Does anyone hate how competitive the world has become?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It depends. My DS made the varsity tennis team at Langley HS as a freshman.

My kid also made the tennis team as a freshman. There is only varsity tennis in fcps. No JV. For your kid and my kid, it doesn’t seem so competitive. For the other 40 kids who came to tryouts and didn’t make the team, they will say it is extremely difficult to make the tennis team.

There is no JV in either golf or tennis in FCPS. They are probably the two most difficult sports due to the small roster size. It is even more difficult in HS such as Langley, Mclean, and Oakton because just about every kid in the tryouts is either from UMC or UC families. Those kids are trained at a very young age, since money is not an issue. The competition to be in the golf or tennis team is ten times worse than the competition in academics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the world has always been this competitive, but in the USA, now more "travel sports" programs have moved down to the age 8-12 group and demanded 3-4 practices a week, multiple games a month, and stupid & unnecessary out-of-state tournaments.

This boxes out the athletic kids from being multi-sport for longer, finding their people, and playing on local or school teams.

Frankly the only good way to be multisport in addition to 1-2 primary activities is to go to a small middle or high school, or private school. Your kid will be nice and well rounded, and the teams won't have A, B, C teams where club players only make varsity and showup for half the practices.

There is a difference. One you would know if you lived elsewhere (just for reference, I have lived on 4 continents).

The big difference is that in the US it is not just being competitive. It is not just winning. It is winning and crushing the competition. In the rest of the world, the emphasis is on doing well. Winning is secondary.

Maybe then the solution is emphasizing that winning isn't everything.

I don't know anyone raising their kids to think winning is everything. When people say "in the US" they are not talking about everyone's experience here, maybe 0.5% of people, and ironically these people already won because they already are rich. So what are they trying so hard to prove and achieve?

First gen Indians fight tooth and nail. Here

Same with Koreans. Poster you’re responding to has no idea what they’re talking about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the world has always been this competitive, but in the USA, now more "travel sports" programs have moved down to the age 8-12 group and demanded 3-4 practices a week, multiple games a month, and stupid & unnecessary out-of-state tournaments.

This boxes out the athletic kids from being multi-sport for longer, finding their people, and playing on local or school teams.

Frankly the only good way to be multisport in addition to 1-2 primary activities is to go to a small middle or high school, or private school. Your kid will be nice and well rounded, and the teams won't have A, B, C teams where club players only make varsity and showup for half the practices.

There is a difference. One you would know if you lived elsewhere (just for reference, I have lived on 4 continents).

The big difference is that in the US it is not just being competitive. It is not just winning. It is winning and crushing the competition. In the rest of the world, the emphasis is on doing well. Winning is secondary.

Maybe then the solution is emphasizing that winning isn't everything.

I don't know anyone raising their kids to think winning is everything. When people say "in the US" they are not talking about everyone's experience here, maybe 0.5% of people, and ironically these people already won because they already are rich. So what are they trying so hard to prove and achieve?

First gen Indians fight tooth and nail. Here

Same with Koreans. Poster you’re responding to has no idea what they’re talking about.

Korean American here. I don’t think we are obsessed with winning at all. Yes, most Asians are academically focused. I don’t think we are fighting tooth and nail. Most Koreans I know are totally Americanized and assimilated into American society. I know my mixed Asian kids are. They do well academically and are very athletic.

[Anonymous]

Never understood this obsession with high performing athletics, like travel sports as a normal thing people "should" do or even relevant for college applications unless the kid has some special talents. I value recreational sports as something kids can do to enjoy and also with no strings attached, something you don't have to schedule your life around. Same is true for other extracurriculars too like music and art for kids who are simply ok and aren't super talented.

The truth is vast majority of kids who do these consuming activities will never benefit from them, make any money on it, have it as a career or even get a scholarship. Surely they won't be playing when they are adult as teams are hard to come by and life, job, family will become priority. Why do people waste so much energy, time and money on this rat race? Is it just a thing to do that others are doing and is accepted as a standard of "success" or a good college "resume"?

[Anonymous]

Yes progressing in a sport or two in high school is good for your college app.

Other benefits are friend group, stay off screens, be more well-rounded, time management, teamwork, discipline, healthy lifestyle, coachability/ learn to take feedback, fun, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sure it's intimidating for kids who aren't that athletic trying to join a sport so they have something to put on a college application. Why do there have to be tryouts? Why can't kids join because they want to? Adults put so much pressure on kids trying to make them into overachievers because everything is so competitive these days.

Watching the Olympics, I noticed Americans seem so obnoxious compared to people from other countries. It's as if they are so self-centered they don't even really see how they are acting like buffoons, and I'm an American. Everyone's behavior is so over the top nowadays.

