What sports can do you at a competitive level without it being crazy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NONE. The Youth Sports Industrial Complex has infiltrated and ruined every sport out there. If there is a buck to be made, they will come. It used to be that there were some sports that were no cut or less competitive but that’s no longer the case. Part of the issue is mega schools where there aren’t enough teams or coaches. Parents have their kids with clubs or taking private lessons just to make the high school teams. It sucks for everyone except those who are making money. The kids are over scheduled and stressed out and the parents feel like they have to spend more time and more money just to give their kid a fair shot at making the team, any team. It’s very similar to the Academic Tutoring Industrial Complex.

Nicely said. My thoughts exactly.

[Anonymous]

I am not sure I get this thread. There are all sorts of rec leagues and clubs in this area. They compete against each other (i.e., there are rules, scores are kept). It seems like you want something where your kid is at an upper echelon without putting in a lot of effort.

I think that’s just not life. I think you just need to decide to do something for the love of it understanding you’ll be lower on the pecking order or commit to spending time and effort to improve.

[Anonymous]

Not read all the pages but Track/XC for sure.

Swimming also you can be "ok" and be on the team but you have to have a little talent and/or dedication. And probably some background (club swimming) at this point but I know kids that are not 7-workout-a-week machines that do fine. They're not winning metros but they do ok.

But with ANY sport, if "compete" means "do well" then you have to put in the time. If "compete" means "be on the team and have a fun HS experience" there are options. Above and possibly others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:op here - i have 3 young boys, no one is specialized in any yet and the oldest 2 seem happy doing most things.

talking to friends with older kids, it seems like if you want to play at even the local competitive level, it gets very intense by late elementary for most common sports. it also sounds like a lot of the less competitive clubs wind down then or only people that are brand new to the sport stay in them. so you're either playing 4 day a week year round basketball at 12 or you're not playing at all.

i'm looking for the sports that are just a lot less common and therefore you can stick with them, be good at them, compete etc but not 15 hours a week year round at 12. I figure skated and danced and my sister did gymnastic - we both competed and practiced a few times a week through high school. we loved the competition aspects and wouldn't have wanted to just do it for fun practice only - my impression is that that level of commitment in those sports today wouldn't get you anywhere.

There are rec level basketball and soccer all the way through high school where it is one practice a week and one game a week. But those kids aren’t making the high school teams.

Some of them do indeed make their high school teams. A kid who is naturally athletic may reach a higher skill level on a rec league schedule than a less gifted kid who practices multiple times a week for a travel team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am not sure I get this thread. There are all sorts of rec leagues and clubs in this area. They compete against each other (i.e., there are rules, scores are kept). It seems like you want something where your kid is at an upper echelon without putting in a lot of effort.

I think that’s just not life. I think you just need to decide to do something for the love of it understanding you’ll be lower on the pecking order or commit to spending time and effort to improve.

Some sports (like swim) you can have professional coaching without doing travel. For other sports you can't.

[Anonymous]

My kid has a sport and does yearlong club because he wants to stay competitive for the HS team.

I suggested he try another club at school just for fun, to meet new people etc. Ping pong, for example. He says ping pong is crazy competitive too.

So good luck in finding a sport where your kid doesn't get sucked in to the wacky competitive aspect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:op here - i have 3 young boys, no one is specialized in any yet and the oldest 2 seem happy doing most things.

talking to friends with older kids, it seems like if you want to play at even the local competitive level, it gets very intense by late elementary for most common sports. it also sounds like a lot of the less competitive clubs wind down then or only people that are brand new to the sport stay in them. so you're either playing 4 day a week year round basketball at 12 or you're not playing at all.

i'm looking for the sports that are just a lot less common and therefore you can stick with them, be good at them, compete etc but not 15 hours a week year round at 12. I figure skated and danced and my sister did gymnastic - we both competed and practiced a few times a week through high school. we loved the competition aspects and wouldn't have wanted to just do it for fun practice only - my impression is that that level of commitment in those sports today wouldn't get you anywhere.

There are rec level basketball and soccer all the way through high school where it is one practice a week and one game a week. But those kids aren’t making the high school teams.

Some of them do indeed make their high school teams. A kid who is naturally athletic may reach a higher skill level on a rec league schedule than a less gifted kid who practices multiple times a week for a travel team.

It really depends on the school. DS attends a school where almost every kid who tries out plays some level of travel, and 150 kids try out for JV and freshman teams. The only kids I know of who made the team without playing for top tier AAU teams were a football player that started as a true freshman for an ACC school and a baseball player who was eventually drafted in the MLB draft.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid has a sport and does yearlong club because he wants to stay competitive for the HS team.

I suggested he try another club at school just for fun, to meet new people etc. Ping pong, for example. He says ping pong is crazy competitive too.

So good luck in finding a sport where your kid doesn't get sucked in to the wacky competitive aspect.

Ping pong too??

[Anonymous]

To be at a competitive level in any sport, you need to practice several days a week. It’s like playing a musical instrument and doing well at school. You need to practice. There are recreational teams that are less competitive and practice once a week and have games once a week. Baseball and soccer are two sports that have rec leagues that are not as competitive as varsity sports.

[Anonymous]

World of Warcraft

[Anonymous]

Fortnite

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NONE. The Youth Sports Industrial Complex has infiltrated and ruined every sport out there. If there is a buck to be made, they will come. It used to be that there were some sports that were no cut or less competitive but that’s no longer the case. Part of the issue is mega schools where there aren’t enough teams or coaches. Parents have their kids with clubs or taking private lessons just to make the high school teams. It sucks for everyone except those who are making money. The kids are over scheduled and stressed out and the parents feel like they have to spend more time and more money just to give their kid a fair shot at making the team, any team. It’s very similar to the Academic Tutoring Industrial Complex.

Nicely said. My thoughts exactly.

+1

Parents think it is a winning situation, but it really is not. I guess UVA is the "prize"? What kind of prize is that?

[Anonymous]

You can't be competitive and it not be crazy in this area.

But if you want sports for recreation sake and don't care if it's a top level, you can play ice hockey (house league), soccer (MSI regular through high school), and I believe basketball at basically rec level all through 12th grade....

[Anonymous]

Agree with other posters that there are opportunities for rec level sport through high school. If your kid wants to play without major commitments you can. You can even play 2 or 3 sports. If your goal is for your kid to be competitive at the high school level then you need to put work in at a younger age. You don't get both.

You should just sign your kids up for what they like, tey different stuff and see what sticks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:None that involves winning. So perhaps Rock climbing with a group and a few others like that.

Rock climbing can be super competitive (and also expensive to travel to locations etc). You also need yo maintain a lean body type to really excel so there is a lot of pressure around body type.