Saying so long to a travel sport

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not yet, but I see it coming in the near future as my eldest approaches high school age. I'll miss it, but I'm excited for all the adventures he has ahead!
And I won't miss the traffic on I-95 going to all the tournaments on the East Coast. LOL

I don’t understand why so much travel is needed for travel sports nowadays. This area has a dense population. I grew up in New England and we only had to travel an hour at the most

"Travel" is a misnomer for most. The more accurate word is "club" team/sports or "select" team/sports.

That said, the truly elite players/teams do barnstorm to showcase tournaments. But you're talking about the upper, upper echelon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I cannot believe any parent wouldn’t be jumping for joy over a travel sport ending. It means you have your life back. Stop living through yours kids’ sports. Travel parents are the worst.

They are sad people

Or happy people. I can't tell you how many friends, co-workers and family members have told me they miss watching their kids play and the bonding time in the car.

I think it's like childbirth, you forget the actual pain of it.

I don't like early morning or drives, but my kids play my sport (I won way more titles/went farther than them--so no vicarious living) and I really love seeing their joy and watching them compete. I sit by myself and I don't yell at refs or go near screaming parents (the part I hate), but I really truly love watching my kids play. One may be playing at a college not too far away and I'm excited to see home games (which will only be a 10 min drive from the house!).

Yea you’re obsessed all right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not yet, but I see it coming in the near future as my eldest approaches high school age. I'll miss it, but I'm excited for all the adventures he has ahead!
And I won't miss the traffic on I-95 going to all the tournaments on the East Coast. LOL

I don’t understand why so much travel is needed for travel sports nowadays. This area has a dense population. I grew up in New England and we only had to travel an hour at the most

"Travel" is a misnomer for most. The more accurate word is "club" team/sports or "select" team/sports.

That said, the truly elite players/teams do barnstorm to showcase tournaments. But you're talking about the upper, upper echelon.

My son plays “Travel” baseball - he’s in high school, varsity player, will play on college. But we have him on a not-super-intense team that plays locally for the most part. Why not? There are plenty of teams that can beat them somewhere in MD, DC, and VA. But when I’ve tried to say my kid plays “Club” baseball everyone gets all confused - what’s that? What’s a baseball club? Sigh. So he does “Travel,” but doesn’t travel.

[Anonymous]

Why do people that want to bash travel sports, or on some threads, sports in general, even come to this forum?

I don't go to the Lawn & Garden forum and bash gardening. That would be ridiculous

And for OP, I get it. My son had expressed that this year will be last year of baseball. He's 14, and doesn't want to play in HS, and would prefer to spend the spring season preparing for his fall & winter sports. And while I'm looking forward to getting my weekends back, there's a part of me that will miss it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not yet, but I see it coming in the near future as my eldest approaches high school age. I'll miss it, but I'm excited for all the adventures he has ahead!
And I won't miss the traffic on I-95 going to all the tournaments on the East Coast. LOL

I don’t understand why so much travel is needed for travel sports nowadays. This area has a dense population. I grew up in New England and we only had to travel an hour at the most

"Travel" is a misnomer for most. The more accurate word is "club" team/sports or "select" team/sports.

That said, the truly elite players/teams do barnstorm to showcase tournaments. But you're talking about the upper, upper echelon.

However, you have to admit that there is A LOT of bloat on those showcase teams. It is a money-making venture based on parent FOMO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I cannot believe any parent wouldn’t be jumping for joy over a travel sport ending. It means you have your life back. Stop living through yours kids’ sports. Travel parents are the worst.

They are sad people

Or happy people. I can't tell you how many friends, co-workers and family members have told me they miss watching their kids play and the bonding time in the car.

I think it's like childbirth, you forget the actual pain of it.

I don't like early morning or drives, but my kids play my sport (I won way more titles/went farther than them--so no vicarious living) and I really love seeing their joy and watching them compete. I sit by myself and I don't yell at refs or go near screaming parents (the part I hate), but I really truly love watching my kids play. One may be playing at a college not too far away and I'm excited to see home games (which will only be a 10 min drive from the house!).

Yea you’re obsessed all right.

That’s healthy. Some people might love to watch their kid play the cello or take their show dogs to dog shows. For an athlete that played sports, I feel alive at soccer fields and it brings back all kinds of good feelings and memories from my youth—and of my dad and former teammates. I love the sounds smells and those evening practices where I see the same joy I had.

[Anonymous]

We loved it and I was sad when DC stopped playing travel when he realized he didn’t want to play in college.

We made great friends, has a ton of fun, and had the opportunity to travel to some interesting places.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not yet, but I see it coming in the near future as my eldest approaches high school age. I'll miss it, but I'm excited for all the adventures he has ahead!
And I won't miss the traffic on I-95 going to all the tournaments on the East Coast. LOL

I don’t understand why so much travel is needed for travel sports nowadays. This area has a dense population. I grew up in New England and we only had to travel an hour at the most

"Travel" is a misnomer for most. The more accurate word is "club" team/sports or "select" team/sports.

That said, the truly elite players/teams do barnstorm to showcase tournaments. But you're talking about the upper, upper echelon.

However, you have to admit that there is A LOT of bloat on those showcase teams. It is a money-making venture based on parent FOMO.

NP. There’s a reason why hedge funds are buying up travel teams and facilities for youth sports. Some youth sports are very lucrative, others not so much. Competitive dance and cheer are big ones as well.

