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

[Anonymous]

Homework should definitely come first. There's no doubt about that. Also, I believe that when you're balancing things like an occasional (i.e. twice a year) band concert or mandatory religious training, you're not making the same assessments that you would be when you're choosing the soccer game over the baseball game.

Kids are busy with all sorts of activities, but this thread was specifically directed at the number of sports teams a kid should join in any one season. The point I was trying to make was that we shouldn't overextend our child's commitments to sports teams. It's not fair to the team you're "dissing" that week -- even if you played for them in a separate game 3 days prior. Make your commitments and honor them - that is all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Homework should definitely come first. There's no doubt about that. Also, I believe that when you're balancing things like an occasional (i.e. twice a year) band concert or mandatory religious training, you're not making the same assessments that you would be when you're choosing the soccer game over the baseball game.

Kids are busy with all sorts of activities, but this thread was specifically directed at the number of sports teams a kid should join in any one season. The point I was trying to make was that we shouldn't overextend our child's commitments to sports teams. It's not fair to the team you're "dissing" that week -- even if you played for them in a separate game 3 days prior. Make your commitments and honor them - that is all.

I understand and I agree with you but unfortunately the system has created a situation where parents feel they have to "commit" to one sport way too early. Also it is not healthy. The good coaches realize this. They also realize a kid can't be a good athlete if they pitch from 2nd grade through high school but never works other muscles.

We are fortunate that coaches are starting to realize this. So if you do miss a lacrosse game in fall for a soccer game or a soccer game in Spring for a lacrosse game and are honest about it kids are learning a good lesson. The coach know the kid is better for having the two sports and missing one is not the end of the world.

It does translate to the real world in the future. You do not lie to your boss and call in sick because you rather golf on a beautiful 83 degree day you just say - I have Julie covering all my stuff and I have to hit the links and Julie can say I have Joe covering all my stuff I can't miss my kids field trip.

It's a better world than the dog eat dog world of the 80's. Commitments are commitments but mental health/balance is better.

[Anonymous]

There's nothing about doing one sport per season that says you have to commit to that sport forever. Trying lacrosse in the fall doesn't mean that you have to play lacrosse in the spring. Play soccer in the spring! I think parents get wrapped around the axle of making sure their kids "try" everything. Let them pick what they want -- not what you think they need to try.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's nothing about doing one sport per season that says you have to commit to that sport forever. Trying lacrosse in the fall doesn't mean that you have to play lacrosse in the spring. Play soccer in the spring! I think parents get wrapped around the axle of making sure their kids "try" everything. Let them pick what they want -- not what you think they need to try.

You will be very surprise how many sports are year round.

[Anonymous]

My son is in kindergarten, and I made the mistake of signing him up for overlapping spring soccer and t-ball. I ended up having to pull him out of t-ball before the season even began, as the scheduled overlapped too much and he'd be missing practices and games. I've vowed never to do overlapping sports in a season again.

[Anonymous]

One per season. Which is already too much if it is travel

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I actually find it less insane at a young age because if you miss a practice or a game it's not that big of deal. It's when they get older that it becomes more difficult.

I guess it depends on what you want to teach your kids. The whole point of joining a team is making a commitment and honoring that commitment by showing up and doing your best. We truly don't think our kids are going to be playing for the Yankees someday. However, do know that they'll have to be valuable team players at all different levels. Just because you're on a team of 5 and 6 year olds doesn't make your commitment to the other 5 & 6 year olds any less important. After all, the coaches, other players, and other players' parents have all honored their commitment to show up. What makes your kid's soccer game more important than his baseball game on any particular Saturday?? That's why we insist on picking your poisons (if you will) and standing by the choice you make every season.

Parents like you crack me up. Yes, the commitment to a bunch of 5 and 6 yr olds by another 5 and 6 yr old is pretty much non-existant because they are at the mercy of what their parents want. I really doubt that if Jr. at the age of 5 misses a couple soccer games that he will forever and ever believe that you do not need to be committed to anything in life.

[Anonymous]

Another parent who lets their kids play as many sports at the same time as they can as long as grades are maintained. The hard part isn't overlapping sports, it's bean overlapping levels, ie travel baseball and LL. These groups seems to get more upset about missing one for the other than missing for a different sport.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I actually find it less insane at a young age because if you miss a practice or a game it's not that big of deal. It's when they get older that it becomes more difficult.

