Who is more crazy? Sport parents or academic parents?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We travel soccer parents refer to ourselves as "committed", but we know that's just a code for crazy. Now for perspective, this is the absolute top level of competitive soccer in an area that is among the best in the country. So my thought is that if one has a child who has been blessed with athletic ability and also loves the training, the friendships, and all the hard work, why wouldn't I facilitate that? We aren't the parents yelling at refs (and the other parents), but we are the parents trucking our kid all over the Mid-Atlantic for matches, training, and tryouts.

Most of the kids I know are quite good at academics, too. The attributes of hard work and time management translate to school as well as sport.

Because what's the end game? That they'll maybe play in college? 10% chance of happening. Playing D1 or using athletics to grub into an Ivy? Less than 5%.

I'm convinced parents do it just to fill THEIR day. It's not about keeping kids busy it's just an easy hole to go down when you don't have a life.

How about the fact that about 95% of CEOs participated in sports High school. Success in life is not just about academics.

https://www.youthletic.com/articles/from-captain-to-ceo-its-proven-that-youth-sports-make-kids-successful/

I want a kid who is balanced. Feel bad for those who's parents don't see the value, they are missing out on much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Depends on your definition of crazy. I think that sports parents can be more outwardly crazy, but academic parents can do more psychological damage to their children.

Agree. Obnoxious sports crazy parents are very visibly crazy and hyped up over their kids' sports, talking about performances, games, etc. loudly. Such a turnoff. Academic crazy parents can also be like that. The mother of one of my son's friends would pump me for information about my son's (and other kids') stats. It was clear she was sussing out the competition. All she talked about was what colleges her son was gunning for, and what he needed to do to get there. When he did get into a very competitive SLAC, she sent out a mass email to everyone she knew, plus a FB post, giving detail after detail about this school and how very selective it was. You know, just in case some hick out there hadn't heard of it. THEN her son got off the waitlist at another, even more selective school, and the whole brag fest started again. It was truly sickening.

Other times, the academic crazy parents are more stealthy. You'd never know the pressure they put on their kids until you hear it from the kids themselves. A friend of my daughter's has said repeatedly that her dad will "kill her" if she brings home anything less than an A. It's pathetic and revolting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Neither. DCUM parents win it hands down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We travel soccer parents refer to ourselves as "committed", but we know that's just a code for crazy. Now for perspective, this is the absolute top level of competitive soccer in an area that is among the best in the country. So my thought is that if one has a child who has been blessed with athletic ability and also loves the training, the friendships, and all the hard work, why wouldn't I facilitate that? We aren't the parents yelling at refs (and the other parents), but we are the parents trucking our kid all over the Mid-Atlantic for matches, training, and tryouts.

Most of the kids I know are quite good at academics, too. The attributes of hard work and time management translate to school as well as sport.

Because what's the end game? That they'll maybe play in college? 10% chance of happening. Playing D1 or using athletics to grub into an Ivy? Less than 5%.

I'm convinced parents do it just to fill THEIR day. It's not about keeping kids busy it's just an easy hole to go down when you don't have a life.

How about the fact that about 95% of CEOs participated in sports High school. Success in life is not just about academics.

https://www.youthletic.com/articles/from-captain-to-ceo-its-proven-that-youth-sports-make-kids-successful/

I want a kid who is balanced. Feel bad for those who's parents don't see the value, they are missing out on much.

We're not talking about "normal" high school athletics, we're talking about weekend, travel, league, year-round "crazies". At the end of the day the fun ends and these kids have to go to college and need to academic chops to earn a tough degree. In my experience, majority of athletic crazy parents do not require their kids to be anywhere near the top of the class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Academic parents can be intense and competitive, but I've seen no crazy ones. Sports parents, on the other hand, with the shouting and the insults...

Where would you see Academic parents in their setting? Standing behind their child at the SAT's screaming in their face to finish? You don't see them because they are at home abusing their children to take the top classes, to get only A's, to guilt them when they get any grade lower, to deny them socialization, etc...

