I hate youth and high school sports

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

You literally gave one of the best examples of somebody who basically willed themselves into the NBA and did not win the genetic lottery.

Steph Curry is 6'2". Only 27 NBA players out of 450 total players are 6'2" or smaller. Go watch a local DMV HS game with PVI, Gonzaga, Sidwell...90% of the starting five for those teams is over 6'2".

A little note on his practice routine:

Stephen Curry, a Golden State Warriors player, practices shooting hundreds of shots every day. In the season, he typically takes around 300 shots after each practice. During the offseason, he increases his practice to over 500 shots per day.

You can't be this delusional.

Steph Curry has a gift everyone else doesn't have. Otherwise, the 6'4 HS basketball player would just shoot a couple hundred extra shots per day and make 100s of millions of dollars.

You're also missing the fact the Steph has elite level conditioning and can outrun almost all NBA players. He also can see the floor and knows how to get open which is what makes him so good.

And BTW, 6'2 is in the 95 percentile for height. So while he's a short NBA player, he's way taller than the average male.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

You have to win the genetic lottery to throw in the mid/high-80s...which thousands of kids win. You can absolutely work hard to go from the high 80s to 95. Happens all the time with kids that bulk up and work with great coaches that know how to change mechanics and condition/strengthen a player.

You aren't just willing you're way to throwing 95 off some hard work and weights. Almost every good HS kid can throw mid/high 80s. Very very very few can throw 95.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The level of training required to make your HS team is pretty ridiculous these days and a lot of families sink a ton of time and cash into making that happen. I’ll give you that. The dmV is especially crazy in this regard.

That said, there is real value in playing sports generally, but in HS especially. Learning to juggle academics with athletics demands, learning the importance of making healthy choices re food/exercise/sleep, and learning how to be a leader on and off the field/court are all a big part of the student-athlete experience. That experience IMO helps prepare kids for college.

I think the mistake people make is thinking that HS sports will translate into college acceptances/scholarships. College recruitment is a bonus of course but it should not be the primary purpose of playing your sport in HS. And yes, college admissions do not always follow a predictable formula—but that’s a whole other conversation.

The first paragraph says it all. It is amazingly competitive and to make hs teams parents have to put money in to training. Most of us thought it was an important activity for college. Now we know it isn't.
This doesn't just happen in this area. It is true throughout all of this country as it is harder to get in to college.

It is off the chain insane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

You know what is statistically more likely to happen to those kids whose Dad’s insist if they just work harder they can throw 95?

Tommy john surgery before they’re 20.

My friend is a sports ortho and it is horrifying to hear the amount of TJ surgeries he does on teenagers. He said all their parents tell him the same thing, "the coaches said he had pro level potential". He said he'd rather his kids play tackle football then let them play year around baseball.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The whole system is ridiculous, and what is more ridiculous is that people support this broken system. You have to play for years just to make it into a high school JV team, and once you make it, you have to spend 20+ hours per week training. It takes time away from academics and other extracurricular.

And all of this time and money invested into sports is for nothing for most parents. Most kids will never play at the NCAA level. It doesn’t matter much for college admissions. I know a kid who has perfect grades and a 35 ACT who was a captain of the varsity football and lacrosse teams (and was class treasurer, NHS president, volunteered, and did part time work), and he got rejected from every remotely selective college. The Ivy Leagues, Notre Dame, Michigan, Duke, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Northwestern, UNC, and UVA all rejected him

Sorry OP, but if you hate it you are doing it wrong. Both of my kids played some sports from youth until high school, sometimes travel, mostly recreational. Quit and re-started different sports, loved some, didn't love others. Now, as young adults, both kids still play their most common sport (one D3 -zero admissions boost) and the other in an adult recreation league. Both love sports and regularly exercise, one loves to play and the other plays and also watches sports on TV. Both happy and well adjusted, both playing for fun. Of all the parenting successes and fails (and I definitely have both) this is a success for sure.

So much of this depends on the high school/area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The whole system is ridiculous, and what is more ridiculous is that people support this broken system. You have to play for years just to make it into a high school JV team, and once you make it, you have to spend 20+ hours per week training. It takes time away from academics and other extracurricular.