[Anonymous]

Our son was all about his sport, asking for private training and going to everything optional. Now it’s the end of freshman year and he wants to drop it completely. I understand how OP is feeling. We never expected him to go pro or even play in college but it was such a huge part of his life for so long.

DH and I have to remind each other how we both dropped our sports in high school at some point and have no regrets over that. Our son will find something else to do, it takes time. For now, he’s enjoying the idea of down time he hasn’t had in a long time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He’s unsure! Depends on the day, and the sports his friends discuss trying out for. Lots of unknowns. I just want him to be busy after school.

I’m the poster above and this is what made my son drop it completely. We thought he’d love playing for the school and being on that team. But the combo of hitting the teen years and all they entail with the daily long practices plus games right after school made him want to give it all up after year one. He felt it was too much after school!

[Anonymous]

Make thar fool play lacrosse

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do people that want to bash travel sports, or on some threads, sports in general, even come to this forum?

I don't go to the Lawn & Garden forum and bash gardening. That would be ridiculous

And for OP, I get it. My son had expressed that this year will be last year of baseball. He's 14, and doesn't want to play in HS, and would prefer to spend the spring season preparing for his fall & winter sports. And while I'm looking forward to getting my weekends back, there's a part of me that will miss it

Mostly bc there kid washed out (voluntarily or otherwise) of travel sports.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I cannot believe any parent wouldn’t be jumping for joy over a travel sport ending. It means you have your life back. Stop living through yours kids’ sports. Travel parents are the worst.

They are sad people

Or happy people. I can't tell you how many friends, co-workers and family members have told me they miss watching their kids play and the bonding time in the car.

I think it's like childbirth, you forget the actual pain of it.

I don't like early morning or drives, but my kids play my sport (I won way more titles/went farther than them--so no vicarious living) and I really love seeing their joy and watching them compete. I sit by myself and I don't yell at refs or go near screaming parents (the part I hate), but I really truly love watching my kids play. One may be playing at a college not too far away and I'm excited to see home games (which will only be a 10 min drive from the house!).

Yea you’re obsessed all right.

That’s healthy. Some people might love to watch their kid play the cello or take their show dogs to dog shows. For an athlete that played sports, I feel alive at soccer fields and it brings back all kinds of good feelings and memories from my youth—and of my dad and former teammates. I love the sounds smells and those evening practices where I see the same joy I had.

You’re a sad old man

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I cannot believe any parent wouldn’t be jumping for joy over a travel sport ending. It means you have your life back. Stop living through yours kids’ sports. Travel parents are the worst.

They are sad people

Or happy people. I can't tell you how many friends, co-workers and family members have told me they miss watching their kids play and the bonding time in the car.

I think it's like childbirth, you forget the actual pain of it.

I don't like early morning or drives, but my kids play my sport (I won way more titles/went farther than them--so no vicarious living) and I really love seeing their joy and watching them compete. I sit by myself and I don't yell at refs or go near screaming parents (the part I hate), but I really truly love watching my kids play. One may be playing at a college not too far away and I'm excited to see home games (which will only be a 10 min drive from the house!).

Yea you’re obsessed all right.

That’s healthy. Some people might love to watch their kid play the cello or take their show dogs to dog shows. For an athlete that played sports, I feel alive at soccer fields and it brings back all kinds of good feelings and memories from my youth—and of my dad and former teammates. I love the sounds smells and those evening practices where I see the same joy I had.

You’re a sad old man

Not as sad as a person who trolls DCUM to post juvenile comments. Aren't you supposed to be in class right now?

I understand what the PP means. My kids do swim team and all the memories of my own experiences come flooding back when I smell the chlorine and see the sights on the pool deck. I doubt my kids will get as serious about swimming as I did, but it's fun to revisit something that was a huge part of my life for years.

When we have kids our whole lives get rearranged. We often give up activities and hobbies that we once enjoyed because we stop having time for them, or at least have to scale way back. It can be an adjustment to suddenly have all that time back. It's normal to struggle with that transition before settling into a new normal and rediscovering what you want for yourself.

Our kids' childhood is really a blip in the grand scheme of life. I don't think too many parents regret putting their own interests on the back burner to support their kids' pursuits for a few years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I cannot believe any parent wouldn’t be jumping for joy over a travel sport ending. It means you have your life back. Stop living through yours kids’ sports. Travel parents are the worst.

They are sad people

Or happy people. I can't tell you how many friends, co-workers and family members have told me they miss watching their kids play and the bonding time in the car.

I think it's like childbirth, you forget the actual pain of it.

I don't like early morning or drives, but my kids play my sport (I won way more titles/went farther than them--so no vicarious living) and I really love seeing their joy and watching them compete. I sit by myself and I don't yell at refs or go near screaming parents (the part I hate), but I really truly love watching my kids play. One may be playing at a college not too far away and I'm excited to see home games (which will only be a 10 min drive from the house!).

Yea you’re obsessed all right.

That’s healthy. Some people might love to watch their kid play the cello or take their show dogs to dog shows. For an athlete that played sports, I feel alive at soccer fields and it brings back all kinds of good feelings and memories from my youth—and of my dad and former teammates. I love the sounds smells and those evening practices where I see the same joy I had.

You’re a sad old man

+1