No student applying for college needs to have a sport on their application. There are way more impressive ways for teens to spend their time.

Americans are the worst at the Olympics. There was one male swimmer they were focused on. He cried when he lost, came in 7th or something. This after the male swimmers being the most obnoxious.

That swimmer won two individual golds at the last Olympics. To come in 6th in one event and 7th in the other is a huge disappointment after working so hard. The media wants another Michael Phelps. It's a lot of attention and pressure. Caleb has struggled with his mental health in the past and has been open about that in an effort to remove the stigma. The cameras should have left him alone after the race ended.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Never understood this obsession with high performing athletics, like travel sports as a normal thing people "should" do or even relevant for college applications unless the kid has some special talents. I value recreational sports as something kids can do to enjoy and also with no strings attached, something you don't have to schedule your life around. Same is true for other extracurriculars too like music and art for kids who are simply ok and aren't super talented.

The truth is vast majority of kids who do these consuming activities will never benefit from them, make any money on it, have it as a career or even get a scholarship. Surely they won't be playing when they are adult as teams are hard to come by and life, job, family will become priority. Why do people waste so much energy, time and money on this rat race? Is it just a thing to do that others are doing and is accepted as a standard of "success" or a good college "resume"?

Cue the parents who will come in to justify that little Brayden absolutely had to be on a travel team because even though he isn’t good enough to play in college the competition of rec teams just wasn’t enough for his immense talent and skill.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Never understood this obsession with high performing athletics, like travel sports as a normal thing people "should" do or even relevant for college applications unless the kid has some special talents. I value recreational sports as something kids can do to enjoy and also with no strings attached, something you don't have to schedule your life around. Same is true for other extracurriculars too like music and art for kids who are simply ok and aren't super talented.

The truth is vast majority of kids who do these consuming activities will never benefit from them, make any money on it, have it as a career or even get a scholarship. Surely they won't be playing when they are adult as teams are hard to come by and life, job, family will become priority. Why do people waste so much energy, time and money on this rat race? Is it just a thing to do that others are doing and is accepted as a standard of "success" or a good college "resume"?

Cue the parents who will come in to justify that little Brayden absolutely had to be on a travel team because even though he isn’t good enough to play in college the competition of rec teams just wasn’t enough for his immense talent and skill.

It’s not the competition that’s not enough, it’s that the kids keep moving to travel so the rec teams have constant change and turnover. My child moved to a mid-level travel team, and he had so much fun. But the system stinks. All those kids should’ve been rec. Tbh, all those kids should’ve just been playing at the park.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It depends. My DS made the varsity tennis team at Langley HS as a freshman.

My kid also made the tennis team as a freshman. There is only varsity tennis in fcps. No JV. For your kid and my kid, it doesn’t seem so competitive. For the other 40 kids who came to tryouts and didn’t make the team, they will say it is extremely difficult to make the tennis team.

There is no JV in either golf or tennis in FCPS. They are probably the two most difficult sports due to the small roster size. It is even more difficult in HS such as Langley, Mclean, and Oakton because just about every kid in the tryouts is either from UMC or UC families. Those kids are trained at a very young age, since money is not an issue. The competition to be in the golf or tennis team is ten times worse than the competition in academics.

Wut. As long as you play some tournaments you can make high school team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It depends. My DS made the varsity tennis team at Langley HS as a freshman.

My kid also made the tennis team as a freshman. There is only varsity tennis in fcps. No JV. For your kid and my kid, it doesn’t seem so competitive. For the other 40 kids who came to tryouts and didn’t make the team, they will say it is extremely difficult to make the tennis team.

There is no JV in either golf or tennis in FCPS. They are probably the two most difficult sports due to the small roster size. It is even more difficult in HS such as Langley, Mclean, and Oakton because just about every kid in the tryouts is either from UMC or UC families. Those kids are trained at a very young age, since money is not an issue. The competition to be in the golf or tennis team is ten times worse than the competition in academics.

Wut. As long as you play some tournaments you can make high school team.

Not if you attend any of the schools in a wealthy neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It depends. My DS made the varsity tennis team at Langley HS as a freshman.

My kid also made the tennis team as a freshman. There is only varsity tennis in fcps. No JV. For your kid and my kid, it doesn’t seem so competitive. For the other 40 kids who came to tryouts and didn’t make the team, they will say it is extremely difficult to make the tennis team.

