Exposure to multiple sports or specialize in the elementary aged kids
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
| I have 2 girls aged 11 and 9 who I’ve encouraged to try out various activities: swimming, lacrosse, field hockey, gymnastics, tennis. It seems like all their friends have alert found their “things” and are super committed to one year round sport already. |
Anonymous
| Gymnasts are specialized by 11, maybe tennis payers. |
Anonymous
| Woops hit submit too soon! Wondering if we should encourage one sport to focus on or allow them to keep experimenting. I tried a lot of options as a kid and eventually found my favorite in 9th grade, but it doesn’t seem like kids do that in the DMV. |
Anonymous
| It's totally asinine to specialize in one sport at that age. It could be that the parents do not want to spend the time and effort fitting in another sport. |
Anonymous
|
absolutely keep it diverse. not only will it keep them happy, but if you are serious about a future in sports -- and i'm not saying pro -- the variety of sports and skills they encourage will help them in the long-term.
Except for sports like gymnastics of figure skating where 14 is the start of peak time, the transformation that kids go through at 14 will totally change the picture for them. investing lots of money in training and burning your kid out because they like basketball and are the tallest 4th grader means nothing when they stop growing at age 15 and top out at 5'8. Likewise I know several college basketball playes who had never played organized basketball unti ltheir sophomore year at college when they showed up on the first day after a summer growth spurt, suddenly 6'2+. And if you ask anyone who is not being paid to encourage you to put your kids in travel before the age of 13, what they recommend for development, the answer is ALWAYS more sports, not just one. |
Anonymous
| I think you "specialize" when THEY have the talent and drive to pick a sport. If they are happy doing something different every season, great, keep doing that. When they say they want to play a sport more, are practicing in the yard, are constantly asking when they next practice or game is, then look to travel. It doesnt see like things work this way in the DMV because there's lots of disposible income and high-powered parents who want to say their 8-year-old is on a travel team. |
Anonymous
|
I would keep them in multiple sports rather than investing heavily in only one sport. By the time high school rolls around many find that (1) after puberty their body type is not suited to their chosen sport- too tall or short, too heavy or light, strength or speed issues etc. And this is not always predictable before puberty- kids change a lot and (2) there might be a lack of opportunity in their chosen sport, sometimes unexpectedly- no JV team their freshman year when usually there is one, or just running into an unexpectedly “very strong year” for underclassmen tryouts and not making the cut. That sort of thing.
If they have experience playing multiple sports it is easier to switch gears (and often can brush up skills with private lessons etc if they do). Both #1 and #2 above happened to my DD when she started high school. She was bummed but ended up focusing on a different sport (one she had done on and off at a rec level) but was able to catch up with private lessons since she had at least some previous experience. That said if either DD really wants to put focus on one sport I would consider it, but the desire has to come from them. |
Anonymous
| Let your kids decide. |
Anonymous
| Be a belieber |
Anonymous
| Multiple sports for sure. For good athletes it is possible to play 3 varsity sports in high school, a bit easier for the girls. My daughter only played ice hockey growing up but hit a wall with her hands. Playing something like Lacrosse probably would’ve helped with that. |
Anonymous
Hit a wall with her hands? What does this mean? |
Anonymous
It's not that you peak at 13-14 in gymnastics and figure, it's more that you have to master certain skills by those ages to stay on a competitive track. In figure skating, for example, you need to have your double axel by ~ 10 and all your triples by 12-13 if your goal is to be nationally or internationally competitive, so by 11, you know if you're on that track, or if you're doing it recreationally, in which case by all means, do as many sports as you want. Also, specializing in figure skating doesn't mean you're foregoing all other sports, as most do helping sports such as ballet and other dances, gymnasts/rhythmic gymnastics. I don't know the equivalent for gymnastics, but it's similar, and even if you make a go at gymnastics at a young age, you can still ‘retire’ as a teenager and pick up another sport as an elite athlete as an elite athlete. |
Anonymous
They should enjoy their childhoods. Not everything needs to be a competition. You can do a sport because you enjoy it, and not only to be good at it and have bragging rights. It's called being well-rounded. |
Anonymous
Ok said no competitive person ever |
Anonymous
|
My 12yo didn’t do travel soccer this year she’s doing rec again because she wants to do other sports. Some of her friends switched to travel but she wants to try flag football and soccer this fall. Then winter basketball.
I’m good with it, I think it’s better to try things and do things that you like. She did club swim for 2 years too but stoppped doing that. She’s still a good swimmer which is what I wanted in the beginning. |