Should you push young kids in sports?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Don't push and let her have a life outside of sports

This. My kid's friends who do soccer have no time for anything else, it takes over evenings and weekends. Even though she likes it, I personally would consider dropping it for something less all-consuming. It's important to me that my kid have time for other things.

I agree with you, but it’s kid dependent. If the kid is going to use their free time for truly rejuvenating things (sleeping, socializing, family time, hobbies, roaming around and staring at clouds) that’s fine. But if they are going to be on their phone the whole time, it’s probably better to overschedule them.

As parents we really do have a choice that is not either of unlimited screen time or overscheduling. You can just tell your kid to go be bored until they find out that staring at clouds isn't so bad.

- parent with kids in activities who also stare at clouds and occasionally get screen time

How old are your kids?

Teen, tween, younger ES. So not as young as you're thinking.

LOL. If you don’t think that over scheduling some teens is preferable to letting them “stare at clouds” then you must not have met many teens. Some of them will be staring at the wrong kinds of clouds if you let them get too bored.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure your kids are perfect and would never be tempted to do the wrong thing, but I would expect a mother of three to not be so smug and maybe be smart enough to understand that kids are all different.

So, overscheduling is ok because it might keep kids out of trouble? Don't you think that could also be detrimental?

You’re taking a weird all-or-nothing stance on this. It comes down to knowing your kid. Two of mine can easily occupy themselves in productive (or at a minimum not actively harmful) ways, but the third? Yeah, we’ll keep that kid as busy as we possibly can for as long as we can. If nothing else, the structure is good for this particular child.

I don't think my stance is all or nothing. An above commenter has an all or nothing stance imo. They said they'd rather overschedule their kid rather than them being bored and causing trouble. To me, that's an all or nothing stance.

That’s because they know their own kid. They’re not telling you to overschedule your kid. They’re pushing back against the poster(s) saying that it is NEVER a good idea to overschedule a kid. Sometimes it’s a great idea.

Ok I'll probably regret opening this can of worms, but why is overscheduling ever a good thing?

You clearly didn’t comprehend a single post you replied to. This can of worms was opened pages ago and you’ve been actively commenting on the worms.

[Anonymous]

Must be immigrant trying to fit in

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD8 plays travel soccer. She is ok. Not the best not the worst. I think if we pushed her more she could move up to the higher level teams. Is it worth it? I see other kids who are definitely pushed by their parents to do more practice individually outside of practice times or have private coaches. Not sure what the end goal is for an 8 year old.

FWIW I played travel everything growing up and loved it but never played in college.

Academics come first in our family however - both DH and I have masters or higher education and were high achievers throughout high school and college. Kids right now are doing very well in school.

OP, with all due respect, I find this whole post a bit off-putting. It sounds like one way or another there's going to be pressure put on your DD, be it academic pressure based on you and your DH's high academic achievements, or in sports. Your DD is 8 years old and it sounds like she's doing fine at soccer for a girl that age, and you also state that she is doing well in school. I know this will likely fall on deaf ears, but please just let her enjoying play sports she likes at her own pace, and exploring academics and learning while she's excelling without parental intervention. Not everything in life is about goals and achievement, especially at age 8, and it sounds like she's on her way to figuring that out.

- A mom who has two sons who are both on high school honor role and play high school sports, but never did travel leagues.

+1 - I find the OP's post off-putting and arrogant. If you are an adult with an 8-year-old, it is no longer relevant that you and DH were high achievers throughout high school and college. The fact that you included that aside in a post about sports speaks volumes. Welcome to DC, where everyone who was at the top of their high school class comes together to pit their kids against each other! You fit right in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't push and let her have a life outside of sports

This. My kid's friends who do soccer have no time for anything else, it takes over evenings and weekends. Even though she likes it, I personally would consider dropping it for something less all-consuming. It's important to me that my kid have time for other things.

I agree with you, but it’s kid dependent. If the kid is going to use their free time for truly rejuvenating things (sleeping, socializing, family time, hobbies, roaming around and staring at clouds) that’s fine. But if they are going to be on their phone the whole time, it’s probably better to overschedule them.

