Why are youth and high school sports so competitive to get into now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think part of it is that for white kids who are “average” academically it has gotten so much harder to get into the type of universities that were once considered safety schools. So parents are looking for every type of edge. Not even looking for an athletic scholarship, but just a slight advantage in admissions.

Same was true for academically average asians and assimilated hispanics. Now without affirmative action, academically average blacks and academically below average non-assilated hispanics are in the same boat and need to have good extra curricular activities to compensate for the lackluster academic record. The contrived sob stories about "disadvantaged" upbringings are hard to take seriously when a kid is enrolled in half a dozen outside activities. Maybe the sports bubble will pop and everyone will flock to mathletes and violin lessons.

[Anonymous]

It’s nice isn’t it?

Go back 20 years and the same 20 kids made/started on football, basketball, baseball. Same with girls. In the 80s a 1,000 kid high school would have 80 guys playing sports and 50 girls.

Now, there are more sports and almost all kids focus on one or two sports. It really has opened the doors to school sports to way more kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s all about money, of course. More people making as much as they can off the American obsession with sports. Parents throwing money at those people so they and their kid can say they are on travel.

Ironically the coaching leagues and what not are more often than not non-for-profit, coaches get paid very little given the effort required. Yes, coaches are drawn to money, even if it is a couple of private lessons a week to help pay the bills. However, I think it is more about the wealthy who can afford these luxuries, they really don't want to play with "poor" kids. It isn't a coincidence that many of the summer league swim pools requite memberships, often times difficult to get bordering on invitation only. They created a system of elitism to keep kids out are able to enjoy the public spaces that were created, by creating a pseudo-meritocracy. I call it a pseudo-meritocracy, because while the kids that compete can compete, they are leveraging resources that your average athlete just isn't going to have. For example, one of the soccer clubs in the area offers, "Training at camps in Europe". What a luxury item that is. Want to play the nine, just pony up for one of those camps. Even if you are on the teams, they will make sure you don't outshine these kids. Good luck trying to play the nine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s nice isn’t it?

Go back 20 years and the same 20 kids made/started on football, basketball, baseball. Same with girls. In the 80s a 1,000 kid high school would have 80 guys playing sports and 50 girls.

Now, there are more sports and almost all kids focus on one or two sports. It really has opened the doors to school sports to way more kids.

Except the high schools are now 3k so 100 girls may show up for volleyball tryouts

[Anonymous]

While some areas may have gone to fewer schools with more kids because they were getting less competitive, the original driver was simply saving money for school districts. Fewer AC bills, fewer administrators needed, less space for janitors to clean.

As the school aged population declines expect school mergers to continue across the nation, regardless of the impact on sports teams.

[Anonymous]

Holy shit

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s nice isn’t it?

Go back 20 years and the same 20 kids made/started on football, basketball, baseball. Same with girls. In the 80s a 1,000 kid high school would have 80 guys playing sports and 50 girls.

Now, there are more sports and almost all kids focus on one or two sports. It really has opened the doors to school sports to way more kids.

Except the high schools are now 3k so 100 girls may show up for volleyball tryouts

None of this is different now from then.
Different cities towns have different size schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s all about money, of course. More people making as much as they can off the American obsession with sports. Parents throwing money at those people so they and their kid can say they are on travel.

Ironically the coaching leagues and what not are more often than not non-for-profit, coaches get paid very little given the effort required. Yes, coaches are drawn to money, even if it is a couple of private lessons a week to help pay the bills. However, I think it is more about the wealthy who can afford these luxuries, they really don't want to play with "poor" kids. It isn't a coincidence that many of the summer league swim pools requite memberships, often times difficult to get bordering on invitation only. They created a system of elitism to keep kids out are able to enjoy the public spaces that were created, by creating a pseudo-meritocracy. I call it a pseudo-meritocracy, because while the kids that compete can compete, they are leveraging resources that your average athlete just isn't going to have. For example, one of the soccer clubs in the area offers, "Training at camps in Europe". What a luxury item that is. Want to play the nine, just pony up for one of those camps. Even if you are on the teams, they will make sure you don't outshine these kids. Good luck trying to play the nine.

What is this babble? There are neighborhood pools and public pools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s all about money, of course. More people making as much as they can off the American obsession with sports. Parents throwing money at those people so they and their kid can say they are on travel.

