Good at sports or good at academics?

[Anonymous]

Op - I am not saying sports aren’t important. They are. All of my kids play a sport every season. We do travel sports as well. BUT I think academics should be the focus not sports. If the kids academics start to fall we will need to reevaluate their sports commitments.

[Anonymous]

“If you could choose one for your kid to excel at which would you choose?”

That’s a real question?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My husband went to an Ivy League law school and will quickly tell you that sports has gotten him further in life than being book smart. I constantly have to tell him to rein it in with our own kids.

Interesting. Is this because of being recruited? Or networking in an expensive sport?

[Anonymous]

Sports were never, ever close to that important. And both kids ended up on high school varsity teams. Before that, rec sports were only done if it was convenient for the family, and it was occasional. There was a time when I felt slightly regretful. A teammate of my DD did go to an Ivy to play her sport. My DD wasn't nearly as good, but was better academically. However, taking the long view, DD has excelled professionally and has been on the right path for her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op - I am not saying sports aren’t important. They are. All of my kids play a sport every season. We do travel sports as well. BUT I think academics should be the focus not sports. If the kids academics start to fall we will need to reevaluate their sports commitments.

Guess you have it all figured out then! Seems like you came here to be judgmental and smug, not actually ask a question..

[Anonymous]

I can’t believe that

1. This is an actual question
2. Some people are saying sports

[Anonymous]

This thread reeks of 💩

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can’t believe that

1. This is an actual question
2. Some people are saying sports

You really can’t believe that other people have different desires/priorities/goals than you do? Really?

I predict you are going to have a really tough day today…

[Anonymous]

I'm an everything in moderation kind of parent.

The 4-5 days a week schedule + trainings seems very excessive for most 8 yr olds, sports-wise. But it's also excessive for an 8 yr to have an hours-worth of homework a night (it's excessive in 4th grade too), and then those same kids are inevitably also in some math enrichment program a couple times a week and also spending hours on their parents' academic "supplementation".

I'd pick neither, but at 8 yrs old, excessive sports would actually be better . . .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the people replying “sports,” are you envisioning your children being professional athletes one day or just competitive travel athlete that gets recruited to DIII they could have gotten into anyway?

My husband and I both have graduate degrees and we excelled at academics. However, I highly value sports, as well as academics. It is absolutely not because I want my kids to be professional athletes.

A person with average intelligence and a college degree can get a job and be successful. So what does sports offer?

My kids are learning to fail. They are competitive swimmers and often don't achieve their goals. They learn that if they fail, they can be sad for a while, but they must pick themselves up and keep going.

They learn to work with others. Swimming is more of an individual sport (with some relays), but they are part of a team. When someone is down they are learning to support that teammate.

Physical activity is excellent for mental health and anxiety. Also, as teenagers, they can't get mixed up with drugs or alcohol, as that will affect their performance.

We also value academics, but being a healthy successful person involves body and mind. One is not more important that the other. Remember that we evolved to be physical animals. We were not meant to sit still all day with our head in the books.

Ultimately, my kids are doing reasonably well at both. They will never be professional athletes, and they are no Einsteins, but they have a nice balance. They are happy, social, physically fit, and educated.

[Anonymous]

My kids are amazing athletes and super smart
#blessed

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To the people replying “sports,” are you envisioning your children being professional athletes one day or just competitive travel athlete that gets recruited to DIII they could have gotten into anyway?

My husband and I both have graduate degrees and we excelled at academics. However, I highly value sports, as well as academics. It is absolutely not because I want my kids to be professional athletes.

A person with average intelligence and a college degree can get a job and be successful. So what does sports offer?

My kids are learning to fail. They are competitive swimmers and often don't achieve their goals. They learn that if they fail, they can be sad for a while, but they must pick themselves up and keep going.

They learn to work with others. Swimming is more of an individual sport (with some relays), but they are part of a team. When someone is down they are learning to support that teammate.

Physical activity is excellent for mental health and anxiety. Also, as teenagers, they can't get mixed up with drugs or alcohol, as that will affect their performance.

We also value academics, but being a healthy successful person involves body and mind. One is not more important that the other. Remember that we evolved to be physical animals. We were not meant to sit still all day with our head in the books.

Ultimately, my kids are doing reasonably well at both. They will never be professional athletes, and they are no Einsteins, but they have a nice balance. They are happy, social, physically fit, and educated.

So, if you answered OP’s Q, what would you say?

[Anonymous]

OP, let me guess. These people who are "overly focused on sports" send their kids to public school, which you think is not as good as the parochial with a ton of homework for early elementary? My kids are in FCPS and they have maybe 20 mins of homework a week, so that leaves plenty of time for other things, including sports, free play, music, being in a play. I want my kids to be well-rounded, so I would say both are a priority. They don't even have real grades in FCPS elementary so it's pretty hard for grades to "slip!"

[Anonymous]

OP, I have a 13yo who does well in both school and sports, for which I am grateful. She realized a few years back that she needs physical activity for the mental health benefits.

There's a weird DCUM stereotype that parents are in it for D1 scholarships, but some of us support our kids in sports because it actually helps with everything else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I have a 13yo who does well in both school and sports, for which I am grateful. She realized a few years back that she needs physical activity for the mental health benefits.

There's a weird DCUM stereotype that parents are in it for D1 scholarships, but some of us support our kids in sports because it actually helps with everything else.

The stereotype is that sports are somehow more valuable than other activities, almost as valuable as academics. And if your child doesn’t do sports, there is something wrong with them.

And before the regulars jump on my post, my kids are involved in many activities, including sports.