Busy with sports....every weekend of their lives???

[Anonymous]

We love it!!

[Anonymous]

My DD started travel in 7th grade and we just finished her last travel tourney ever this weekend. I cried. It's exhausting and sucks A LOT of time. DD loves her sport and I would not change a thing. It gets better when they can drive themselves to practice. As long as child is committed to it, can't go wrong encouraging them to keep at it.

[Anonymous]

I love it for my DH. He does most of the driving around.

Without the kids' activities, he will not have a social life outside of family. He is friends with some of the parents. It's either this or he would be lying on the couch every weekend.

[Anonymous]

Kids will gravitate to the level of their ability.

I know kids that are in all year round swimming and kids that are summer swimmers. I know kids that are all year round hockey players and kids that are winter league players. Same for soccer. And all football players i know are seasonal only players. The kids with more athletic aptitude tend to play year round or they rotate sports seasonally. The kids with more athletic ability in a given sport, tend to focus on that sport.

So, when you move out of the "everyone gets to be on the team and everyone gets to play" age group, your child will gravitate to the level of their ability and that will dictate how often you are committed to playing, practicing and traveling.

[Anonymous]

I coach HS rowing, and most of the kids carpool to regattas over the weekends. There are only a couple of parents who go to every race.

[Anonymous]

I mean I wouldn't do it with my kid. I think that kids/teens are massively overscheduled to begin with. But, if a kid really, really wants it and can make a very compelling case for it then go ahead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I coach HS rowing, and most of the kids carpool to regattas over the weekends. There are only a couple of parents who go to every race.

Do you blame thrm who would want to watch rowing

[Anonymous]

Travel hockey is the worst. There is a ton of travel required because we don’t have enough depth locally. Many tournaments are over holiday weekends and we are forced to stay in crummy hotels for stay and play tournaments. That we do it is a testament to how naive we were when we ever started the sport and our love for this child, as I otherwise hate the travel and the sport, which feels like a money pit and time suck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Travel hockey is the worst. There is a ton of travel required because we don’t have enough depth locally. Many tournaments are over holiday weekends and we are forced to stay in crummy hotels for stay and play tournaments. That we do it is a testament to how naive we were when we ever started the sport and our love for this child, as I otherwise hate the travel and the sport, which feels like a money pit and time suck.

Truth

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I coach HS rowing, and most of the kids carpool to regattas over the weekends. There are only a couple of parents who go to every race.

Do you blame thrm who would want to watch rowing

I don’t blame them at all. I don’t want them there every weekend. The kids don’t want them there every weekend.

It’s fine.

[Anonymous]

I'm happy for the people who love it. They found their thing and they're getting the most out of it.

I'm confused about the people who don't like it but continue to do it. It's optional. You can stop any time. There are loads of successful adults in the world who never played on expensive, time-sucking travel sports teams. What exactly are you afraid will happen if you just stop?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm happy for the people who love it. They found their thing and they're getting the most out of it.

I'm confused about the people who don't like it but continue to do it. It's optional. You can stop any time. There are loads of successful adults in the world who never played on expensive, time-sucking travel sports teams. What exactly are you afraid will happen if you just stop?

It's one thing to never start, but taking away a sport that your kid loves and pores their heart into is another thing entirely.

[Anonymous]

Having your child stick with rec or less all consuming activities or having them play informally with friends isn't taking the sport away though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kids will gravitate to the level of their ability.

I know kids that are in all year round swimming and kids that are summer swimmers. I know kids that are all year round hockey players and kids that are winter league players. Same for soccer. And all football players i know are seasonal only players. The kids with more athletic aptitude tend to play year round or they rotate sports seasonally. The kids with more athletic ability in a given sport, tend to focus on that sport.

So, when you move out of the "everyone gets to be on the team and everyone gets to play" age group, your child will gravitate to the level of their ability and that will dictate how often you are committed to playing, practicing and traveling.

I disagree with this.
Travel is a for profit money grab and any ability level can find a travel
team to play on. Parents think they have to do this for whatever reason or delude themselves into thinking their kid is exceptional. A few are of course but most travel kids are not.

The common denominator of travel
sports is they are for profit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kids will gravitate to the level of their ability.

I know kids that are in all year round swimming and kids that are summer swimmers. I know kids that are all year round hockey players and kids that are winter league players. Same for soccer. And all football players i know are seasonal only players. The kids with more athletic aptitude tend to play year round or they rotate sports seasonally. The kids with more athletic ability in a given sport, tend to focus on that sport.

So, when you move out of the "everyone gets to be on the team and everyone gets to play" age group, your child will gravitate to the level of their ability and that will dictate how often you are committed to playing, practicing and traveling.

Ability doesn't have too much to do with year round commitment playing. You can enjoy the sport at a low level. Everyone should be doing some exercise activities.

High ability can push the kid into *travel* commitment because they can't compete at a high level locally.