How much is too much for kids sports?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2024/01/22/70-of-kids-drop-out-of-youth-sports-by-13-new-aap-study-reveals-why/72310189007/

70% of kids will drop out by 13. It doesn't really matter which sport anyone picks. The odds of being a stand out, playing professionally, getting a scholarship are infinitesimally low. Just let them pick and have fun.

Kids are starting organized sports too early and too many. If a kid is starting at 3 or 4 that means the parent chose the sport.

Earlier doesn’t mean a better player. There’s no reason 7 year old need to be traveling.

Parents are looking for enrichment for active 3-4 yr olds. If you didn’t have a high energy kid you couldn’t possibly understand.

I don’t have hyperactive kids they have normal energy. My dd did one ballet class at 3 and gradually increased classes, auditioned for an exclusive school and never looked back.

It’s the parents who have six year olds traveling to play sport that causes burnout. Them and the parent insist their kids play two travel sports.

But people are slamming people for trying dance. In my experience its because people with active girls find something they can do at a young age. They almost all try dance at first and some will stick with it and many will move on to other sports as they age into them. It's not some diabolical plan to force girls into dance and ignoring other options. There just aren't a lot of options at the earliest age when people are looking for activities. It's all dance and Little Gym type stuff.

I have no dog in this race, but can’t young girls play soccer, do Scouts/Girl Scouts/Brownies, play an instrument, Little League/Tball, just as the boys do? I don’t think dance is the only activity open to them.

Of course they can! They can also dance, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2024/01/22/70-of-kids-drop-out-of-youth-sports-by-13-new-aap-study-reveals-why/72310189007/

70% of kids will drop out by 13. It doesn't really matter which sport anyone picks. The odds of being a stand out, playing professionally, getting a scholarship are infinitesimally low. Just let them pick and have fun.

Kids are starting organized sports too early and too many. If a kid is starting at 3 or 4 that means the parent chose the sport.

Earlier doesn’t mean a better player. There’s no reason 7 year old need to be traveling.

Parents are looking for enrichment for active 3-4 yr olds. If you didn’t have a high energy kid you couldn’t possibly understand.

I don’t have hyperactive kids they have normal energy. My dd did one ballet class at 3 and gradually increased classes, auditioned for an exclusive school and never looked back.

It’s the parents who have six year olds traveling to play sport that causes burnout. Them and the parent insist their kids play two travel sports.

But people are slamming people for trying dance. In my experience its because people with active girls find something they can do at a young age. They almost all try dance at first and some will stick with it and many will move on to other sports as they age into them. It's not some diabolical plan to force girls into dance and ignoring other options. There just aren't a lot of options at the earliest age when people are looking for activities. It's all dance and Little Gym type stuff.

I have no dog in this race, but can’t young girls play soccer, do Scouts/Girl Scouts/Brownies, play an instrument, Little League/Tball, just as the boys do? I don’t think dance is the only activity open to them.

Because moms love putting their daughters in tights, makeup, and sequins. It’s dress up with a live doll.

My daughter loves dance because…she loves it. Many girls do. There is absolutely no reason a child who loves dance, girl or boy, should be pushed into athletics instead if dance is what their passion is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2024/01/22/70-of-kids-drop-out-of-youth-sports-by-13-new-aap-study-reveals-why/72310189007/

70% of kids will drop out by 13. It doesn't really matter which sport anyone picks. The odds of being a stand out, playing professionally, getting a scholarship are infinitesimally low. Just let them pick and have fun.

Kids are starting organized sports too early and too many. If a kid is starting at 3 or 4 that means the parent chose the sport.

Earlier doesn’t mean a better player. There’s no reason 7 year old need to be traveling.

Parents are looking for enrichment for active 3-4 yr olds. If you didn’t have a high energy kid you couldn’t possibly understand.

I don’t have hyperactive kids they have normal energy. My dd did one ballet class at 3 and gradually increased classes, auditioned for an exclusive school and never looked back.

It’s the parents who have six year olds traveling to play sport that causes burnout. Them and the parent insist their kids play two travel sports.

At least be honest. Dance has just as much burnout and turnover. There's a reason Dance Moms became a thing, dance isn't better than soccer or basketball, same parents, just different activity.

Competition dance has burnout and probably injuries because of the stupid moves they make them do.

A lot of mothers just sign up their three year olds for creative movement because it’s easy, no hanging around a freezing field or anything else uncomfortable. The ones that don’t like ballet leave early. Puberty brings another big group leaving. The committed dancer that are left dance 6 days a week. Others go back to recreational classes with no commitment.

The Dance Mom types who have their four year olds competing are just as ridiculous as the ones who travel with four year olds playing soccer.

Ballet is an art not a sport so it’s a little different.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Gymnastics is a scam. No girl with a typically developing body can go very far in the sport, but greedy organizers will take your money and suck up all your time until puberty hits. If you're going to force a sport, pick one that works with normally developing bodies of all types. Track and field, soccer, swim, etc. You can't always predict how children will grow.

