How much is too much for kids sports?

[Anonymous]

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?

[Anonymous]

No. We don't let our kids do team sports for this reason. A third grader doing 12 hours a week and traveling? No.

[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?

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

Figure skating. Competitive dance. AAA hockey (inclusive of off-ice).

[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?

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.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. We don't let our kids do team sports for this reason. A third grader doing 12 hours a week and traveling? No.

I'm not sure where the 12 came from, but it is 9 hours a week total plus travel weekends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. We don't let our kids do team sports for this reason. A third grader doing 12 hours a week and traveling? No.

I'm not sure where the 12 came from, but it is 9 hours a week total plus travel weekends.

Yes, 9 plus however long the games are that the kid travels to. Not including travel time.

[Anonymous]

We do it, but we were both brought up in competitive sports, so it's a part of our extended family culture. We only have two kids, so we can divide and conquer, and the cost is not an issue. I think everyone’s boundaries for expensive sports are different.

[Anonymous]

No, nothing that breaks the bank or overschedules them or myself.

[Anonymous]

I will be the outlier and say that if a kid is genuinely dedicated and putting in the work (whether it's sports or music, art, whatever), I think there's value in supporting that focus if you can afford it.

[Anonymous]

I let my kids do it , they had already been on pre team which was 6 hours a week and they already loved their friends and coaches. It was 4 hr practices 3 times per week for gymnastics. 12 hours plus the meets. They were in 1st and 3rd at the time. After 3(2 for my younger girl) competitive seasons they both decided to move on and I was glad. It definitely sucked up a lot of their time and mine because they required volunteer hours as well. They did love it for the time they did it though, and sometimes miss it ,but it was also stressful as well the more they moved up in levels and that’s why they ultimately decided to move on.

[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?

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.

[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?

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.

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

[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?

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.

My daughter did gymnastics preteen, and just did not like the hours at age 5-6 so I just told my husband - she’s not going to make the Olympics now and I pulled her back to rec because she still wanted to continue with the sport at reduced hours. I did a D1 sport myself so I feel I am not disillusioned about my kids future chances. I don’t really know what you want or not out of this.

[Anonymous]

I’ve heard the upper guideline is an hour of sport per week per age. So for a 9 year old, that would be 9 hours a week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve heard the upper guideline is an hour of sport per week per age. So for a 9 year old, that would be 9 hours a week.

It depends on the sport. For gymnastics, that makes sense. It is too little for ski racing, but much of the day is spent on a lift.