Why do kids here in the US spend so much time and effort on sports?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because they are trying to increase the chance that their kid can attend a top school and maybe even get a scholarship to that school!

In the meantime they will have a fit child that’s not obese or staring at a screen all day. Sounds like a win-win to me!

I have a fit child who is not obese and does not stare at screens all day. My kid has great grades, plays an instrument, is learning a foreign language, has good social skills, and has two meaningful extra-curriculars in addition to their instrument, neither of which is a sport. One of those ECs led her to found a non-profit organization that has been written up in the newspaper. She did these things because she wanted to.

I actually think her odds of attending a "top school" and getting a scholarship are pretty good, maybe even higher than most of the kids playing club sports year after year. But you do you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because they are trying to increase the chance that their kid can attend a top school and maybe even get a scholarship to that school!

In the meantime they will have a fit child that’s not obese or staring at a screen all day. Sounds like a win-win to me!

A scholarship in many sports is less than a 1 percent chance for high school athletes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because they are trying to increase the chance that their kid can attend a top school and maybe even get a scholarship to that school!

In the meantime they will have a fit child that’s not obese or staring at a screen all day. Sounds like a win-win to me!

I know a LOT of overweight/obese kids who play sports- especially football and baseball. I even know a few who play basketball. I also know a ton of skinny kids who don’t play sports.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because they are trying to increase the chance that their kid can attend a top school and maybe even get a scholarship to that school!

In the meantime they will have a fit child that’s not obese or staring at a screen all day. Sounds like a win-win to me!

I know a LOT of overweight/obese kids who play sports- especially football and baseball. I even know a few who play basketball. I also know a ton of skinny kids who don’t play sports.

PP. True. Skinny fat is real! I should say fit not obese.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because they are trying to increase the chance that their kid can attend a top school and maybe even get a scholarship to that school!

In the meantime they will have a fit child that’s not obese or staring at a screen all day. Sounds like a win-win to me!

They will be overweight when they become adults and sedentary . That is the reality

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because they are trying to increase the chance that their kid can attend a top school and maybe even get a scholarship to that school!

In the meantime they will have a fit child that’s not obese or staring at a screen all day. Sounds like a win-win to me!

They will be overweight when they become adults and sedentary . That is the reality

Many of them are already overweight. Overweight boys, in particular, are quite dominant in a lot of sports in middle school and early high school years. Varsity, less so, if they don’t slim down a bit by then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do so many posters that dislike sports assume parents expect their kids to get a full ride to college or play professionally? Our kids played sports because they enjoyed playing sports and all of the fitness, competitiveness, and camaraderie that came with it. They knew if their grades suffered their activities would be reduced but they always maintained strong grades. None of them wanted to play past HS but they enjoy playing on adult leagues now that they’re out of college and it’s been a great way to meet people and socialize and stay active.

Some people just enjoy playing sports. It isn’t more complicated than that.

I love sports, both watching and playing.

I would not put my kid in travel or club sports unless they were so good that rec leagues and school sports did not makes sense. I don't mean "likes soccer and is reasonably good at it." I mean "they are significantly better than everyone else on the team and there's no option for playing up a level to challenge them that way." And they'd also have to love the sport and really, really want to do it.

This is like 5% of all kids in any given sport. Yes in some communities, 50% or more of the kids in a sport play club sports. It's weird.

I don't think this happens because people, and kids, like sports. I think it happens because people are super competitive and also lemmings.

That's a fine approach. But other kids, like mine, want more from their sport than rec can provide, even if they are unlikely to, e.g., play in college. For example, a bit more play/practice time, consistent team mates (and great friendships), the competition, fun tournaments, etc. There is still plenty of time for other activities and free time. My child spends hours reading on the weekend and reads tons in weekdays, hangs out with friends, plays an instrument, rides his bike, has family time hiking and skiing, and does another sport in the summer. He also has plenty of time for school work. It's been a good balance for us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You're doing what you say everyone else is doing but you're confused? Why do you allow your own kids to play sports at that level?

