Can someone explain Saturday morning soccer to me?

[Anonymous]

I do it because I never did as a kid and I never got into the mind frame that running around and sweating is fun. I suck at team sports (couldn't pay me to play one now). Gym class was stressful. I have to force myself to exercise for health vs. people who just love it. I figure there's a greater chance my kids will enjoy exercise and being healthy if we start young. And team sports are fun, if you don't start doing them until later and then they give you panic attacks (not literally). My two cents.

[Anonymous]

What I find so sad from this thread is this need for the PARENTS to have this social setting. It is like you live and die by your kids at birth (helicopters, tigers, or a combo of) so your only adult associations are with their friends or teammates parents. Do you know how pathetic that is?

You live your life. Let your kids choose their life. Stop trying to encourage, create, schedule your kid's lives. Give them suggestions or opportunities but only keep them in something if they are passionate.

A coach once told us "If your child isn't ready for practice without your reminders and you getting all their gear/water for them - this isn't their sport, it is yours. Any age. 5 or 15. It doesn't matter. If they truly love it, they will get ready on their own and be ready and excited to go."

I loved it and I will never forget it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids love sports and being active. Not that complicated.

But why, oh why, do people "love sports"? What exactly do you mean with that? Why not "being active" playing online games? Can someone explain sports to me? TIA

how does one stay active online? The point is to get out of the house, get exercise, make friends..not sit home, isolated in your house. How much online gaming, tv and eating can one do? You would think you would want your kids out getting exercise of any sort

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What I find so sad from this thread is this need for the PARENTS to have this social setting. It is like you live and die by your kids at birth (helicopters, tigers, or a combo of) so your only adult associations are with their friends or teammates parents. Do you know how pathetic that is?

You live your life. Let your kids choose their life. Stop trying to encourage, create, schedule your kid's lives. Give them suggestions or opportunities but only keep them in something if they are passionate.

A coach once told us "If your child isn't ready for practice without your reminders and you getting all their gear/water for them - this isn't their sport, it is yours. Any age. 5 or 15. It doesn't matter. If they truly love it, they will get ready on their own and be ready and excited to go."

I loved it and I will never forget it.

Wow, I love this! I am going to tell my kids this and we will see how the Fall sports go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids love sports and being active. Not that complicated.

But why, oh why, do people "love sports"? What exactly do you mean with that? Why not "being active" playing online games? Can someone explain sports to me? TIA

how does one stay active online? The point is to get out of the house, get exercise, make friends..not sit home, isolated in your house. How much online gaming, tv and eating can one do? You would think you would want your kids out getting exercise of any sort

There is something priceless about being on a team which you can't learn at home or playing online. Throw in exercise, skills, eye-foot coordination practice, being social, and making friends and you have yourself a kid who "loves sports".

It doesn't have to be soccer. Baseball, basketball, volleyball... the list goes on OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What I find so sad from this thread is this need for the PARENTS to have this social setting. It is like you live and die by your kids at birth (helicopters, tigers, or a combo of) so your only adult associations are with their friends or teammates parents. Do you know how pathetic that is?

You live your life. Let your kids choose their life. Stop trying to encourage, create, schedule your kid's lives. Give them suggestions or opportunities but only keep them in something if they are passionate.

A coach once told us "If your child isn't ready for practice without your reminders and you getting all their gear/water for them - this isn't their sport, it is yours. Any age. 5 or 15. It doesn't matter. If they truly love it, they will get ready on their own and be ready and excited to go."

I loved it and I will never forget it.

Wow, I love this! I am going to tell my kids this and we will see how the Fall sports go.

this coach sounded like a tool. fine for travel but not rec.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What I find so sad from this thread is this need for the PARENTS to have this social setting. It is like you live and die by your kids at birth (helicopters, tigers, or a combo of) so your only adult associations are with their friends or teammates parents. Do you know how pathetic that is?

You live your life. Let your kids choose their life. Stop trying to encourage, create, schedule your kid's lives. Give them suggestions or opportunities but only keep them in something if they are passionate.

A coach once told us "If your child isn't ready for practice without your reminders and you getting all their gear/water for them - this isn't their sport, it is yours. Any age. 5 or 15. It doesn't matter. If they truly love it, they will get ready on their own and be ready and excited to go."

I loved it and I will never forget it.

