How much is too much for kids sports?

[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.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Huh? Plenty of short kids excel in soccer, lacrosse, softball… the best kid on our baseball team is the shortest.

[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.

Agree. It’s so dumb. But why do the vast majority of moms following the dumb line to gymnastics/competitive dance? Nearly all moms are lining up to enroll their kid at 3. Is it seen at the feminine ideal sport? Really, what is it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Huh? Plenty of short kids excel in soccer, lacrosse, softball… the best kid on our baseball team is the shortest.

What age is the best kid on the baseball team the shortest? Guaranteed you're not talking about high school for any of these sports. There is a huge disadvantage to being a late blooming boy. This is well known.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Huh? Plenty of short kids excel in soccer, lacrosse, softball… the best kid on our baseball team is the shortest.

What age is the best kid on the baseball team the shortest? Guaranteed you're not talking about high school for any of these sports. There is a huge disadvantage to being a late blooming boy. This is well known.

Yup. My small boys do diving and gymnastics

[Anonymous]

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?

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.

Dance camp? If she’s three days a week in soccer and three days a week in basketball, where does she fit dance in.