As parents we really do have a choice that is not either of unlimited screen time or overscheduling. You can just tell your kid to go be bored until they find out that staring at clouds isn't so bad.

- parent with kids in activities who also stare at clouds and occasionally get screen time

How old are your kids?

Teen, tween, younger ES. So not as young as you're thinking.

LOL. If you don’t think that over scheduling some teens is preferable to letting them “stare at clouds” then you must not have met many teens. Some of them will be staring at the wrong kinds of clouds if you let them get too bored.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure your kids are perfect and would never be tempted to do the wrong thing, but I would expect a mother of three to not be so smug and maybe be smart enough to understand that kids are all different.

So, overscheduling is ok because it might keep kids out of trouble? Don't you think that could also be detrimental?

You’re taking a weird all-or-nothing stance on this. It comes down to knowing your kid. Two of mine can easily occupy themselves in productive (or at a minimum not actively harmful) ways, but the third? Yeah, we’ll keep that kid as busy as we possibly can for as long as we can. If nothing else, the structure is good for this particular child.

I don't think my stance is all or nothing. An above commenter has an all or nothing stance imo. They said they'd rather overschedule their kid rather than them being bored and causing trouble. To me, that's an all or nothing stance.

That’s because they know their own kid. They’re not telling you to overschedule your kid. They’re pushing back against the poster(s) saying that it is NEVER a good idea to overschedule a kid. Sometimes it’s a great idea.

Ok I'll probably regret opening this can of worms, but why is overscheduling ever a good thing?

You clearly didn’t comprehend a single post you replied to. This can of worms was opened pages ago and you’ve been actively commenting on the worms.

Yes, I did read this thread. Ppl tried to explain why they overschedule, but not how it could possibly be a good thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't push and let her have a life outside of sports

This. My kid's friends who do soccer have no time for anything else, it takes over evenings and weekends. Even though she likes it, I personally would consider dropping it for something less all-consuming. It's important to me that my kid have time for other things.

I agree with you, but it’s kid dependent. If the kid is going to use their free time for truly rejuvenating things (sleeping, socializing, family time, hobbies, roaming around and staring at clouds) that’s fine. But if they are going to be on their phone the whole time, it’s probably better to overschedule them.

As parents we really do have a choice that is not either of unlimited screen time or overscheduling. You can just tell your kid to go be bored until they find out that staring at clouds isn't so bad.

- parent with kids in activities who also stare at clouds and occasionally get screen time

How old are your kids?

Teen, tween, younger ES. So not as young as you're thinking.

LOL. If you don’t think that over scheduling some teens is preferable to letting them “stare at clouds” then you must not have met many teens. Some of them will be staring at the wrong kinds of clouds if you let them get too bored.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure your kids are perfect and would never be tempted to do the wrong thing, but I would expect a mother of three to not be so smug and maybe be smart enough to understand that kids are all different.

So, overscheduling is ok because it might keep kids out of trouble? Don't you think that could also be detrimental?

You’re taking a weird all-or-nothing stance on this. It comes down to knowing your kid. Two of mine can easily occupy themselves in productive (or at a minimum not actively harmful) ways, but the third? Yeah, we’ll keep that kid as busy as we possibly can for as long as we can. If nothing else, the structure is good for this particular child.

I don't think my stance is all or nothing. An above commenter has an all or nothing stance imo. They said they'd rather overschedule their kid rather than them being bored and causing trouble. To me, that's an all or nothing stance.

That’s because they know their own kid. They’re not telling you to overschedule your kid. They’re pushing back against the poster(s) saying that it is NEVER a good idea to overschedule a kid. Sometimes it’s a great idea.

Ok I'll probably regret opening this can of worms, but why is overscheduling ever a good thing?

You clearly didn’t comprehend a single post you replied to. This can of worms was opened pages ago and you’ve been actively commenting on the worms.

Yes, I did read this thread. Ppl tried to explain why they overschedule, but not how it could possibly be a good thing.