This. Crazy sports parents have that reputation because well, we can see (hear?) them loud and clear at sporting events. Academic parents, not so much, unless maybe you're a teacher g

[Anonymous]

Sports parents can also be intense and competitive off the field. I hear about this all the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We travel soccer parents refer to ourselves as "committed", but we know that's just a code for crazy. Now for perspective, this is the absolute top level of competitive soccer in an area that is among the best in the country. So my thought is that if one has a child who has been blessed with athletic ability and also loves the training, the friendships, and all the hard work, why wouldn't I facilitate that? We aren't the parents yelling at refs (and the other parents), but we are the parents trucking our kid all over the Mid-Atlantic for matches, training, and tryouts.

Most of the kids I know are quite good at academics, too. The attributes of hard work and time management translate to school as well as sport.

Because what's the end game? That they'll maybe play in college? 10% chance of happening. Playing D1 or using athletics to grub into an Ivy? Less than 5%.

I'm convinced parents do it just to fill THEIR day. It's not about keeping kids busy it's just an easy hole to go down when you don't have a life.

How about the fact that about 95% of CEOs participated in sports High school. Success in life is not just about academics.

https://www.youthletic.com/articles/from-captain-to-ceo-its-proven-that-youth-sports-make-kids-successful/

I want a kid who is balanced. Feel bad for those who's parents don't see the value, they are missing out on much.

We're not talking about "normal" high school athletics, we're talking about weekend, travel, league, year-round "crazies". At the end of the day the fun ends and these kids have to go to college and need to academic chops to earn a tough degree. In my experience, majority of athletic crazy parents do not require their kids to be anywhere near the top of the class.

Shut the fuck up. You know nothing.

I was #9 out of 457 Ffx Co HS--over 4.0 GPA. I won 4 State Championships and a National Championship with my travel soccer team. I started Freshmen year of HS on Varsity and we won the VA State Championship.

BS in Biochem. PhD Immunology. Johns Hopkins.

My group of teammates was very similar. Many Ivies, Duke, etc. among us.

I credit team sports as a girl/teen to my success and drive in life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We travel soccer parents refer to ourselves as "committed", but we know that's just a code for crazy. Now for perspective, this is the absolute top level of competitive soccer in an area that is among the best in the country. So my thought is that if one has a child who has been blessed with athletic ability and also loves the training, the friendships, and all the hard work, why wouldn't I facilitate that? We aren't the parents yelling at refs (and the other parents), but we are the parents trucking our kid all over the Mid-Atlantic for matches, training, and tryouts.

Most of the kids I know are quite good at academics, too. The attributes of hard work and time management translate to school as well as sport.

Because what's the end game? That they'll maybe play in college? 10% chance of happening. Playing D1 or using athletics to grub into an Ivy? Less than 5%.

I'm convinced parents do it just to fill THEIR day. It's not about keeping kids busy it's just an easy hole to go down when you don't have a life.

How about the fact that about 95% of CEOs participated in sports High school. Success in life is not just about academics.

https://www.youthletic.com/articles/from-captain-to-ceo-its-proven-that-youth-sports-make-kids-successful/

I want a kid who is balanced. Feel bad for those who's parents don't see the value, they are missing out on much.

We're not talking about "normal" high school athletics, we're talking about weekend, travel, league, year-round "crazies". At the end of the day the fun ends and these kids have to go to college and need to academic chops to earn a tough degree. In my experience, majority of athletic crazy parents do not require their kids to be anywhere near the top of the class.

Are you from this part of the country? Your experience sounds nothing like that of any of the hard core travel sports families (lacrosse, basketball, soccer) I know. Everyone has their eye on the prize either of getting an admissions bump or athletic money. 100% of the parents know grades and test scores are key to these goals.

[Anonymous]

^^ as I wrote in my post: Fairfax County.

You must hang around losers. My brother got a full ride to American for soccer which was virtually unheard of.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We travel soccer parents refer to ourselves as "committed", but we know that's just a code for crazy. Now for perspective, this is the absolute top level of competitive soccer in an area that is among the best in the country. So my thought is that if one has a child who has been blessed with athletic ability and also loves the training, the friendships, and all the hard work, why wouldn't I facilitate that? We aren't the parents yelling at refs (and the other parents), but we are the parents trucking our kid all over the Mid-Atlantic for matches, training, and tryouts.