And all of this time and money invested into sports is for nothing for most parents. Most kids will never play at the NCAA level. It doesn’t matter much for college admissions. I know a kid who has perfect grades and a 35 ACT who was a captain of the varsity football and lacrosse teams (and was class treasurer, NHS president, volunteered, and did part time work), and he got rejected from every remotely selective college. The Ivy Leagues, Notre Dame, Michigan, Duke, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Northwestern, UNC, and UVA all rejected him

Sorry OP, but if you hate it you are doing it wrong. Both of my kids played some sports from youth until high school, sometimes travel, mostly recreational. Quit and re-started different sports, loved some, didn't love others. Now, as young adults, both kids still play their most common sport (one D3 -zero admissions boost) and the other in an adult recreation league. Both love sports and regularly exercise, one loves to play and the other plays and also watches sports on TV. Both happy and well adjusted, both playing for fun. Of all the parenting successes and fails (and I definitely have both) this is a success for sure.

So much of this depends on the high school/area.

Why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with many of the gripes posted, and I also want to add a MAJOR gripe about HS leagues and travel sports leagues scheduling games and tournaments on things like Easter weekend or during spring break. These kids are grinding out work all year long, and they can't go away for a week with their family or visit cousins/grandparents during their spring break? I was absolutely SHOCKED to find out that this is the norm, and the coaches will get pissed if your kid says "sorry, my family and I are going away for spring break...."

Ya, and they also cut you out if you don't pay to play on some travel team they are running or getting kick backs from. The whole system needs to be burned down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The whole system is ridiculous, and what is more ridiculous is that people support this broken system. You have to play for years just to make it into a high school JV team, and once you make it, you have to spend 20+ hours per week training. It takes time away from academics and other extracurricular.

And all of this time and money invested into sports is for nothing for most parents. Most kids will never play at the NCAA level. It doesn’t matter much for college admissions. I know a kid who has perfect grades and a 35 ACT who was a captain of the varsity football and lacrosse teams (and was class treasurer, NHS president, volunteered, and did part time work), and he got rejected from every remotely selective college. The Ivy Leagues, Notre Dame, Michigan, Duke, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Northwestern, UNC, and UVA all rejected him

Did he take AP Calculus in junior year and did he get a 5 on the AP?

Because if he didn’t: that’s why he didn’t get into the Ivies. That is really the number one thing my college admissions coach told me about the big schools. They all want that now before senior year- and IBs they have to take the most challenging courses.

Also, if UVA rejected him, did he take all four years (even senior year) a language that isn’t Spanish? Did he take challenging APs during the school year? Did he take summer classes too? Did he program his computer to generate interest points? Did he visit the school and go to the coaches and introduce himself? Did you take him to showcases for the specific schools?

Also- was he ranked in the state or in the district? Did he get written up by WaPo?

Because you need all of that to get into the T25 and be a legacy or be fabulously rich. What you listed would get you into JMU.

Check out “Your college bound kid” and start educating yourself. Those T25 schools are almost impossible to get into without a ton of hooks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do you keep posting this?

Why do you keep opening the thread?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The whole system is ridiculous, and what is more ridiculous is that people support this broken system. You have to play for years just to make it into a high school JV team, and once you make it, you have to spend 20+ hours per week training. It takes time away from academics and other extracurricular.

And all of this time and money invested into sports is for nothing for most parents. Most kids will never play at the NCAA level. It doesn’t matter much for college admissions. I know a kid who has perfect grades and a 35 ACT who was a captain of the varsity football and lacrosse teams (and was class treasurer, NHS president, volunteered, and did part time work), and he got rejected from every remotely selective college. The Ivy Leagues, Notre Dame, Michigan, Duke, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Northwestern, UNC, and UVA all rejected him

Did he take AP Calculus in junior year and did he get a 5 on the AP?

Because if he didn’t: that’s why he didn’t get into the Ivies. That is really the number one thing my college admissions coach told me about the big schools. They all want that now before senior year- and IBs they have to take the most challenging courses.

Also, if UVA rejected him, did he take all four years (even senior year) a language that isn’t Spanish? Did he take challenging APs during the school year? Did he take summer classes too? Did he program his computer to generate interest points? Did he visit the school and go to the coaches and introduce himself? Did you take him to showcases for the specific schools?

Also- was he ranked in the state or in the district? Did he get written up by WaPo?

