Interesting article about competitive sports and depression

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think MS & HS sports should be open to more kids. I think more kids wouldn’t drop out at age 13 if that was the case.

It wouldn't be hard for schools to fields multiple teams in most sports. Of course then the kids wouldn't represent the school per se, but if we think athletics are really an important part of what happens in high school, then why not field three volleyball teams if enough kids want to play?

You mean like Varsity, JV and freshmen teams?

[Anonymous]

Here is an article on the topic.
https://changingthegameproject.com/why-kids-quit-sports/

If you read it and think about it, it makes the most sense. I’ve been noticing these trends with my kid at his club, and I try to make adjustments as best I can, but it takes effort. It’s the parents and coaches. Hard work, dedication, discipline, and commitment are required but don’t lose sight of what they like about the game. Enjoy it with them and make it fun. Don’t get so attached to the outcome or the performance. Some kids need a higher level of play to enjoy the game. That is fine, but don’t think you need to be at the top to find a good spot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think MS & HS sports should be open to more kids. I think more kids wouldn’t drop out at age 13 if that was the case.

It wouldn't be hard for schools to fields multiple teams in most sports. Of course then the kids wouldn't represent the school per se, but if we think athletics are really an important part of what happens in high school, then why not field three volleyball teams if enough kids want to play?

You mean like Varsity, JV and freshmen teams?

if you still turn away the majority of kids who come out for tryouts there aren't enough spots

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think MS & HS sports should be open to more kids. I think more kids wouldn’t drop out at age 13 if that was the case.

It wouldn't be hard for schools to fields multiple teams in most sports. Of course then the kids wouldn't represent the school per se, but if we think athletics are really an important part of what happens in high school, then why not field three volleyball teams if enough kids want to play?

You mean like Varsity, JV and freshmen teams?

Do public schools have freshman teams? I don't know of any. And even with varsity and JV, there are still plenty of kids shut out. My son's public school doesn't have any no cut sports.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think MS & HS sports should be open to more kids. I think more kids wouldn’t drop out at age 13 if that was the case.

It wouldn't be hard for schools to fields multiple teams in most sports. Of course then the kids wouldn't represent the school per se, but if we think athletics are really an important part of what happens in high school, then why not field three volleyball teams if enough kids want to play?

You mean like Varsity, JV and freshmen teams?

Do public schools have freshman teams? I don't know of any. And even with varsity and JV, there are still plenty of kids shut out. My son's public school doesn't have any no cut sports.

Isn't freshman and JV kind of the same thing? Our public high school has JV soccer, basketball, field hockey, wrestling, baseball, and softball.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think MS & HS sports should be open to more kids. I think more kids wouldn’t drop out at age 13 if that was the case.

It wouldn't be hard for schools to fields multiple teams in most sports. Of course then the kids wouldn't represent the school per se, but if we think athletics are really an important part of what happens in high school, then why not field three volleyball teams if enough kids want to play?

You mean like Varsity, JV and freshmen teams?

Do public schools have freshman teams? I don't know of any. And even with varsity and JV, there are still plenty of kids shut out. My son's public school doesn't have any no cut sports.

Isn't freshman and JV kind of the same thing? Our public high school has JV soccer, basketball, field hockey, wrestling, baseball, and softball.

Private schools seem to have freshman only teams for popular sports, but I haven't seen it in public school. Regardless, many districts have rules that juniors and seniors can't play varsity and cut kids from almost every sport, whether it is JV or varsity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Evidence suggests that as young people compete more intensely in sports, gains in mental wellness may be replaced by mental health challenges particular to competitive athletics. Pre-pandemic, up to 20% of college athletes experienced major depression. For young athletes competing at national and international levels, anxiety and depression were 20% to 45% — higher in some cases than those in the age-matched control groups. In one study of elite Canadian swimmers, an eye-popping 68% met the criteria for depression.

This quote didn't appear to be part of the article so hard to comment on whether there's any truth to the implication that sports leads to depression, or whether that's just yet another BS "science" claim.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think MS & HS sports should be open to more kids. I think more kids wouldn’t drop out at age 13 if that was the case.

These behemoth High Schools in the area don't help. DS' school usually has near 100 try out for boys soccer. Almost every kid here that tries out plays some form of club travel soccer. There's one varsity and one JV team. Back in the midwest where I grew up our big schools with 1,000 less kids would have a varsity, two JV and sometimes a Freshman team! It gave plenty of opportunity to play and there was some limited movement to help varsity from each of the JV squads.