I believe that you read the words, but you didn’t comprehend the ideas being conveyed. Multiple posters implied (which is as good as an explanation for competent, intelligent adults) why it’s sometimes a good thing, you just didn’t get it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD8 plays travel soccer. She is ok. Not the best not the worst. I think if we pushed her more she could move up to the higher level teams. Is it worth it? I see other kids who are definitely pushed by their parents to do more practice individually outside of practice times or have private coaches. Not sure what the end goal is for an 8 year old.

FWIW I played travel everything growing up and loved it but never played in college.

Academics come first in our family however - both DH and I have masters or higher education and were high achievers throughout high school and college. Kids right now are doing very well in school.

OP, with all due respect, I find this whole post a bit off-putting. It sounds like one way or another there's going to be pressure put on your DD, be it academic pressure based on you and your DH's high academic achievements, or in sports. Your DD is 8 years old and it sounds like she's doing fine at soccer for a girl that age, and you also state that she is doing well in school. I know this will likely fall on deaf ears, but please just let her enjoying play sports she likes at her own pace, and exploring academics and learning while she's excelling without parental intervention. Not everything in life is about goals and achievement, especially at age 8, and it sounds like she's on her way to figuring that out.

- A mom who has two sons who are both on high school honor role and play high school sports, but never did travel leagues.

+1 - I find the OP's post off-putting and arrogant. If you are an adult with an 8-year-old, it is no longer relevant that you and DH were high achievers throughout high school and college. The fact that you included that aside in a post about sports speaks volumes. Welcome to DC, where everyone who was at the top of their high school class comes together to pit their kids against each other! You fit right in.

I noticed a lot of posters do that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Depends on how much she enjoys it. There are so many travel soccer teams. Unless she’s on the top one or two, she won’t play on the hs team.

If you are organizing your 8 year old's life around playing on a high school sports team (do not do this), then just don't play soccer, or volleyball, or baseball, or probably a few other things. Maybe field hockey, softball, get into running young, try crew in middle school.

Planning "oh she has to make VARSITY" in elementary school is so odd to me, but it comes up on this board again and again. Maybe a 5th or 6th grader who loves a sport very much has a sense they want to play school sports. OK. But at 8?

I didn’t see OP mention “varsity” - she’s really just looking for feedback on pushing a kid. Now more than ever, most successful athletes were pushed to some degree at younger ages, and their own drive takes over (or doesn’t) by ~ 12. It’s fine to try for success in sports.

The bolded statement is not true. Some parents do follow this model, many don’t. A good example of the two approaches can be seen by looking at Tiger Woods (pushed) vs Roger Federer (not pushed).

Roger Federer's parents enrolled him at TC Old Boys tennis school at 8 (same age as OP's daughter), and he was nationally successful by 12. His parents are a good counter to Tiger's dad, but Federer's parents still actively supported him in elite training and competition at a young age.

At 8 years old in tennis you can see a child’s unique talent and drive and have them go to a professional school. At 8 years old in soccer if the child is mediocre but enjoys it she is right where she belongs. Be happy your child enjoys it and don’t ruin it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't push and let her have a life outside of sports

This. My kid's friends who do soccer have no time for anything else, it takes over evenings and weekends. Even though she likes it, I personally would consider dropping it for something less all-consuming. It's important to me that my kid have time for other things.

I agree with you, but it’s kid dependent. If the kid is going to use their free time for truly rejuvenating things (sleeping, socializing, family time, hobbies, roaming around and staring at clouds) that’s fine. But if they are going to be on their phone the whole time, it’s probably better to overschedule them.

Kids need to have a life outside of school, homework and activities. Will some kids not use their time wisely? Yes, but that doesn't mean you should treat all kids like that.

My daughter in the 4th grade had a friend whose mother scheduled her every waking hour. She came with us to a cookout that was near a Fourth of July carnival. She had never gone to one and I’d never seen her so happy. By, middle school she had turned awkward and uncomfortable in social settings. She never had a minute to experience life outside of supervised training.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't push and let her have a life outside of sports

This. My kid's friends who do soccer have no time for anything else, it takes over evenings and weekends. Even though she likes it, I personally would consider dropping it for something less all-consuming. It's important to me that my kid have time for other things.

