Good at sports or good at academics?

[Anonymous]

Team sports for sure - even better if they absolutely love the sport and teammates they play with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sports give kids skills and confidence they cannot get elsewhere. Academics are fake economic signaling devices. Smart kids will be smart regardless of where they get their degree.

Take sports all day every day.

Nonsense. You have drunk all the koolaid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My husband went to an Ivy League law school and will quickly tell you that sports has gotten him further in life than being book smart. I constantly have to tell him to rein it in with our own kids.

I could have written a variation of this. One of our kids is less athletic than the others but by far the brightest. She wants art classes over soccer, and he's learning to embrace it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: My family member has kids who only went to HS half-days to participate in their high level sport which I thought was insane.

How is it legal? Why did the school allow it? What about the subjects that take place in the second half?

It's legal and not uncommon for certain sports, especially figure skating, where ice time is limited. My friend's daughter took a hybrid schedule of online and in-school classes (before COVID). She skated collegiately. Now, she's applying to med school. We don't all have to fit into a box.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you could choose one for your kid to excel at which would you choose? I feel like around here people push sports at the detriment of academics. Young kids practicing soccer or baseball 6 days a week. When do they have time to do homework?

My kids are young elementary and we do sports but they have daily homework usually 45 mins-1 hour and they have to have that done before they can do their sports. Sports practices are 2-3 times a week and a game on the weekend. We know people who supplement this with additional training on off days. And their kids are 8!

It’s not a binary. You can be good at both and most right year olds are fine without hours of academic and athletic supplementing every week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you could choose one for your kid to excel at which would you choose? I feel like around here people push sports at the detriment of academics. Young kids practicing soccer or baseball 6 days a week. When do they have time to do homework?

My kids are young elementary and we do sports but they have daily homework usually 45 mins-1 hour and they have to have that done before they can do their sports. Sports practices are 2-3 times a week and a game on the weekend. We know people who supplement this with additional training on off days. And their kids are 8!

It’s not a binary. You can be good at both and most right year olds are fine without hours of academic and athletic supplementing every week.

*eight year olds

OP is clearly looking for validation regarding her parenting choices, but the validation that is most important is from your kids. Kids, like adults, can burn out and rebel against parental pushing and emphasis on achievement culture. They are also likely to get the message that their self worth is determined by their achievements and not inherent. My kids do a variety of sports outside of school (they are in elementary) and go to a competitive academic focused school. Variety is important to prevent burnout and boredom, but consistency is important for skill development and improvement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you could choose one for your kid to excel at which would you choose? I feel like around here people push sports at the detriment of academics. Young kids practicing soccer or baseball 6 days a week. When do they have time to do homework?

My kids are young elementary and we do sports but they have daily homework usually 45 mins-1 hour and they have to have that done before they can do their sports. Sports practices are 2-3 times a week and a game on the weekend. We know people who supplement this with additional training on off days. And their kids are 8!

It’s not a binary. You can be good at both and most right year olds are fine without hours of academic and athletic supplementing every week.

*eight year olds

OP is clearly looking for validation regarding her parenting choices, but the validation that is most important is from your kids. Kids, like adults, can burn out and rebel against parental pushing and emphasis on achievement culture. They are also likely to get the message that their self worth is determined by their achievements and not inherent. My kids do a variety of sports outside of school (they are in elementary) and go to a competitive academic focused school. Variety is important to prevent burnout and boredom, but consistency is important for skill development and improvement.

Oh stuff it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sports give kids skills and confidence they cannot get elsewhere. Academics are fake economic signaling devices. Smart kids will be smart regardless of where they get their degree.

Take sports all day every day.

There’s no confidence given if a kid isn’t good at sports. Or absolutely hates team sports and is forced to play. Skills and confidence come from many many things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: My family member has kids who only went to HS half-days to participate in their high level sport which I thought was insane.

How is it legal? Why did the school allow it? What about the subjects that take place in the second half?

Plenty of online schoolers starting in middle school to play sport almost full time

It’s another way for people to make money off parents who believe their kids will be superstars. Open only to the rich.

At 14 years old there are kids who go to online school and train full time in sports, ballet, commercial dance, acting, musical theater, plus. These kids are the top in their field but academics is usually not their strong point. The parents recognize this and don’t put them through the torture of a mundane high school experience.

In my experience with my daughter attending one of these types of full time programs in NYC it was full of wealthy families from all over the world, but mostly all over the US and Canada.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: My family member has kids who only went to HS half-days to participate in their high level sport which I thought was insane.

How is it legal? Why did the school allow it? What about the subjects that take place in the second half?

It's legal and not uncommon for certain sports, especially figure skating, where ice time is limited. My friend's daughter took a hybrid schedule of online and in-school classes (before COVID). She skated collegiately. Now, she's applying to med school. We don't all have to fit into a box.

Through VAVA? Was the school required to accept the online classes? Was this in middle or high school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: My family member has kids who only went to HS half-days to participate in their high level sport which I thought was insane.

How is it legal? Why did the school allow it? What about the subjects that take place in the second half?

Plenty of online schoolers starting in middle school to play sport almost full time

It’s another way for people to make money off parents who believe their kids will be superstars. Open only to the rich.

The parents recognize this and don’t put them through the torture of a mundane high school experience.

Wouldn't these be the students who need school's academics the most?

Imagine if a child who was accomplished in math but behind physically and in English, History, etc went to a special school with limited PE, English, History, etc.

[Anonymous]

I was a heavily recruited swimmer and swam all 4 years in college. It was grueling and absolutely not worth it.

[Anonymous]

I've never seen a case where this is a choice someone makes. Kids are naturally apt for certain things and not others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Academics. The world needs doctors, scientists, teachers, etc, not more baseball players.

*Elly De La Cruz has entered the chat*

[Anonymous]

Depends on the kid. Some just are not great at sports so it would not be smart to keep pushing such a kid. In this event, it’s better to focus on academics.

Many kids though are good at both, so no choice is needed.