Meh. I am 5’2 and my daughter is petite. Our options are limited. The short girls can have one sport.

Huh? Plenty of short kids excel in soccer, lacrosse, softball… the best kid on our baseball team is the shortest.

What age is the best kid on the baseball team the shortest? Guaranteed you're not talking about high school for any of these sports. There is a huge disadvantage to being a late blooming boy. This is well known.

The kids are 10. The OP is asking about a 9 year old and this is the elementary age forum.

At this age you shouldn’t limit your kid’s athletic pursuits based on height. Let them try different things.

Ok. I did, and my destined to be short 10 yr old chose gymnastics. She didn't like softball, soccer, dance, or swimming. That doesn't mean she doesn't have a normally developing body or that it will be a shock that she's not 5'7". It also should be a shock that a 5'9" mom and 6'4" dad have a daughter that might be too tall for gymnastics. That doesn't make gymnastics and inherently bad sport anymore than basketball will probably not be in my daughters future, not that she even wants to try it beyond one season when she complained about going.

Haha, the second case was us! Our poor DD absolutely LOVED gymnastics but we had to gently steer her away and t’get her interested in sports like basketball and volleyball. She is 12 and on track to be 6 feet.

That being said, gymnastics is great and I don’t understand why so many people sh!t all over youth sports unless they’re going to go pro. Can’t the love of gymnastics be enough while it lasts?

Because most youth sports are a giant money sucking scam. Not all of them, but it sure seems like the majority of kidsports parents I know are being fleeced for the big bucks, while their families' limited free time is stolen by sports practice and toruneys and hours long drives. And none of them are going to be elite athletes. Sorry but I don't think that is a model of healthy athleticism.

So which extracurriculars meet your standards for being worthwhile?

Theater kids spend hours at rehearsals, vocal lessons, etc. Most of them won’t make it to Broadway.

Band kids spend hours practicing instruments, taking private lessons, etc. My husband was very involved with a musical group that involved traveling out of state a few times per year (he has find memories of this). But most people aren’t going to sell out arenas.

I mean, there are so many activities that people do for the passion of it, not because some end goal of being “elite.” And yes, activities that take a lot of time cost money because outside of county subsidized rec programs, which are good for beginners/casual players, there are expenses with getting coaches/teachers and equipment.

It seems like there’s a weird subset of people on this board who just hate sports though because this riles people up more than any other kid activity.

I don't think anyone I disputing that kids spend time devoted to activities that they may not do as an adult. But the amount of time and money that is expected for youth sports is often so much higher than many other activities. I know a lot of kids that are in school plays and musicals spending hours on rehearsal but not on acting coaches and private voice lessons. In fact I bet there are many highschoolers who got some part in a play or a crew just by auditioning, without any prior experience. But you rarely see someone that has never played soccer suddenly make their high school soccer team. Traveling out of state a couple of times a year is nothing compared to multiple weekends driving hours or traveling for tournament after tournament. Sure some kids are devoted to these activities at a young age but most start much later.

[Anonymous]

My child is an equestrian and we spend insane hours at the barn and at horse shows. The cost is ridiculous but understood. I do it because that is what she passionately loves, is good at it, and willing to do the hard work of training with horses, cleaning stables and tack, and rising at 4:30 am to get ready for a horse show that lasts sometimes until 3pm.

[Anonymous]

The available friend options in my 7th grader's grade just really suck. If not for her awesome softball friends (who don't go to her school) she would be lost.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2024/01/22/70-of-kids-drop-out-of-youth-sports-by-13-new-aap-study-reveals-why/72310189007/

70% of kids will drop out by 13. It doesn't really matter which sport anyone picks. The odds of being a stand out, playing professionally, getting a scholarship are infinitesimally low. Just let them pick and have fun.

Kids are starting organized sports too early and too many. If a kid is starting at 3 or 4 that means the parent chose the sport.

Earlier doesn’t mean a better player. There’s no reason 7 year old need to be traveling.

Parents are looking for enrichment for active 3-4 yr olds. If you didn’t have a high energy kid you couldn’t possibly understand.

I don’t have hyperactive kids they have normal energy. My dd did one ballet class at 3 and gradually increased classes, auditioned for an exclusive school and never looked back.

It’s the parents who have six year olds traveling to play sport that causes burnout. Them and the parent insist their kids play two travel sports.

But people are slamming people for trying dance. In my experience its because people with active girls find something they can do at a young age. They almost all try dance at first and some will stick with it and many will move on to other sports as they age into them. It's not some diabolical plan to force girls into dance and ignoring other options. There just aren't a lot of options at the earliest age when people are looking for activities. It's all dance and Little Gym type stuff.

I have no dog in this race, but can’t young girls play soccer, do Scouts/Girl Scouts/Brownies, play an instrument, Little League/Tball, just as the boys do? I don’t think dance is the only activity open to them.

Its one a a few options. Scouts doesn’t exist for that age and music at 3-4 isn’t a good idea. Just admit you hate dance for personal reasons. Can’t dance?