I agree with you, but it’s kid dependent. If the kid is going to use their free time for truly rejuvenating things (sleeping, socializing, family time, hobbies, roaming around and staring at clouds) that’s fine. But if they are going to be on their phone the whole time, it’s probably better to overschedule them.

Kids need to have a life outside of school, homework and activities. Will some kids not use their time wisely? Yes, but that doesn't mean you should treat all kids like that.

My daughter in the 4th grade had a friend whose mother scheduled her every waking hour. She came with us to a cookout that was near a Fourth of July carnival. She had never gone to one and I’d never seen her so happy. By, middle school she had turned awkward and uncomfortable in social settings. She never had a minute to experience life outside of supervised training.

I grew up with kids like that. It was really sad, parents i guess think they're helping their kids, don't realize it's hurting them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD8 plays travel soccer. She is ok. Not the best not the worst. I think if we pushed her more she could move up to the higher level teams. Is it worth it? I see other kids who are definitely pushed by their parents to do more practice individually outside of practice times or have private coaches. Not sure what the end goal is for an 8 year old.

FWIW I played travel everything growing up and loved it but never played in college.

Academics come first in our family however - both DH and I have masters or higher education and were high achievers throughout high school and college. Kids right now are doing very well in school.

OP, with all due respect, I find this whole post a bit off-putting. It sounds like one way or another there's going to be pressure put on your DD, be it academic pressure based on you and your DH's high academic achievements, or in sports. Your DD is 8 years old and it sounds like she's doing fine at soccer for a girl that age, and you also state that she is doing well in school. I know this will likely fall on deaf ears, but please just let her enjoying play sports she likes at her own pace, and exploring academics and learning while she's excelling without parental intervention. Not everything in life is about goals and achievement, especially at age 8, and it sounds like she's on her way to figuring that out.

- A mom who has two sons who are both on high school honor role and play high school sports, but never did travel leagues.

+1 - I find the OP's post off-putting and arrogant. If you are an adult with an 8-year-old, it is no longer relevant that you and DH were high achievers throughout high school and college. The fact that you included that aside in a post about sports speaks volumes. Welcome to DC, where everyone who was at the top of their high school class comes together to pit their kids against each other! You fit right in.

I noticed a lot of posters do that.

It is very odd and immediately makes me question where the person is coming from.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't push and let her have a life outside of sports

This. My kid's friends who do soccer have no time for anything else, it takes over evenings and weekends. Even though she likes it, I personally would consider dropping it for something less all-consuming. It's important to me that my kid have time for other things.

I agree with you, but it’s kid dependent. If the kid is going to use their free time for truly rejuvenating things (sleeping, socializing, family time, hobbies, roaming around and staring at clouds) that’s fine. But if they are going to be on their phone the whole time, it’s probably better to overschedule them.

Kids need to have a life outside of school, homework and activities. Will some kids not use their time wisely? Yes, but that doesn't mean you should treat all kids like that.

My daughter in the 4th grade had a friend whose mother scheduled her every waking hour. She came with us to a cookout that was near a Fourth of July carnival. She had never gone to one and I’d never seen her so happy. By, middle school she had turned awkward and uncomfortable in social settings. She never had a minute to experience life outside of supervised training.

For every story like that, other kids went from D1 athletics to running Fortune 500 companies. I was nationally competitive in a sport that required intense training from a young age - my peers who I trained with are a neurosurgeon, a big law partner, and a trust fund kid with a "job" working in their family office and a busy public social life that mainly involves giving away money. You should probably keep your judgments and predictions of the outcome of high-achieving kids to yourself because it's pretty complicated to predict the trajectory of a fourth grader.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't push and let her have a life outside of sports

This. My kid's friends who do soccer have no time for anything else, it takes over evenings and weekends. Even though she likes it, I personally would consider dropping it for something less all-consuming. It's important to me that my kid have time for other things.