Because you need all of that to get into the T25 and be a legacy or be fabulously rich. What you listed would get you into JMU.

Check out “Your college bound kid” and start educating yourself. Those T25 schools are almost impossible to get into without a ton of hooks.

LOL sounds like a ton of BS to me. The people who are so competitive and hung up on T25 can have at it, and good luck to them!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The whole system is ridiculous, and what is more ridiculous is that people support this broken system. You have to play for years just to make it into a high school JV team, and once you make it, you have to spend 20+ hours per week training. It takes time away from academics and other extracurricular.

And all of this time and money invested into sports is for nothing for most parents. Most kids will never play at the NCAA level. It doesn’t matter much for college admissions. I know a kid who has perfect grades and a 35 ACT who was a captain of the varsity football and lacrosse teams (and was class treasurer, NHS president, volunteered, and did part time work), and he got rejected from every remotely selective college. The Ivy Leagues, Notre Dame, Michigan, Duke, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Northwestern, UNC, and UVA all rejected him

What do you want to happen, boo?

What is your ideal?

Are you 12? How embarrassing for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

DP - Where are these serious HS baseball players who don’t devote an ungodly amount of time to baseball in the off season? Which HS are you at?

You don't need to dedicate massive amounts of time to baseball. Not even pros practice year around.

The truth about baseball and other sports is that your genetics and god given traits determine how good you're going to be. Life would be much better for kids and parents if everyone just accepted that you can't work your way to being a D1 Athlete. Rudy was a Disney movie and not real life.

This is a silly comment. Corona HS in CA is the #1 baseball team in the country and they have two kids that will be drafted in the 1st and 2nd round of the MLB. The other starting 7 are all D1.

Those kids work their asses off and play for the BPA travel team in the offseason.

What kids in any sport aren’t “working” and playing for a Power 4 D1?

BTW, Trevor Bauer who is also an MLB pitcher admitted he is a terrible athlete. He did a general workout for an MLB team and the person running the workout said his general athletic stats (running speed, vertical leap, etc) were about what a 50 year old rec player would produce.

HS baseball in the DMV is a special kind of crazy. And, it’s going to get worse with the new NCAA D1 roster changes.

It’s actually nothing compared to GA, FL and CA.

I’m not so sure of that after watching my kid do long toss in 12 degree weather these past 4 weeks.

[Anonymous]

This area has it's problem, I plan on leaving as soon as is feasible.

Problems:

A) Schools are too large there aren't enough teams for everyone to play on. Parents go private to pick up the slack, but there are no regulations, and the professional coaches want your money year-round. The schools themselves have started divesting of extra-curriculars, marching band etc.

B) There aren't enough public fields/pools/gyms people quit building them a while ago and the population has only increased. The teams have become more competitive as a result. Go to a swim tryout over hundred girls trying to get like one spot.

At the end of the day, just take your kid out and throw the ball around or swimming. I do these four or five times a week, results have been amazing. Much more fun than sitting there watching someone else coach your kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The whole system is ridiculous, and what is more ridiculous is that people support this broken system. You have to play for years just to make it into a high school JV team, and once you make it, you have to spend 20+ hours per week training. It takes time away from academics and other extracurricular.

And all of this time and money invested into sports is for nothing for most parents. Most kids will never play at the NCAA level. It doesn’t matter much for college admissions. I know a kid who has perfect grades and a 35 ACT who was a captain of the varsity football and lacrosse teams (and was class treasurer, NHS president, volunteered, and did part time work), and he got rejected from every remotely selective college. The Ivy Leagues, Notre Dame, Michigan, Duke, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Northwestern, UNC, and UVA all rejected him

What do you want to happen, boo?

What is your ideal?

😆

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with many of the gripes posted, and I also want to add a MAJOR gripe about HS leagues and travel sports leagues scheduling games and tournaments on things like Easter weekend or during spring break. These kids are grinding out work all year long, and they can't go away for a week with their family or visit cousins/grandparents during their spring break? I was absolutely SHOCKED to find out that this is the norm, and the coaches will get pissed if your kid says "sorry, my family and I are going away for spring break...."

Ya, and they also cut you out if you don't pay to play on some travel team they are running or getting kick backs from. The whole system needs to be burned down.

YES to both of these. Cutting into what little family vacation time is available, and starting as early as middle school! It is all so ridiculous.