Feeling sad my kid doesn't want to play anymore

[Anonymous]

My daughter is 9. She was on the top team at a big, successful club. It was too intense. 3 practices a week. Multiple league games, tournaments.
We let her quit. She wanted to focus on another sport she is good at. She is playing rec this season (up a year). And she loves it. Great fit for her. Listen to your kid. While I am sad she quit, I needed to let it go. She wasn't passionate about the sport. To play at that level, you need to love it. It is so much time.
I would encourage them to find another interest. Could be music, theatre, another sport. But something they are passionate about.

[Anonymous]

LOL I had to read this post three times. Tell me your a competitive parent without tell me your a competitive parent.

Anonymous wrote:My daughter is 9. She was on the top team at a big, successful club. It was too intense. 3 practices a week. Multiple league games, tournaments.
We let her quit. She wanted to focus on another sport she is good at. She is playing rec this season (up a year). And she loves it. Great fit for her. Listen to your kid. While I am sad she quit, I needed to let it go. She wasn't passionate about the sport. To play at that level, you need to love it. It is so much time.
I would encourage them to find another interest. Could be music, theatre, another sport. But something they are passionate about.

[Anonymous]

Most 9-year old boys only care about Roblox. You just treat it as an after school activity that's on their schedule.

[Anonymous]

he probably doesn't like running. Get him some goalkeeper training.

[Anonymous]

He probably doesn't like you hover around during practice.

[Anonymous]

Yes I'm competitive. Not afraid to admit that. But 99% of parents on here are.
At least I can recognize when my kid needs a break. My point was it's OK to let kids just play rec rather than travel or quit entirely especially at 9. Who knows. They may end up going back to playing again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:meanwhile, i'm hoping my kid would quit
All that money back in the bank and less wear and tear on the vehicles

I’ve got a 13 year old who is stopping after this season and as sad as I am about not seeing her play again, I’m sure happy about the time and money I’m getting back.

Course her sister is ECNL, so I’m still in the thick of it, but at least it’s down to one!

[Anonymous]

Of course, leave the team, play rec or maybe another sport and re evaluate next season. This is not a big deal.

[Anonymous]

Said the person who said "She is playing rec this season (up a year)". Why was it even necessary to post she is playing up a year. I feel sorry for your child.

Anonymous wrote:Yes I'm competitive. Not afraid to admit that. But 99% of parents on here are.
At least I can recognize when my kid needs a break. My point was it's OK to let kids just play rec rather than travel or quit entirely especially at 9. Who knows. They may end up going back to playing again.

[Anonymous]

I have a 16 year old who used to be on the USYNT and quit playing competitively... now just plays for fun on Bethesda's top team instead of living at La Masia with so much pressure to get up to the first team. He's having fun with friends and might go play D1 P5 level with friends from his club team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Said the person who said "She is playing rec this season (up a year)". Why was it even necessary to post she is playing up a year. I feel sorry for your child.

Anonymous wrote:Yes I'm competitive. Not afraid to admit that. But 99% of parents on here are.
At least I can recognize when my kid needs a break. My point was it's OK to let kids just play rec rather than travel or quit entirely especially at 9. Who knows. They may end up going back to playing again.

Rec soccer is horrible. Why would someone coming off a top level travel soccer team play at age in rec soccer? Wheres the fun in that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes I'm competitive. Not afraid to admit that. But 99% of parents on here are.
At least I can recognize when my kid needs a break. My point was it's OK to let kids just play rec rather than travel or quit entirely especially at 9. Who knows. They may end up going back to playing again.

Travel at age 9 is essentially "rec".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Said the person who said "She is playing rec this season (up a year)". Why was it even necessary to post she is playing up a year. I feel sorry for your child.

Anonymous wrote:Yes I'm competitive. Not afraid to admit that. But 99% of parents on here are.
At least I can recognize when my kid needs a break. My point was it's OK to let kids just play rec rather than travel or quit entirely especially at 9. Who knows. They may end up going back to playing again.

Rec soccer is horrible. Why would someone coming off a top level travel soccer team play at age in rec soccer? Wheres the fun in that?

Depends on the kid. Both of ours are on ECNL -Rl teams, so not too, but just as dedicated.

I’ve got one who’d be way too frustrated with bunching kids, bad passes and people out of position. She’s thrown away every second place or less soccer award she’s ever received- first or nothing.

My other kid loves to simply be on the field with a great group of friends and couldn’t care less about the score.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Said the person who said "She is playing rec this season (up a year)". Why was it even necessary to post she is playing up a year. I feel sorry for your child.

Anonymous wrote:Yes I'm competitive. Not afraid to admit that. But 99% of parents on here are.
At least I can recognize when my kid needs a break. My point was it's OK to let kids just play rec rather than travel or quit entirely especially at 9. Who knows. They may end up going back to playing again.

+1
All these parents thinking their kids might be burned out from playing soccer at such a young age - sure they may be but just maybe they are also tired of their competitive parents' intensity around the sport. And it is subtle things that get to these kids where their only recourse is to step away. Parents need to let kids have their sport and stop being so involved. I am not necessarily proud of this but I barely went to many of my son's games and I never asked my kid much about them. Maybe a coincidence but my kid was recruited and now playing in college. Soccer is his thing, not mine.

[Anonymous]

There are four girls on my dd's U14 rec team who burned out on club soccer.