Wow, I love this! I am going to tell my kids this and we will see how the Fall sports go.

this coach sounded like a tool. fine for travel but not rec.

What would this coach be a tool? I think it sounds like great advice. Maybe it hit a nerve with you because you realize you are one of those type of parents. I coached rec t-ball and rec basketball and many of the kids don't want to be there. Many kids don't listen. Many parents are running the whole thing. Spending lots of money on equipment and the kid does honestly not care. It is frustrating if the parents are clueless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What I find so sad from this thread is this need for the PARENTS to have this social setting. It is like you live and die by your kids at birth (helicopters, tigers, or a combo of) so your only adult associations are with their friends or teammates parents. Do you know how pathetic that is?

You live your life. Let your kids choose their life. Stop trying to encourage, create, schedule your kid's lives. Give them suggestions or opportunities but only keep them in something if they are passionate.

A coach once told us "If your child isn't ready for practice without your reminders and you getting all their gear/water for them - this isn't their sport, it is yours. Any age. 5 or 15. It doesn't matter. If they truly love it, they will get ready on their own and be ready and excited to go."

I loved it and I will never forget it.

Wow, I love this! I am going to tell my kids this and we will see how the Fall sports go.

this coach sounded like a tool. fine for travel but not rec.

What would this coach be a tool? I think it sounds like great advice. Maybe it hit a nerve with you because you realize you are one of those type of parents. I coached rec t-ball and rec basketball and many of the kids don't want to be there. Many kids don't listen. Many parents are running the whole thing. Spending lots of money on equipment and the kid does honestly not care. It is frustrating if the parents are clueless.

Yes it hit a nerve. As rec coaches we welcome all kids to the sport we love regardless of the level of their ability or readiness or commitment (of a 5-yo!!! Are you kidding me!), and hopefully help DEVELOP the love of said sports through our coaching and the team experience. Also we should encourage young kids to try different sports not identifying 'his/hers sport' too soon.

But for 15-yos I'd fine with such statement I guess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What I find so sad from this thread is this need for the PARENTS to have this social setting. It is like you live and die by your kids at birth (helicopters, tigers, or a combo of) so your only adult associations are with their friends or teammates parents. Do you know how pathetic that is?

You live your life. Let your kids choose their life. Stop trying to encourage, create, schedule your kid's lives. Give them suggestions or opportunities but only keep them in something if they are passionate.

A coach once told us "If your child isn't ready for practice without your reminders and you getting all their gear/water for them - this isn't their sport, it is yours. Any age. 5 or 15. It doesn't matter. If they truly love it, they will get ready on their own and be ready and excited to go."

I loved it and I will never forget it.

I completely disagree with much of this, especially for young children. My 6 year old has trouble getting himself out the door for anything, even the activity that I know he loves and talks about all the time! Maybe what the coach said is true for a teenager, but certainly not for all young elementary kids. Some kids are good at getting their shit together and some aren't. It doesn't mean they don't love what they are doing. I seriously don't know any 6-8 year olds who are about to go on the internet and schedule and figure out their own classes and activities. Of course a parent has to do that! They don't all even know what options are out their for them yet!

I also don't think it's pathetic at all for parents to be involved with their kids. I would never push soccer on a kid who didn't want to be their for my own social benefit. Similarly, I would not disallow my child from an activity they love because I don't love the parent community. However, if my kid likes doing soccer, and I have to always be there, of course I may end up being more involved with the parents who are there week after the week. Are you the parent who is sitting there with their face in the phone and a stick up their ass unwilling to socialize with the other parents? Personally, I think it is nice to be friendly with the other parents. I also like knowing the parents of the children where my children go to their house to play. I'm sorry if you think this is "helicopter" of me.

I SAH and do not work. So naturally, most of my friends are the parents of my child's friends. That does not make one pathetic, and if they enjoy those parents why is that such a problem for you? I enjoy my life and feel no need to get a different one. I choose to be very involved with my kids and was so happy to have an involved mom when I was young. To each their own.

[Anonymous]

I love team sports as a kid and I just assumed my kids would, too. The benefits are pretty obvious to me (exercise, friends, time outdoors, teamwork, etc) but mostly I signed my kids up because I expected that it would be fun for them. I have four kids and my first two are decent athletes but not really naturals as my husband and I were. They have made me appreciate the value of sports more than I ever had before.