There is no JV in either golf or tennis in FCPS. They are probably the two most difficult sports due to the small roster size. It is even more difficult in HS such as Langley, Mclean, and Oakton because just about every kid in the tryouts is either from UMC or UC families. Those kids are trained at a very young age, since money is not an issue. The competition to be in the golf or tennis team is ten times worse than the competition in academics.

Wut. As long as you play some tournaments you can make high school team.

Not if you attend any of the schools in a wealthy neighborhood.

So maybe don't attend that school. Most schools allow you to join teams.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Never understood this obsession with high performing athletics, like travel sports as a normal thing people "should" do or even relevant for college applications unless the kid has some special talents. I value recreational sports as something kids can do to enjoy and also with no strings attached, something you don't have to schedule your life around. Same is true for other extracurriculars too like music and art for kids who are simply ok and aren't super talented.

The truth is vast majority of kids who do these consuming activities will never benefit from them, make any money on it, have it as a career or even get a scholarship. Surely they won't be playing when they are adult as teams are hard to come by and life, job, family will become priority. Why do people waste so much energy, time and money on this rat race? Is it just a thing to do that others are doing and is accepted as a standard of "success" or a good college "resume"?

Cue the parents who will come in to justify that little Brayden absolutely had to be on a travel team because even though he isn’t good enough to play in college the competition of rec teams just wasn’t enough for his immense talent and skill.

It’s not the competition that’s not enough, it’s that the kids keep moving to travel so the rec teams have constant change and turnover. My child moved to a mid-level travel team, and he had so much fun. But the system stinks. All those kids should’ve been rec. Tbh, all those kids should’ve just been playing at the park.

My kids are totally feeling this right now. My oldest has been on rec teams (through 6th/7th) with the same girls for a while, but eventually even for them the turnover has started. Kids decided to go to another sport, went travel, came back from travel, and so on upsetting the parity in the program and making teams have to reshuffle. For my middle most of her friends are headed to the same travel team and most of the rest got tired of the girls headed to travel and gave up. So it's on to almost a whole new team for her. Neither are thrilled about it.

That said, I've seen a ton of shakeup for my friends with kids in travel this year, so it's not always better on the travel side. Just sometimes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s just the dc area. Move to the south or Midwest

False. My family is from the south and DH’s is from the Midwest. The constant competition is in both places as much as it is here.

Fake news

It's not. I'm from Ohio and sorry to say that it is the same there, esp. in the more populated areas.

Ohio has some highly competitive showcase teams in my kids' sport. So does Kansas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It depends. My DS made the varsity tennis team at Langley HS as a freshman.

My kid also made the tennis team as a freshman. There is only varsity tennis in fcps. No JV. For your kid and my kid, it doesn’t seem so competitive. For the other 40 kids who came to tryouts and didn’t make the team, they will say it is extremely difficult to make the tennis team.

There is no JV in either golf or tennis in FCPS. They are probably the two most difficult sports due to the small roster size. It is even more difficult in HS such as Langley, Mclean, and Oakton because just about every kid in the tryouts is either from UMC or UC families. Those kids are trained at a very young age, since money is not an issue. The competition to be in the golf or tennis team is ten times worse than the competition in academics.

Wut. As long as you play some tournaments you can make high school team.

Not if you attend any of the schools in a wealthy neighborhood.

Still false. There are kids with utr 3-4 making high school teams at Ws

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sure it's intimidating for kids who aren't that athletic trying to join a sport so they have something to put on a college application. Why do there have to be tryouts? Why can't kids join because they want to? Adults put so much pressure on kids trying to make them into overachievers because everything is so competitive these days.

Watching the Olympics, I noticed Americans seem so obnoxious compared to people from other countries. It's as if they are so self-centered they don't even really see how they are acting like buffoons, and I'm an American. Everyone's behavior is so over the top nowadays.

No student applying for college needs to have a sport on their application. There are way more impressive ways for teens to spend their time.

Americans are the worst at the Olympics. There was one male swimmer they were focused on. He cried when he lost, came in 7th or something. This after the male swimmers being the most obnoxious.

That swimmer won two individual golds at the last Olympics. To come in 6th in one event and 7th in the other is a huge disappointment after working so hard. The media wants another Michael Phelps. It's a lot of attention and pressure. Caleb has struggled with his mental health in the past and has been open about that in an effort to remove the stigma. The cameras should have left him alone after the race ended.

Plus wasn’t that his last race and now he’s retiring/moving on?

Thats a big decision and an emotional last race, or last game or last one whatever. Thats normal.

Also normal is wanting to go out on top, not in decline. Pitchers struggle with last season versus do one more year.
Obviously Biden didn’t give two F’s about retiring until many years too late. Then he got blown out of the water.