+1 I grew up in the US and my kids have played one rec sport each through elementary school and high school, skipping a few years here and there. Never have our days been consumed by sports. Curious why yours are so over scheduled.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You're doing what you say everyone else is doing but you're confused? Why do you allow your own kids to play sports at that level?

+1 I grew up in the US and my kids have played one rec sport each through elementary school and high school, skipping a few years here and there. Never have our days been consumed by sports. Curious why yours are so over scheduled.

Because parents really believe that sports/keeping kids busy is the only way to have healthy in shape kids. They also believe the more activities keeps kids off screens and out of trouble. I don't believe any of this for a second, parents like keeping their kids busy, I also think it's sort of seen as a status symbol for parents. Also college scholarships.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You're doing what you say everyone else is doing but you're confused? Why do you allow your own kids to play sports at that level?

+1 I grew up in the US and my kids have played one rec sport each through elementary school and high school, skipping a few years here and there. Never have our days been consumed by sports. Curious why yours are so over scheduled.

Because parents really believe that sports/keeping kids busy is the only way to have healthy in shape kids. They also believe the more activities keeps kids off screens and out of trouble. I don't believe any of this for a second, parents like keeping their kids busy, I also think it's sort of seen as a status symbol for parents. Also college scholarships.

What do you believe then?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You're doing what you say everyone else is doing but you're confused? Why do you allow your own kids to play sports at that level?

+1 I grew up in the US and my kids have played one rec sport each through elementary school and high school, skipping a few years here and there. Never have our days been consumed by sports. Curious why yours are so over scheduled.

Because parents really believe that sports/keeping kids busy is the only way to have healthy in shape kids. They also believe the more activities keeps kids off screens and out of trouble. I don't believe any of this for a second, parents like keeping their kids busy, I also think it's sort of seen as a status symbol for parents. Also college scholarships.

What do you believe then?

The exact opposite. Kids have been fine without or without minimal activities for a long time. It's only been within the last decade or so that overscheduling has become the norm. You can have a great childhood and adulthood without all of this stuff. You can also be healthy and not a troubl maker without sports.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You're doing what you say everyone else is doing but you're confused? Why do you allow your own kids to play sports at that level?

+1 I grew up in the US and my kids have played one rec sport each through elementary school and high school, skipping a few years here and there. Never have our days been consumed by sports. Curious why yours are so over scheduled.

Because parents really believe that sports/keeping kids busy is the only way to have healthy in shape kids. They also believe the more activities keeps kids off screens and out of trouble. I don't believe any of this for a second, parents like keeping their kids busy, I also think it's sort of seen as a status symbol for parents. Also college scholarships.

What do you believe then?

The exact opposite. Kids have been fine without or without minimal activities for a long time. It's only been within the last decade or so that overscheduling has become the norm. You can have a great childhood and adulthood without all of this stuff. You can also be healthy and not a troubl maker without sports.

I 100% agree with this as a parent, and I have 2 kids playing travel sports. Unfortunately we feel forced into it since our kids are athletic and would like to play sports in high school- no kid around here is making a HS sports team in the most sports (soccer basketball baseball softball lacrosse volleyball and others) without significant travel experience. We pretty much hate it, but ultimately it is our choice and it’s the route we are reluctantly taking. I would sure love to see a significant culture change regarding early specialization, and in favor of rec or local “select” type play instead of travel BUT that won’t be happening. If anything, it is only getting worse and worse. That ship has long sailed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You're doing what you say everyone else is doing but you're confused? Why do you allow your own kids to play sports at that level?

+1 I grew up in the US and my kids have played one rec sport each through elementary school and high school, skipping a few years here and there. Never have our days been consumed by sports. Curious why yours are so over scheduled.

Because parents really believe that sports/keeping kids busy is the only way to have healthy in shape kids. They also believe the more activities keeps kids off screens and out of trouble. I don't believe any of this for a second, parents like keeping their kids busy, I also think it's sort of seen as a status symbol for parents. Also college scholarships.

