Agree or disagree? Kids should only play travel sports if they have college or pro potential

[Anonymous]

Youth sports also need to become something that is doable for all kids If they chose to play sports. Youth sports are so inaccessible to many kids for many reasons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My mother played in college but never introduced my siblings and me to her team sport. She regretted getting arthritis at an early age as a result of injuries and she didn’t want that for us. She directed us toward individual sports and the performing and fine arts as extracurriculars. I was sad as a kid because it would have been fun to be on a youth team or to have had her as a coach. My brother now has his kids in travel sports and I find it ironic but it is funny how parenting is a reflection of or a reaction to your own experience.

I'm curious what individual sports don't take a toll or result in injury? The ones I can think of like tennis, gymnastics, skiing, ice skating, etc are definitely not safe or easy on the body.

[Anonymous]

I'm on the fence about it. My child does love it, and we can afford it without difficulty. However, he's just ok at it, and it really drains time from schoolwork and activities with other friends. At the end of the day, it is up to him. I don't find the parents at his current club to be crazy.

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately, the reality is for some sports a kid needs to play travel to have any chance at making the high school team. That is why we do it.

The main thing driving travel (for non phenoms) is that high schools have increased in size, making it harder to make teams than it was when we were kids. Some started playing travel to gain an edge, more and more followed…and once the majority takes that route, the rest are forced to follow if they want to keep up. Rec options in many sports are VERY limited to nonexistent for teenagers.

It would help to have high school “A” “B” teams or intramural/rec options for high demand sports. But I can’t picture how that would even work.

[Anonymous]

If the kids like it and the parents enjoy watching the games and don’t mind the commitment, who cares?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ll agree to this only if you also agree that no kids should do children’s theater or music unless they have a chance of being in Hollywood movies, Broadway, or a major symphony.

Personally I might seriously consider this tradeoff if it spares me the pain of yet one more youth theater performance.

+1

Why do math if you won’t be Einstein?

Why do anything?

Why would you force Einstein to play travel sports?

[Anonymous]

Why would you force any kid to do travel sports?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My mother played in college but never introduced my siblings and me to her team sport. She regretted getting arthritis at an early age as a result of injuries and she didn’t want that for us. She directed us toward individual sports and the performing and fine arts as extracurriculars. I was sad as a kid because it would have been fun to be on a youth team or to have had her as a coach. My brother now has his kids in travel sports and I find it ironic but it is funny how parenting is a reflection of or a reaction to your own experience.

I'm curious what individual sports don't take a toll or result in injury? The ones I can think of like tennis, gymnastics, skiing, ice skating, etc are definitely not safe or easy on the body.

Swimming, yoga, golf, interpretative dance? Those were some of the activities we tried. But, LOL, I also figure skated until 10th grade and that was by no means injury free.

[Anonymous]

Guys it’s a racket. The soccer industrial complex takes all of your money when all we really need is one “all-star” team from each city/town. The level of competition would be fine for 98% of kids.

[Anonymous]

I've been through the sports wringer with my kids and as a volunteer. I have never, ever met parents of a kid on a travel team who did not assume that their kid was a potential star. I've never met one.

Also those posts about young kids being frustrated by playing with less talented peers. The parents are the ones who feel that way and teach it to their kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've been through the sports wringer with my kids and as a volunteer. I have never, ever met parents of a kid on a travel team who did not assume that their kid was a potential star. I've never met one.

Also those posts about young kids being frustrated by playing with less talented peers. The parents are the ones who feel that way and teach it to their kids.

Your kids must be on the top or close to the top teams. There are plenty of normal people with realistic expectations on the lower teams. Another poster explained it perfectly. It’s basically rec but sometimes actual rec can’t always field a team for a game anymore. One of mine is back in rec soccer this season and it’s a constant struggle to get enough players to show up for the game. She doesn’t care about high level competition. She just wants to play with other kids who actually want to play.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've been through the sports wringer with my kids and as a volunteer. I have never, ever met parents of a kid on a travel team who did not assume that their kid was a potential star. I've never met one.

Also those posts about young kids being frustrated by playing with less talented peers. The parents are the ones who feel that way and teach it to their kids.

2 of my 3 DC (both are middle school aged) play on travel teams and we don’t in any way think of them as “potential stars” who could play in college or beyond. They play travel to prepare for trying out for the high school team- a much more realistic goal.

I agree with your 2nd point however- yes it is absolutely the parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've been through the sports wringer with my kids and as a volunteer. I have never, ever met parents of a kid on a travel team who did not assume that their kid was a potential star. I've never met one.

Also those posts about young kids being frustrated by playing with less talented peers. The parents are the ones who feel that way and teach it to their kids.

I find that hard to believe or you’re really exaggerating or as one PP said, you have a top player and the parents on his team are insufferable. I know of a kid who is top player on a top team and is the only one playing up. Every parent on that team knows that kid has the most potential, even if they still think their kid has top potential, which they likely do, assuming they stick with it and want to play in high school.

As other PP have said, to play in high school in this area, public or private, you often have to be playing at a travel level alrdy.

[Anonymous]

I have never, ever met parents of a kid on a travel team who did not assume that their kid was a potential star. I've never met one.

I don't think my kid is a potential star. I'm proud that he's improved and gotten better than his former self. That's about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ll agree to this only if you also agree that no kids should do children’s theater or music unless they have a chance of being in Hollywood movies, Broadway, or a major symphony.

Personally I might seriously consider this tradeoff if it spares me the pain of yet one more youth theater performance.

+1

Why do math if you won’t be Einstein?

Why do anything?

Why would you force Einstein to play travel sports?

Who said anything about forcing?