Ironically the coaching leagues and what not are more often than not non-for-profit, coaches get paid very little given the effort required. Yes, coaches are drawn to money, even if it is a couple of private lessons a week to help pay the bills. However, I think it is more about the wealthy who can afford these luxuries, they really don't want to play with "poor" kids. It isn't a coincidence that many of the summer league swim pools requite memberships, often times difficult to get bordering on invitation only. They created a system of elitism to keep kids out are able to enjoy the public spaces that were created, by creating a pseudo-meritocracy. I call it a pseudo-meritocracy, because while the kids that compete can compete, they are leveraging resources that your average athlete just isn't going to have. For example, one of the soccer clubs in the area offers, "Training at camps in Europe". What a luxury item that is. Want to play the nine, just pony up for one of those camps. Even if you are on the teams, they will make sure you don't outshine these kids. Good luck trying to play the nine.

What is this babble? There are neighborhood pools and public pools.

In our area the competitive swimming year-round programs are subsidized indoor pools which are extremely difficult to get into and are dominated by well off families in the area who have memberships at private neighborhood pools and pay for private lessons. The coaches themselves don't make much money on the deal, but they do punk up the program for the rest of us.

Is this making sense is there any way, I can unpack it for you further? Any little detail I missed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s all about money, of course. More people making as much as they can off the American obsession with sports. Parents throwing money at those people so they and their kid can say they are on travel.

Ironically the coaching leagues and what not are more often than not non-for-profit, coaches get paid very little given the effort required. Yes, coaches are drawn to money, even if it is a couple of private lessons a week to help pay the bills. However, I think it is more about the wealthy who can afford these luxuries, they really don't want to play with "poor" kids. It isn't a coincidence that many of the summer league swim pools requite memberships, often times difficult to get bordering on invitation only. They created a system of elitism to keep kids out are able to enjoy the public spaces that were created, by creating a pseudo-meritocracy. I call it a pseudo-meritocracy, because while the kids that compete can compete, they are leveraging resources that your average athlete just isn't going to have. For example, one of the soccer clubs in the area offers, "Training at camps in Europe". What a luxury item that is. Want to play the nine, just pony up for one of those camps. Even if you are on the teams, they will make sure you don't outshine these kids. Good luck trying to play the nine.

What is this babble? There are neighborhood pools and public pools.

Not that PP, but do public pools have swim teams?

We never joined a swim club because I loathe sitting around the pool, and my kids aren't interested in a swim team, but if they were, what public swim teams are available without a membership?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s nice isn’t it?

Go back 20 years and the same 20 kids made/started on football, basketball, baseball. Same with girls. In the 80s a 1,000 kid high school would have 80 guys playing sports and 50 girls.

Now, there are more sports and almost all kids focus on one or two sports. It really has opened the doors to school sports to way more kids.

Except the high schools are now 3k so 100 girls may show up for volleyball tryouts

None of this is different now from then.
Different cities towns have different size schools.

Exactly. My dad always talks about trying out for freshman football when 200 other kids tried out. My grandfather wouldn't buy him cleats until he made the team. Think about that in today's society. He made the team and he got cleats. It is just people whining to whine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s nice isn’t it?

Go back 20 years and the same 20 kids made/started on football, basketball, baseball. Same with girls. In the 80s a 1,000 kid high school would have 80 guys playing sports and 50 girls.

Now, there are more sports and almost all kids focus on one or two sports. It really has opened the doors to school sports to way more kids.

Except the high schools are now 3k so 100 girls may show up for volleyball tryouts

None of this is different now from then.
Different cities towns have different size schools.

Exactly. My dad always talks about trying out for freshman football when 200 other kids tried out. My grandfather wouldn't buy him cleats until he made the team. Think about that in today's society. He made the team and he got cleats. It is just people whining to whine.

Not really. In the late 90's the process had already started. I recall there were the kids that were in AAU that were the stars, then there were everyone else. Now everyone else has to be in AAU also. AAU is year round training. No stop. When I was growing up there were season. The coaches couldn't coach us in preseaon other than conditioning and providing a place to play pick up games. Literal rules.... NO COACHING. Many kids went from sport to sport.

Now private AAU coaches coach year round. No multi-sport athletes. Kids start training very young. Didn't make the swim team whe you were five so sorry Mr. Phelps (Michael only started when he was 7 ) in our area that would never happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s nice isn’t it?

Go back 20 years and the same 20 kids made/started on football, basketball, baseball. Same with girls. In the 80s a 1,000 kid high school would have 80 guys playing sports and 50 girls.