What do you believe then?

The exact opposite. Kids have been fine without or without minimal activities for a long time. It's only been within the last decade or so that overscheduling has become the norm. You can have a great childhood and adulthood without all of this stuff. You can also be healthy and not a troubl maker without sports.

Yeah, i don't agree with the last decade comment. I grew up in the 70s/80s in the Midwest and it seemed pretty similar. I swam and had more practices and more weekend commitments than my kid doing travel for another sport now. Friends had similar schedules. I also played an instrument, tried several other sports, had jobs, etc. And, just like my child now, i also had free time to run around the neighborhood with friends, lay around and read, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP is not asking "why do kids do sports at all." She's asking why we have a culture where sports take up so much time to the exclusion of other things. I am from the US and I often wonder the same thing. I worked hard to raise a kid who is well-rounded. She has a physical activity that is not a sport (dance, we don't do competition dance, just performance and classes), and a solo sport she likes (rock climbing). She's also dabbled in tennis, soccer, and basketball. She also loves art and music. She also has downtime (she likes to read for pleasure and to do art on her own time). And then of course school.

I do not understand how/why many kids are dedicating 20+ hours a week on a single sport or on multiple sports. Unless your kid actually has the talent/dedication (and often natural body type) to go pro or be very competitive at the college level, or is just uniquely passionate about their sport, I don't get it. It's just a lot of time to spend on one thing. Wouldn't you rather your kid become an adult who not has athletic skill but also can play an instrument, has relaxing hobbies/interests, and knows how to deal with unscheduled time? It just seems weird to me.

But it's not really 20+ hours on "one thing." It sounds like OP's kid plays multiple sports; why is your daughter's dance and rock climbing and art inherently better than someone else's soccer and swimming and karate or someone else's violin and piano and science olympiad? Most these are hobbies than can follow them into adulthood and you can't really predict what tween passions will actually stick long term. FWIW, my sister grew up doing ballet and cello; I did figure skating and viola. As an adult she still plays the cello; I still do a performance-based physical activity (and skate for fun occasionally) but haven't touched my viola in nearly a decade.

Maybe soccer/swim/karate kid will grow up to only pursue one of those sports or get really into Crossfit or whatever. Maybe they'll give them all up and discover painting as an adult. Maybe your daughter will later decide she really missed out on not doing travel field hockey. You're letting your daughter do what she wants to do and OP is letting her son do the same. I don't see what the issue is?

I am not sure where the 20+ hours a week comes from? What sports practice can be more than 2 hours/day?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You're doing what you say everyone else is doing but you're confused? Why do you allow your own kids to play sports at that level?

+1 I grew up in the US and my kids have played one rec sport each through elementary school and high school, skipping a few years here and there. Never have our days been consumed by sports. Curious why yours are so over scheduled.

Because parents really believe that sports/keeping kids busy is the only way to have healthy in shape kids. They also believe the more activities keeps kids off screens and out of trouble. I don't believe any of this for a second, parents like keeping their kids busy, I also think it's sort of seen as a status symbol for parents. Also college scholarships.

What do you believe then?

The exact opposite. Kids have been fine without or without minimal activities for a long time. It's only been within the last decade or so that overscheduling has become the norm. You can have a great childhood and adulthood without all of this stuff. You can also be healthy and not a troubl maker without sports.

Yeah, i don't agree with the last decade comment. I grew up in the 70s/80s in the Midwest and it seemed pretty similar. I swam and had more practices and more weekend commitments than my kid doing travel for another sport now. Friends had similar schedules. I also played an instrument, tried several other sports, had jobs, etc. And, just like my child now, i also had free time to run around the neighborhood with friends, lay around and read, etc. [/quote

I agree that with some sports it's always been that way, but now it seems like it's so much more. It's trickled down to all sports/activities instead of some.