I agree with you, but it’s kid dependent. If the kid is going to use their free time for truly rejuvenating things (sleeping, socializing, family time, hobbies, roaming around and staring at clouds) that’s fine. But if they are going to be on their phone the whole time, it’s probably better to overschedule them.

Kids need to have a life outside of school, homework and activities. Will some kids not use their time wisely? Yes, but that doesn't mean you should treat all kids like that.

My daughter in the 4th grade had a friend whose mother scheduled her every waking hour. She came with us to a cookout that was near a Fourth of July carnival. She had never gone to one and I’d never seen her so happy. By, middle school she had turned awkward and uncomfortable in social settings. She never had a minute to experience life outside of supervised training.

For every story like that, other kids went from D1 athletics to running Fortune 500 companies. I was nationally competitive in a sport that required intense training from a young age - my peers who I trained with are a neurosurgeon, a big law partner, and a trust fund kid with a "job" working in their family office and a busy public social life that mainly involves giving away money. You should probably keep your judgments and predictions of the outcome of high-achieving kids to yourself because it's pretty complicated to predict the trajectory of a fourth grader.

I think that every parent wants their kids to be successful, but not at the expense of their childhoods.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't push and let her have a life outside of sports

This. My kid's friends who do soccer have no time for anything else, it takes over evenings and weekends. Even though she likes it, I personally would consider dropping it for something less all-consuming. It's important to me that my kid have time for other things.

I agree with you, but it’s kid dependent. If the kid is going to use their free time for truly rejuvenating things (sleeping, socializing, family time, hobbies, roaming around and staring at clouds) that’s fine. But if they are going to be on their phone the whole time, it’s probably better to overschedule them.

Kids need to have a life outside of school, homework and activities. Will some kids not use their time wisely? Yes, but that doesn't mean you should treat all kids like that.

My daughter in the 4th grade had a friend whose mother scheduled her every waking hour. She came with us to a cookout that was near a Fourth of July carnival. She had never gone to one and I’d never seen her so happy. By, middle school she had turned awkward and uncomfortable in social settings. She never had a minute to experience life outside of supervised training.

For every story like that, other kids went from D1 athletics to running Fortune 500 companies. I was nationally competitive in a sport that required intense training from a young age - my peers who I trained with are a neurosurgeon, a big law partner, and a trust fund kid with a "job" working in their family office and a busy public social life that mainly involves giving away money. You should probably keep your judgments and predictions of the outcome of high-achieving kids to yourself because it's pretty complicated to predict the trajectory of a fourth grader.

So, are you saying that it's worth it? Fir kids never really getting a chance to be kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't push and let her have a life outside of sports

This. My kid's friends who do soccer have no time for anything else, it takes over evenings and weekends. Even though she likes it, I personally would consider dropping it for something less all-consuming. It's important to me that my kid have time for other things.

I agree with you, but it’s kid dependent. If the kid is going to use their free time for truly rejuvenating things (sleeping, socializing, family time, hobbies, roaming around and staring at clouds) that’s fine. But if they are going to be on their phone the whole time, it’s probably better to overschedule them.

Kids need to have a life outside of school, homework and activities. Will some kids not use their time wisely? Yes, but that doesn't mean you should treat all kids like that.

My daughter in the 4th grade had a friend whose mother scheduled her every waking hour. She came with us to a cookout that was near a Fourth of July carnival. She had never gone to one and I’d never seen her so happy. By, middle school she had turned awkward and uncomfortable in social settings. She never had a minute to experience life outside of supervised training.

For every story like that, other kids went from D1 athletics to running Fortune 500 companies. I was nationally competitive in a sport that required intense training from a young age - my peers who I trained with are a neurosurgeon, a big law partner, and a trust fund kid with a "job" working in their family office and a busy public social life that mainly involves giving away money. You should probably keep your judgments and predictions of the outcome of high-achieving kids to yourself because it's pretty complicated to predict the trajectory of a fourth grader.

I think that every parent wants their kids to be successful, but not at the expense of their childhoods.