I guess it depends on what you want to teach your kids. The whole point of joining a team is making a commitment and honoring that commitment by showing up and doing your best. We truly don't think our kids are going to be playing for the Yankees someday. However, do know that they'll have to be valuable team players at all different levels. Just because you're on a team of 5 and 6 year olds doesn't make your commitment to the other 5 & 6 year olds any less important. After all, the coaches, other players, and other players' parents have all honored their commitment to show up. What makes your kid's soccer game more important than his baseball game on any particular Saturday?? That's why we insist on picking your poisons (if you will) and standing by the choice you make every season.

Parents like you crack me up. Yes, the commitment to a bunch of 5 and 6 yr olds by another 5 and 6 yr old is pretty much non-existant because they are at the mercy of what their parents want. I really doubt that if Jr. at the age of 5 misses a couple soccer games that he will forever and ever believe that you do not need to be committed to anything in life.

Exactly. I love it when some kids can't make the game. It means my kid gets to play the whole game and isn't sitting on the bench waiting to play. I hate it when everyone shows up and the 5 and 6 year olds have to sit for half the game.

[Anonymous]

We do one sport a season and swimming lessons. My dd picked soccer one season and hated it. Now she is doing ballet on Saturdays and swimming lesson on Sundays. I don't think we could commit to the crazy schedule of travel leagues because she needs to stay up on her homework. Then she also does American Heritage Girls. So she has a commitment Monday night, Tuesday night (tutoring) and Sat and Sun mornings. That is about all she can handle right now (first grade).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I actually find it less insane at a young age because if you miss a practice or a game it's not that big of deal. It's when they get older that it becomes more difficult.

I guess it depends on what you want to teach your kids. The whole point of joining a team is making a commitment and honoring that commitment by showing up and doing your best. We truly don't think our kids are going to be playing for the Yankees someday. However, do know that they'll have to be valuable team players at all different levels. Just because you're on a team of 5 and 6 year olds doesn't make your commitment to the other 5 & 6 year olds any less important. After all, the coaches, other players, and other players' parents have all honored their commitment to show up. What makes your kid's soccer game more important than his baseball game on any particular Saturday?? That's why we insist on picking your poisons (if you will) and standing by the choice you make every season.

Your kid must suck.

Parents like you crack me up. Yes, the commitment to a bunch of 5 and 6 yr olds by another 5 and 6 yr old is pretty much non-existant because they are at the mercy of what their parents want. I really doubt that if Jr. at the age of 5 misses a couple soccer games that he will forever and ever believe that you do not need to be committed to anything in life.

Exactly. I love it when some kids can't make the game. It means my kid gets to play the whole game and isn't sitting on the bench waiting to play. I hate it when everyone shows up and the 5 and 6 year olds have to sit for half the game.

[Anonymous]

In 4th and 5th gr, DD played travel soccer, aau basketball and swam and decided herself to drop travel soccer in middle school. DS played lacrosse and baseball every spring until he choose to focus on lacrosse. We enabled them to pursue their interests and it worked for our family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In 4th and 5th gr, DD played travel soccer, aau basketball and swam and decided herself to drop travel soccer in middle school. DS played lacrosse and baseball every spring until he choose to focus on lacrosse. We enabled them to pursue their interests and it worked for our family.

NP here.. this to me makes sense.. I think it's us with younger kids that have more issues of what to do/letting them pick. clearly if they hated it, I'd back off.

[Anonymous]

I am having a hard time with this, first my kids like everything and second I want them to always participate in piano, swimming and karate (they eat up too many nights). Dd also participates in 2 other activities overlapping, she's only in kindergarten so it works. Next year it will only be the three for her. She doesnt like karate but I want her to do it versus sitting around waiting for her brother- it's great for confidence and self defense too.

Helps, the fact that my kids can do the three activities together at the same time. No travel sports, I'm staying away from those until they are older. Now that DD is approaching 6, it's getting challenging with the want vs, what she doesn't want vs. what I can afford as well. It doesn't help the fact that I like everything too!

[Anonymous]

To the OP: is there another kid on your kids team that you organize with the parents to swap with? So you collect your kid and the other kid and drop them at practice and the other parent picks them up and drops them off? This will minimize the impact on your other kids and you will feel like you do less running around. My