when did your child choose one sport per season? Multiple teams are driving me NUTS!!

[Anonymous]

My 1st grader is playing baseball and lacrosse this season and lamenting the fact that we made him give up soccer (which he played in the fall.) Even the baseball and lacrosse are hard to manage, as we have two younger children. We are wondering if next year we can make him pick just one -- although I hate for him to "specialize" so early.
What do other families do here?

[Anonymous]

My child is in 2nd and we are doing two sports this season plus other classes. It seems that 3rd grade is the year that kids need to really devote more specific time to a given sport. So next year, I will make her choose.

[Anonymous]

It does not get better any time soon. My kids are in middle school. Sports become year round.

We do 2 sports but pick the "priority" per season. Fall = soccer, Spring = lacrosse

So even though both are year round we miss lacrosse in the fall when there is a conflict and we miss soccer in the spring when there is a conflict.

It is hard to do lacrosse and baseball though - so you will have to choose one.

We dumped football for soccer in 5th grade.

[Anonymous]

We never let our kids pick more than one sport per season. They get to pick the sport they really want to play that season and we sign them up. It's crazy to take on too many activities, especially at a young age. It interferes with your entire week: dinnertime, homework, bath/bedtime, everything. It's not worth and it's just too disruptive to the family.

[Anonymous]

The entire sports system around here is crazy. Practices on different days and times, children playing sports 4 times a week. Traveling at 2nd and 3rd grade. It's nuts! Worse than FCPS's AAP program if you ask me.

[Anonymous]

Insane. Pick one organized activity or sport per season. You need unstructured time for a kid, too.

[Anonymous]

We made him decide after 2nd grade because it became impossible for DH and myself to drive all over the place with two more younger children, who also wanted to participate in sports. So he stuck with soccer and is now a freshman in HS still playing that sport.

[Anonymous]

I think the key here is that it shouldn't be the kid who decides.

You decide how many structured activities your kid can have.

I see too many parents stressed because of an over-committed kid.

Not to mention, I don't think it helps the kids. They need unstructured time, especially at that age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the key here is that it shouldn't be the kid who decides.

You decide how many structured activities your kid can have.
I see too many parents stressed because of an over-committed kid.

Not to mention, I don't think it helps the kids. They need unstructured time, especially at that age.

Spot on. I think you need unstructured time at every age. Time for biking, leisure swimming, reading and time for just bumming around the house.

[Anonymous]

do they all do team snacks too?

[ThatSmileyFaceGuy]

One per season and the twins have to agree on which one, so far we've been lucky

[Anonymous]

Didn't start one sport per season until sophomore year in high school. But we only have one kid.

[Anonymous]

One per season.

[Anonymous]

One per season. And we don't do swim team. Ain't nobody got time for that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We never let our kids pick more than one sport per season. They get to pick the sport they really want to play that season and we sign them up. It's crazy to take on too many activities, especially at a young age. It interferes with your entire week: dinnertime, homework, bath/bedtime, everything. It's not worth and it's just too disruptive to the family.

+1

In our family, the question is when are you old/mature enough to be allowed to play more than one sport per season. Usually middle school.