Now, there are more sports and almost all kids focus on one or two sports. It really has opened the doors to school sports to way more kids.

Except the high schools are now 3k so 100 girls may show up for volleyball tryouts

None of this is different now from then.
Different cities towns have different size schools.

Exactly. My dad always talks about trying out for freshman football when 200 other kids tried out. My grandfather wouldn't buy him cleats until he made the team. Think about that in today's society. He made the team and he got cleats. It is just people whining to whine.

Not really. In the late 90's the process had already started. I recall there were the kids that were in AAU that were the stars, then there were everyone else. Now everyone else has to be in AAU also. AAU is year round training. No stop. When I was growing up there were season. The coaches couldn't coach us in preseaon other than conditioning and providing a place to play pick up games. Literal rules.... NO COACHING. Many kids went from sport to sport.

Now private AAU coaches coach year round. No multi-sport athletes. Kids start training very young. Didn't make the swim team whe you were five so sorry Mr. Phelps (Michael only started when he was 7 ) in our area that would never happen.

I'm sorry, the bolded is utter b.s. I know many multi-sport athletes. I also know current students who play D1 who started their sport when their age was double digits. With passion, diligence, and natural talent a lot is possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s nice isn’t it?

Go back 20 years and the same 20 kids made/started on football, basketball, baseball. Same with girls. In the 80s a 1,000 kid high school would have 80 guys playing sports and 50 girls.

Now, there are more sports and almost all kids focus on one or two sports. It really has opened the doors to school sports to way more kids.

Except the high schools are now 3k so 100 girls may show up for volleyball tryouts

None of this is different now from then.
Different cities towns have different size schools.

Exactly. My dad always talks about trying out for freshman football when 200 other kids tried out. My grandfather wouldn't buy him cleats until he made the team. Think about that in today's society. He made the team and he got cleats. It is just people whining to whine.

Not really. In the late 90's the process had already started. I recall there were the kids that were in AAU that were the stars, then there were everyone else. Now everyone else has to be in AAU also. AAU is year round training. No stop. When I was growing up there were season. The coaches couldn't coach us in preseaon other than conditioning and providing a place to play pick up games. Literal rules.... NO COACHING. Many kids went from sport to sport.

Now private AAU coaches coach year round. No multi-sport athletes. Kids start training very young. Didn't make the swim team whe you were five so sorry Mr. Phelps (Michael only started when he was 7 ) in our area that would never happen.

There are still plenty of multi sport athletes, and they’re still the best athletes. Of course making teams is harder now than when we were kids, just as housing is more expensive, and traffic is worse. There are just significantly more people competing for the same resources; it’s not some conspiracy.

Most of these kids who specialize young peak at around age 11 and quit their sport entirely by 14.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s nice isn’t it?

Go back 20 years and the same 20 kids made/started on football, basketball, baseball. Same with girls. In the 80s a 1,000 kid high school would have 80 guys playing sports and 50 girls.

Now, there are more sports and almost all kids focus on one or two sports. It really has opened the doors to school sports to way more kids.

Except the high schools are now 3k so 100 girls may show up for volleyball tryouts

None of this is different now from then.
Different cities towns have different size schools.

Exactly. My dad always talks about trying out for freshman football when 200 other kids tried out. My grandfather wouldn't buy him cleats until he made the team. Think about that in today's society. He made the team and he got cleats. It is just people whining to whine.

Not really. In the late 90's the process had already started. I recall there were the kids that were in AAU that were the stars, then there were everyone else. Now everyone else has to be in AAU also. AAU is year round training. No stop. When I was growing up there were season. The coaches couldn't coach us in preseaon other than conditioning and providing a place to play pick up games. Literal rules.... NO COACHING. Many kids went from sport to sport.

Now private AAU coaches coach year round. No multi-sport athletes. Kids start training very young. Didn't make the swim team whe you were five so sorry Mr. Phelps (Michael only started when he was 7 ) in our area that would never happen.

I'm sorry, the bolded is utter b.s. I know many multi-sport athletes. I also know current students who play D1 who started their sport when their age was double digits. With passion, diligence, and natural talent a lot is possible.

I think that in general we agree about what it is. Except you seem to deny that many sports/coaches are like that. Which is pretty dense given you can go look up what competitive year-round soccer, basketball or swimming progarms literally are and what their schedules are.