[Anonymous]

For the girls... Some travel players play because it's fun and fun to be with friends. Some travel players play because it's a passion for them. Good coaches know how to keep the team happy and performing well.

Mark of a good coach? Players return if you do. Mark of a bad coach? Players leave if you stay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good article. My ds’s friends are all doing travel soccer at 8 yrs old and it’s so tempting to get caught up in it. He’s on a less competitive team this Spring and is so happy that I’m going to go with my gut and not buy into travel soccer right now.

Is this so he can also try another sport at the same time?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids go to a school with no cuts for any sports and a sports requirement. The number of kids who try new things is inspiring. For the first time in a long time, after we switched to this kind of school, I see kids playing for fun again, even the really athletic kids. They get all the benefit of exercising and working hard to improve, being a part of team, having leadership opportunities, learning the thrill of victory and agony of defeat, with none of the other modern nonsense we are seeing in youth athletics.

The competitiveness of some leagues and schools (and we've been there too) is a disaster for development, and it is all related to college admissions, for profit youth sports, tracking kids to levels and labeling them according to ability, and measuring their worth based on these levels. It is all marketing. It is the same tactic used by the most addictive video games. Parent and their kids have become addicted to leveling up in pay to play sports.

One problem is that Physical Education is no longer physical education. The PE teachers are often big fat blobs, and the kids spend half the lessons studying health in a classroom instead of exercising, and the other half of the time they are engaged in dumbed down, low intensity exercise because proper exercise is too dangerous. There should be more PE classes and all kids should play proper sports in that time. Then the teams can indeed be competitive endeavors where some kids get to play and others get cut. Both types of program are useful.

So true, they don’t even cover sports units anymore, maybe a bit in high school and by then there’s 9 weeks of Sex/health Ed again in 9th and 10th grade.
PE class is so dumbed down to not “offend” or “bully” anyone that our upper schools offers yoga as a substitute. No way kids are learning different sports, skills and rules and then turning around a picking a new sport to really try. Sigh. Only in wash DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think MS & HS sports should be open to more kids. I think more kids wouldn’t drop out at age 13 if that was the case.

It wouldn't be hard for schools to fields multiple teams in most sports. Of course then the kids wouldn't represent the school per se, but if we think athletics are really an important part of what happens in high school, then why not field three volleyball teams if enough kids want to play?

You mean like Varsity, JV and freshmen teams?

if you still turn away the majority of kids who come out for tryouts there aren't enough spots

Blame the BIG 100-220 county school districts like MoCo, Fairfax and even DC. 9th grade can be 400-800 students at some of their high schools, times four grades. Same team sizes.

I wish it was a township public school - academics, autonomy, sports, community- would all better serve the actual students. The county model is just corrupt and mismanaged. ESP in barbell large counties (huge % of above avg performers and huge % of below).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think MS & HS sports should be open to more kids. I think more kids wouldn’t drop out at age 13 if that was the case.

It wouldn't be hard for schools to fields multiple teams in most sports. Of course then the kids wouldn't represent the school per se, but if we think athletics are really an important part of what happens in high school, then why not field three volleyball teams if enough kids want to play?

You mean like Varsity, JV and freshmen teams?

That's what I think would be good. As far as I know they don't have that for too many sports in FCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think MS & HS sports should be open to more kids. I think more kids wouldn’t drop out at age 13 if that was the case.

These behemoth High Schools in the area don't help. DS' school usually has near 100 try out for boys soccer. Almost every kid here that tries out plays some form of club travel soccer. There's one varsity and one JV team. Back in the midwest where I grew up our big schools with 1,000 less kids would have a varsity, two JV and sometimes a Freshman team! It gave plenty of opportunity to play and there was some limited movement to help varsity from each of the JV squads.

I went to a HS in NJ the same size as the largest high schools here - and we had Freshman, JV, and Varsity teams for every sport and fewer cuts. I suppose I graduated in 1999 and now it's 2021 but is that asking too much to have those 3 levels for every sport? Every kid doesn't have to be guaranteed playing time.

[Anonymous]

I went to high school in MoCo and we had a few no cut sports. My kid is in FCPS and their school apparently has none (too many kids were coming out for those sports apparently)