Absolutely, but "at the expense of their childhoods" is subjective. Look at Alyssa Liu - she spent her childhood figure skating, then retired at 16 after winning a bronze medal at worlds and a 6th at the olympics because she was burnt out. After two years off the ice, she missed the sport and returned to figure skating in 2024 and just won 2025 Worlds. In the press conference following Worlds, she said she didn't regret anything that brought her to where she is today. She's also a student at UCLA, and it is a well-known fact that Alyssa is social, extroverted, and almost always has a smile on her face. Nathan Chen is a student at Yale, living a relatively normal student life. Sarah Hughes is getting her MBA at Harvard and sits on several boards. Vera Wang went on to have a pretty great life after figure skating. Michelle Kwan is the US Ambassador to Belize. This is the sport I follow, and the examples I share are all public information, but others could insert relevant examples from other sports.

If you can't agree to let people make reasonable judgments for their child based on what suits that child, then it's your problem. Most of us know our children better than strangers. There are bad parents everywhere who make poor decisions, but I doubt sports parents index high in that area relative to the general population. Most sports parents are in tune with their child's needs, and we try to act in their best interests. Like I'm sure OP will do for her daughter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't push and let her have a life outside of sports

This. My kid's friends who do soccer have no time for anything else, it takes over evenings and weekends. Even though she likes it, I personally would consider dropping it for something less all-consuming. It's important to me that my kid have time for other things.

I agree with you, but it’s kid dependent. If the kid is going to use their free time for truly rejuvenating things (sleeping, socializing, family time, hobbies, roaming around and staring at clouds) that’s fine. But if they are going to be on their phone the whole time, it’s probably better to overschedule them.

Kids need to have a life outside of school, homework and activities. Will some kids not use their time wisely? Yes, but that doesn't mean you should treat all kids like that.

My daughter in the 4th grade had a friend whose mother scheduled her every waking hour. She came with us to a cookout that was near a Fourth of July carnival. She had never gone to one and I’d never seen her so happy. By, middle school she had turned awkward and uncomfortable in social settings. She never had a minute to experience life outside of supervised training.

For every story like that, other kids went from D1 athletics to running Fortune 500 companies. I was nationally competitive in a sport that required intense training from a young age - my peers who I trained with are a neurosurgeon, a big law partner, and a trust fund kid with a "job" working in their family office and a busy public social life that mainly involves giving away money. You should probably keep your judgments and predictions of the outcome of high-achieving kids to yourself because it's pretty complicated to predict the trajectory of a fourth grader.

I think that every parent wants their kids to be successful, but not at the expense of their childhoods.

Absolutely, but "at the expense of their childhoods" is subjective. Look at Alyssa Liu - she spent her childhood figure skating, then retired at 16 after winning a bronze medal at worlds and a 6th at the olympics because she was burnt out. After two years off the ice, she missed the sport and returned to figure skating in 2024 and just won 2025 Worlds. In the press conference following Worlds, she said she didn't regret anything that brought her to where she is today. She's also a student at UCLA, and it is a well-known fact that Alyssa is social, extroverted, and almost always has a smile on her face. Nathan Chen is a student at Yale, living a relatively normal student life. Sarah Hughes is getting her MBA at Harvard and sits on several boards. Vera Wang went on to have a pretty great life after figure skating. Michelle Kwan is the US Ambassador to Belize. This is the sport I follow, and the examples I share are all public information, but others could insert relevant examples from other sports.

If you can't agree to let people make reasonable judgments for their child based on what suits that child, then it's your problem. Most of us know our children better than strangers. There are bad parents everywhere who make poor decisions, but I doubt sports parents index high in that area relative to the general population. Most sports parents are in tune with their child's needs, and we try to act in their best interests. Like I'm sure OP will do for her daughter.

I would hope that parents are acting in their kids best interest, but let's face it, some aren't and there are many stories like the above poster shared about kids not being happy about their parents making them do all these activities. I personally grew up with some of them, so yeah, I feel bad for them. Not worth it at all.