Most of the kids I know are quite good at academics, too. The attributes of hard work and time management translate to school as well as sport.

Because what's the end game? That they'll maybe play in college? 10% chance of happening. Playing D1 or using athletics to grub into an Ivy? Less than 5%.

I'm convinced parents do it just to fill THEIR day. It's not about keeping kids busy it's just an easy hole to go down when you don't have a life.

How about the fact that about 95% of CEOs participated in sports High school. Success in life is not just about academics.

https://www.youthletic.com/articles/from-captain-to-ceo-its-proven-that-youth-sports-make-kids-successful/

I want a kid who is balanced. Feel bad for those who's parents don't see the value, they are missing out on much.

We're not talking about "normal" high school athletics, we're talking about weekend, travel, league, year-round "crazies". At the end of the day the fun ends and these kids have to go to college and need to academic chops to earn a tough degree. In my experience, majority of athletic crazy parents do not require their kids to be anywhere near the top of the class.

Are you from this part of the country? Your experience sounds nothing like that of any of the hard core travel sports families (lacrosse, basketball, soccer) I know. Everyone has their eye on the prize either of getting an admissions bump or athletic money. 100% of the parents know grades and test scores are key to these goals.

+10000. Maybe PP is posting from the rural South or inner city Detroit or something, but in every affluent, well-educated area (like DC) that I've ever lived in, the hardcore athletes are just as hardcore about academics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We travel soccer parents refer to ourselves as "committed", but we know that's just a code for crazy. Now for perspective, this is the absolute top level of competitive soccer in an area that is among the best in the country. So my thought is that if one has a child who has been blessed with athletic ability and also loves the training, the friendships, and all the hard work, why wouldn't I facilitate that? We aren't the parents yelling at refs (and the other parents), but we are the parents trucking our kid all over the Mid-Atlantic for matches, training, and tryouts.

Most of the kids I know are quite good at academics, too. The attributes of hard work and time management translate to school as well as sport.

Because what's the end game? That they'll maybe play in college? 10% chance of happening. Playing D1 or using athletics to grub into an Ivy? Less than 5%.

I'm convinced parents do it just to fill THEIR day. It's not about keeping kids busy it's just an easy hole to go down when you don't have a life.

How about the fact that about 95% of CEOs participated in sports High school. Success in life is not just about academics.

https://www.youthletic.com/articles/from-captain-to-ceo-its-proven-that-youth-sports-make-kids-successful/

I want a kid who is balanced. Feel bad for those who's parents don't see the value, they are missing out on much.

We're not talking about "normal" high school athletics, we're talking about weekend, travel, league, year-round "crazies". At the end of the day the fun ends and these kids have to go to college and need to academic chops to earn a tough degree. In my experience, majority of athletic crazy parents do not require their kids to be anywhere near the top of the class.

Are you from this part of the country? Your experience sounds nothing like that of any of the hard core travel sports families (lacrosse, basketball, soccer) I know. Everyone has their eye on the prize either of getting an admissions bump or athletic money. 100% of the parents know grades and test scores are key to these goals.

Ivies are hard for even Academic families as you call them to get in...

Two identical kids. One a fantastic athlete that is good enough to play Ivy sport on top of it...sorry the non-athlete is losing out that spot.

Athletics did not take away from my academics it enhanced them. Yes--I grew up in weekend tournaments and traveling around the country and still got top grades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We travel soccer parents refer to ourselves as "committed", but we know that's just a code for crazy. Now for perspective, this is the absolute top level of competitive soccer in an area that is among the best in the country. So my thought is that if one has a child who has been blessed with athletic ability and also loves the training, the friendships, and all the hard work, why wouldn't I facilitate that? We aren't the parents yelling at refs (and the other parents), but we are the parents trucking our kid all over the Mid-Atlantic for matches, training, and tryouts.

Most of the kids I know are quite good at academics, too. The attributes of hard work and time management translate to school as well as sport.

Because what's the end game? That they'll maybe play in college? 10% chance of happening. Playing D1 or using athletics to grub into an Ivy? Less than 5%.