Through soccer, my oldest has learned how to lose with grace, how to make mistakes and keep going, how to be reprimanded and learn from it, how to fail and be rejected by a team and get over it. These were all real struggles for him in the early years and he is by no means perfect but has had a tremendous amount of practice. Lessons in resilience are constant in sports and my kids, at least, have really benefited from them. Both he and my next son have learned how to struggle and how to work hard. They have learned the value of practice and consistency. Again, I am not saying that they are outstanding at their sport or that they have become models of fortitude. But I really appreciate what they have gained and how they have grown.

[Anonymous]

We spent the entire morning (8-12) at our kids flag football field today- both boys had double headers. Our daughter was there too- she made lots of brew friends on the playground. Why? Because they love it. This will continue through fall soccer, then wrestling and her gymnastics, we will take them skiing all winter, we hike several times a week, and then head into spring lacrosse and golf and swim team. Why?

Because they love it and we believe in the benefits of both team and individual sports. That's all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What I find so sad from this thread is this need for the PARENTS to have this social setting. It is like you live and die by your kids at birth (helicopters, tigers, or a combo of) so your only adult associations are with their friends or teammates parents. Do you know how pathetic that is?

You live your life. Let your kids choose their life. Stop trying to encourage, create, schedule your kid's lives. Give them suggestions or opportunities but only keep them in something if they are passionate.

A coach once told us "If your child isn't ready for practice without your reminders and you getting all their gear/water for them - this isn't their sport, it is yours. Any age. 5 or 15. It doesn't matter. If they truly love it, they will get ready on their own and be ready and excited to go."

I loved it and I will never forget it.

I completely disagree with much of this, especially for young children. My 6 year old has trouble getting himself out the door for anything, even the activity that I know he loves and talks about all the time! Maybe what the coach said is true for a teenager, but certainly not for all young elementary kids. Some kids are good at getting their shit together and some aren't. It doesn't mean they don't love what they are doing. I seriously don't know any 6-8 year olds who are about to go on the internet and schedule and figure out their own classes and activities. Of course a parent has to do that! They don't all even know what options are out their for them yet!

I also don't think it's pathetic at all for parents to be involved with their kids. I would never push soccer on a kid who didn't want to be their for my own social benefit. Similarly, I would not disallow my child from an activity they love because I don't love the parent community. However, if my kid likes doing soccer, and I have to always be there, of course I may end up being more involved with the parents who are there week after the week. Are you the parent who is sitting there with their face in the phone and a stick up their ass unwilling to socialize with the other parents? Personally, I think it is nice to be friendly with the other parents. I also like knowing the parents of the children where my children go to their house to play. I'm sorry if you think this is "helicopter" of me.

I SAH and do not work. So naturally, most of my friends are the parents of my child's friends. That does not make one pathetic, and if they enjoy those parents why is that such a problem for you? I enjoy my life and feel no need to get a different one. I choose to be very involved with my kids and was so happy to have an involved mom when I was young. To each their own.

NP

If your 6yr old has trouble getting out the door for anything that is a major parenting fail for you. 1st graders can make lunches, get their school bag ready, do their homework without reminder and put it away. Make their bed, get dressed, tie shoes, etc... For soccer, it would be much easier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What I find so sad from this thread is this need for the PARENTS to have this social setting. It is like you live and die by your kids at birth (helicopters, tigers, or a combo of) so your only adult associations are with their friends or teammates parents. Do you know how pathetic that is?

You live your life. Let your kids choose their life. Stop trying to encourage, create, schedule your kid's lives. Give them suggestions or opportunities but only keep them in something if they are passionate.

A coach once told us "If your child isn't ready for practice without your reminders and you getting all their gear/water for them - this isn't their sport, it is yours. Any age. 5 or 15. It doesn't matter. If they truly love it, they will get ready on their own and be ready and excited to go."

I loved it and I will never forget it.

Swim team is much worse than Sat morning soccer moms. Swim moms are a cult of mean girls that think they are still in high school. Go to a local swim meet. It is hilarious how they try and make friends, cliques, and pretend like these people are their new true friends.

[Anonymous]

I would say my son feels in the middle about soccer. Likes it but doesn't love it. We're doing it for now because it is good exercise and the boys on his team are nice. I don't feel it is a big burden time wise.