can get consistent ice time. They also do off-ice a few afternoons.
Gymnastics is relatively easy in comparison.

Oh yes figure skating is tough due to ice time. Luckily the gym is much easier to get into. We are moving to 12 hours this summer (330-630, 4 days a week) then probably keeping 4 days in the fall. Eventually when he gets older it will approach 20 hours but still in the evenings just multiple days a week (and later into the evening). Boys move up levels at a slower rate than girls because there are some skills that are age limited.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have one kid who does 2 travel sports and practices 5 days a week. He loves it and still has a ton of energy after hours of practice, so I don’t mind it.

Some kids are just built like this. I’m a mom of 3 and 1 of mine is similar. Wants to be doing multiple sports at a time, including a travel sport. Never seems to tire of it. On days off will randomly go outside to shoot hoops or run around. Since early childhood, he’s been my kid up at the crack of dawn ready to go for the day whereas my other 2 need more rest.

People who don’t have a high energy/driven kid don’t understand it. Which is why they should just stick to parenting the kid they have and stop making assumptions about what is right for all children.

OP said it would take a big toll on the family. I am surprised how many people are brushing by this. My daughter does dance and gymnastics and we live about 20 minutes away from each studio. The days she does those activities I’m away from the rest of my family at least 80 minutes but I often just stay if it’s a shorter class. We have never been able to carpool because it hasn’t worked out to have an anyone close enough at the same level. I try not to drag my younger one whenever possible but we don’t always have two adults. Or we do but means the evening is handing the kids off as soon as a parent gets home and then back and forth and maybe going back out for other activities. I also have a child who would do even more activities but it’s really not good for our family. So she does SOME but not everything. So far we have been able to keep two nights a week totally free of activities and that is great. I think if you have an only it’s very different or a nanny or something but it isn’t clear that is OP’s situation.

I don’t think anyone brushed by this and is saying OP has to sacrifice the family. I think people are saying this amount of practice is not unreasonable for a kid who is passionate about their sport, and that if possible OP should try to make it happen. And tbh the tryout never should have happened if OP can’t swing it.

However, they are where they are now. If it’s 100% not doable w/o spiraling the family into chaos or financial stress, then it’s a no. But I don’t think it should be a no because of all the people claiming it’s too much activity for a kid or because the kid won’t make the Olympics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have one kid who does 2 travel sports and practices 5 days a week. He loves it and still has a ton of energy after hours of practice, so I don’t mind it.

This is my daughter. Except I DO mind it. Its exhausting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter has made the team for a sport that she has been doing for many years. She currently does 4 hours of practice a week right now. Practice will be 3 days a week for 3 hours at a time (Mon, Tues, Thursday from 5-8.) She is only 9, currently in 3rd grade. This would be for next school year. Skipping practice is highly discouraged plus travel competitions. This is going to put a strain on our family, miss family dinners, etc. She really wants to do it, and I am actually discouraging it - this isn't a parent living through their kid.

Would you let your kid do it for something they have worked very hard for?

That’s completely insane for a 9 yr old child. Be the parent and simply say no.

It may be insane for you but it wasn’t for us. My daughter thrived in this type of active environment. She is now a rising senior and still doing her activity at an intense level.

Agreed. 1 of our 3 kids could do his two sports all day, every day, 2nd kid wants to participate but doesn’t let life revolve around sports, 3rd kid has zero interest whatsoever. Kids are different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter has made the team for a sport that she has been doing for many years. She currently does 4 hours of practice a week right now. Practice will be 3 days a week for 3 hours at a time (Mon, Tues, Thursday from 5-8.) She is only 9, currently in 3rd grade. This would be for next school year. Skipping practice is highly discouraged plus travel competitions. This is going to put a strain on our family, miss family dinners, etc. She really wants to do it, and I am actually discouraging it - this isn't a parent living through their kid.

Would you let your kid do it for something they have worked very hard for?

The only “sport” I know with over 2 hour practices a pop for that young of children is dance and cheer.

Good luck on that grind. Move to Texas if you like it so much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter has made the team for a sport that she has been doing for many years. She currently does 4 hours of practice a week right now. Practice will be 3 days a week for 3 hours at a time (Mon, Tues, Thursday from 5-8.) She is only 9, currently in 3rd grade. This would be for next school year. Skipping practice is highly discouraged plus travel competitions. This is going to put a strain on our family, miss family dinners, etc. She really wants to do it, and I am actually discouraging it - this isn't a parent living through their kid.