I'm convinced parents do it just to fill THEIR day. It's not about keeping kids busy it's just an easy hole to go down when you don't have a life.

Wow, you sound awfully jealous of kids that can "fill their day" with sports and do well in school. I think the reason kids who play sports can handle school so well is because they have better time management, reduced stress from fresh air and exercise, and they have a family of teammates to depend on and enjoy. Socialization and exercise in high school is extremely important. When I think of the academic kids I think of introvert, in the house studying all day long, stressing for perfection. It doesn't seem healthy to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We travel soccer parents refer to ourselves as "committed", but we know that's just a code for crazy. Now for perspective, this is the absolute top level of competitive soccer in an area that is among the best in the country. So my thought is that if one has a child who has been blessed with athletic ability and also loves the training, the friendships, and all the hard work, why wouldn't I facilitate that? We aren't the parents yelling at refs (and the other parents), but we are the parents trucking our kid all over the Mid-Atlantic for matches, training, and tryouts.

Most of the kids I know are quite good at academics, too. The attributes of hard work and time management translate to school as well as sport.

Because what's the end game? That they'll maybe play in college? 10% chance of happening. Playing D1 or using athletics to grub into an Ivy? Less than 5%.

I'm convinced parents do it just to fill THEIR day. It's not about keeping kids busy it's just an easy hole to go down when you don't have a life.

We don't know what the end game is yet. But if the kid is exceptional and LOVES it, as a parent I'm doing my job to put him in the right position for success. Maybe it's just as much about the journey as it is the result. The journey includes a ton of time together as a family and both kids and parents building friendships that will last a long time. And if and when he stops enjoying the journey, then we scale back or stop. Don't be so quick to assume we don't have a life. This is just a part of a life that is pretty damn good, albeit a little busy. But a body in motion tends to stay in motion and that's the way we like it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We travel soccer parents refer to ourselves as "committed", but we know that's just a code for crazy. Now for perspective, this is the absolute top level of competitive soccer in an area that is among the best in the country. So my thought is that if one has a child who has been blessed with athletic ability and also loves the training, the friendships, and all the hard work, why wouldn't I facilitate that? We aren't the parents yelling at refs (and the other parents), but we are the parents trucking our kid all over the Mid-Atlantic for matches, training, and tryouts.

Most of the kids I know are quite good at academics, too. The attributes of hard work and time management translate to school as well as sport.

Because what's the end game? That they'll maybe play in college? 10% chance of happening. Playing D1 or using athletics to grub into an Ivy? Less than 5%.

I'm convinced parents do it just to fill THEIR day. It's not about keeping kids busy it's just an easy hole to go down when you don't have a life.

How about the fact that about 95% of CEOs participated in sports High school. Success in life is not just about academics.

https://www.youthletic.com/articles/from-captain-to-ceo-its-proven-that-youth-sports-make-kids-successful/

I want a kid who is balanced. Feel bad for those who's parents don't see the value, they are missing out on much.

We're not talking about "normal" high school athletics, we're talking about weekend, travel, league, year-round "crazies". At the end of the day the fun ends and these kids have to go to college and need to academic chops to earn a tough degree. In my experience, majority of athletic crazy parents do not require their kids to be anywhere near the top of the class.

Are you from this part of the country? Your experience sounds nothing like that of any of the hard core travel sports families (lacrosse, basketball, soccer) I know. Everyone has their eye on the prize either of getting an admissions bump or athletic money. 100% of the parents know grades and test scores are key to these goals.

+10000. Maybe PP is posting from the rural South or inner city Detroit or something, but in every affluent, well-educated area (like DC) that I've ever lived in, the hardcore athletes are just as hardcore about academics.

Agree. The student-athlete who is excellent at a sport and get top grades are what parents from this area hope their kid can achieve. Most parents know that elite private colleges, Ivy or equivalent, do not give out athletic scholarships so they know grades and a "passion", sports or whatever, matters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Neither. DCUM parents win it hands down.

+1,000 and you know what's sad the people most uptight on this thread are white sports freaks or Asian academic freaks

And the remedy much like politics how many people from either "side" have actually talked to the other side

So glad I am moving out of this insanity before we have kids

+1 to the poster writing that not all jocks are dumb