Would you let your kid do it for something they have worked very hard for?

I wouldnt go that narrow at that age.

Our younger did bethesda soccer club (ecnl) two 90 min practices a week plus a weekend game. Plus ppa premier basketball two 1- hour long practices a week plus a weekend game. It was very complementary, especially for her endurance and stamina. Great set of positive friends too.

She also skis and does summer swim league. Plus dance camp and musicals camps.

She can pick one later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter has made the team for a sport that she has been doing for many years. She currently does 4 hours of practice a week right now. Practice will be 3 days a week for 3 hours at a time (Mon, Tues, Thursday from 5-8.) She is only 9, currently in 3rd grade. This would be for next school year. Skipping practice is highly discouraged plus travel competitions. This is going to put a strain on our family, miss family dinners, etc. She really wants to do it, and I am actually discouraging it - this isn't a parent living through their kid.

Would you let your kid do it for something they have worked very hard for?

What sport makes a 9 year old practice 3 hours a day 3 times a week besides gymnastics swimming [/quote
OP here. It is one of those two.

Don't tell me it's swimming, my 8 year old wants that.

It’s not.
Our older Dad swims and she can pick 3 of 5 ninety minute practices a week plus a monthly weekend swim meet.

Not a ton of travel unless youre super fast.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter has made the team for a sport that she has been doing for many years. She currently does 4 hours of practice a week right now. Practice will be 3 days a week for 3 hours at a time (Mon, Tues, Thursday from 5-8.) She is only 9, currently in 3rd grade. This would be for next school year. Skipping practice is highly discouraged plus travel competitions. This is going to put a strain on our family, miss family dinners, etc. She really wants to do it, and I am actually discouraging it - this isn't a parent living through their kid.

Would you let your kid do it for something they have worked very hard for?

What sport makes a 9 year old practice 3 hours a day 3 times a week besides gymnastics swimming

OP here. It is one of those two.

It’s gymnastics. Just have her do it recreationally or she is on a fast track to ruining her body.

+1. OP, why did you let her try out for the team if you’re not willing to support her? At this point I’d say let her do the team or find an acceptable alternative that she’s excited about. Good news for you is gymnastics is not a lifelong sport and lots of girls decide to switch to other sports once they hit puberty.

I really don’t get why so many moms go ga-ga for dance and gymnastics?

Especially with all the puberty blocker BS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have one kid who does 2 travel sports and practices 5 days a week. He loves it and still has a ton of energy after hours of practice, so I don’t mind it.

This is my daughter. Except I DO mind it. Its exhausting.

Question though - isn’t it more exhausting for you when they aren’t constantly at practice? My older DS is so high energy he wears the rest of us out if he doesn’t have something to do. I spend hours playing football, basketball and soccer with him when there is a break in the schedule. I find it much more relaxing to take him to a game or practice and be able to sit or stand still for a bit!

[Anonymous]

Gymnastics is a scam. No girl with a typically developing body can go very far in the sport, but greedy organizers will take your money and suck up all your time until puberty hits. If you're going to force a sport, pick one that works with normally developing bodies of all types. Track and field, soccer, swim, etc. You can't always predict how children will grow.

[Anonymous]

So this our current life as a level 3 gymnast and DD will bow out after this year. One thing I didn't realize is that your kid may also need private lessons in addition to the 9 hours of practice time if they aren't earning good meet scores in order for them to not fall behind and have to repeat a level. DD has needed a lot of extra work on her skills and she and I were both feeling exhausted. She made the decision that 9 hours is too many and next year the expectation for 12 hours would be way too much. However, I also don't regret her doing the team and thought it was a great experience of learning hard work, experiencing the team camaraderie, and performing in front of others. She avoided a lot of school drama that has kicked in with the girls at school because she has friends on the team and she was too busy to get sucked into it

[Anonymous]

Pp- also note that the parents get sucked into the competitiveness and become overly invested and friendliness can wane as some girls naturally do much better than others at the meets

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gymnastics is a scam. No girl with a typically developing body can go very far in the sport, but greedy organizers will take your money and suck up all your time until puberty hits. If you're going to force a sport, pick one that works with normally developing bodies of all types. Track and field, soccer, swim, etc. You can't always predict how children will grow.

Meh. I am 5’2 and my daughter is petite. Our options are limited. The short girls can have one sport.