Agree or disagree? Kids should only play travel sports if they have college or pro potential

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our kids play travel sports because DH and I both played travel sports then a college sport, so for us it is just a lifestyle that we love and are comfortable with spending our time and money to support. Ironically, our youngest son chose about the only 2 sports that neither of us played growing up (ice hockey and lacrosse), so we're having fun learning along the way, but the level of athleticism and parental commitment required is the same across most sports (though hockey is really expensive). Older kids played travel sports then D1 and D3 athletics (no scholarship for either). Wouldn't change it for the world. We just love sports.

Translation: we like it, so we forced it on our kids.

"Force" is a strong word. Most decent parents introduce their kids to things they enjoy, whether it be sports, music, chess, theater, sailing, whatever. Sounds like this family let their kids sample a variety of sports and at least one of their kids chose his own thing.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While I have always admired highly athletic kids and wish them the best, I am just so glad that mine never fell into that category. The commitment required for travel sports sounds exhausting, and many of the parents seem insufferable. And for what? The vast majority of the kids end up putting the sport largely behind them, more often than not before college. I just don't get the appeal.

I don’t understand why people care so much about what other kids do. But I’ll bite..our kids enjoyed travel sports because they loved their sport, got frustrated in rec when kids missed games and practice at the drop of a hat, liked the competitive nature and overall higher skill and commitment levels in travel. None of them had any interest or desire to play in college. But they made great friends, stayed fit, and had great time management skills which served them well in high school and college.

Why isn’t the same disdain shown to non athletic extracurriculars? It gets old.

I wouldn't say I have disdain for travel sports or other highly competitive expensive exracurriculars, but I would never let my child do them. Money aside, these activities are intense abd really don't allow kids to be kids and have a childhood. I don't want my child so busy that they do not have time for much else.

So if your kid developed a particular passion that they loved enough to put the time in to improve, be it music or sports or whatever, you'd discourage it?

Possibly, but its not like im putting a blanket ban on all activities or sometjing.. I'm not 100% sure. Do you really let your kids do whatever they wabt? No limitations anywhere? I think travel or high competitive activities are way too expensive and a time suck, not just for me, but for my kids. Like I said, I think for kids 14 and under free time and free play ate very important.

14 is too late to jump on the competitive sports bandwagon. If you wait that long, it's long over.

Then it's over. I'll listen to my kid and discuss things with them, but at the end of the day kids don't get to do everything they want.

It's also going to be fun because all of that "free time" will be spent on devices. Do you think 14 year olds are playing at the park?

Why not? 14 and under are kids. I absolutely expect then to be kids, what wrong with that? Devices arent big at my house, so that's a non issue

You sound very naive. Keep telling yourself your 14 year old is so different from any other kid that age and won’t want to sit around playing on a phone or on video games. That is what “hanging out” turns into. Your influence on your kids will wane and peer influences will become very important in adolescence. That’s how development works.

um ok.. I was 14 and I know what I was like. Yes, it's different with all the tech now, bit all of that is controllable. Quit assuming all 14 year olds are all the same. All I wanted to do at that age was be a kid.

But what does your kid want? Are you assuming your kid wants the same thing as you wanted as a kid? I'm assuming your kids have not shown any intense interest or talent for sport they may have already tried because if they did, you would not be making the decision to say, "nah....they can try travel at 14" so easily. Sure, there are a few parents who really push their kids to do travel sports (usually the crazy parents), but at the end of the day, this thread shows me that parents put their kids in travel because the kids want to do it.

at all.

Travel sports are totally different. They are extremely abd expensive and a huge tune suck on the kids and their families. It's completely fine to say no to that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While I have always admired highly athletic kids and wish them the best, I am just so glad that mine never fell into that category. The commitment required for travel sports sounds exhausting, and many of the parents seem insufferable. And for what? The vast majority of the kids end up putting the sport largely behind them, more often than not before college. I just don't get the appeal.

I don’t understand why people care so much about what other kids do. But I’ll bite..our kids enjoyed travel sports because they loved their sport, got frustrated in rec when kids missed games and practice at the drop of a hat, liked the competitive nature and overall higher skill and commitment levels in travel. None of them had any interest or desire to play in college. But they made great friends, stayed fit, and had great time management skills which served them well in high school and college.

Why isn’t the same disdain shown to non athletic extracurriculars? It gets old.

I wouldn't say I have disdain for travel sports or other highly competitive expensive exracurriculars, but I would never let my child do them. Money aside, these activities are intense abd really don't allow kids to be kids and have a childhood. I don't want my child so busy that they do not have time for much else.

So if your kid developed a particular passion that they loved enough to put the time in to improve, be it music or sports or whatever, you'd discourage it?

Possibly, but its not like im putting a blanket ban on all activities or sometjing.. I'm not 100% sure. Do you really let your kids do whatever they wabt? No limitations anywhere? I think travel or high competitive activities are way too expensive and a time suck, not just for me, but for my kids. Like I said, I think for kids 14 and under free time and free play ate very important.

14 is too late to jump on the competitive sports bandwagon. If you wait that long, it's long over.

Then it's over. I'll listen to my kid and discuss things with them, but at the end of the day kids don't get to do everything they want.

Okay... why you are even posting on here then? You're clearly not an athlete yourself, nor will your kid(s) ever have a shot at being a successful athlete, so this board isn't for you. Do you have some kind of inferiority complex over it?

In my experience the people who have distain for travel sports without ever having participated in it are not athletic themselves and their kids aren’t athletic either. They think that everyone doing travel sports is just being duped into it. They can’t fathom that some (not all) kids have actual talent and high interest, and are better served by playing at a more competitive level. It’s like they’re unable to see it because their own child does not display those abilities and they think other kids can’t possibly be that much better than their own child at a young age. Newsflash: some kids are really good athletes from a young age. Travel sports are a good fit for them. Some of them will stick with it, some of them will not. If you don’t want to participate in then don’t take your kid to tryouts. No need for sour grapes.

Ha ha love it. It took you about 500 words to say what you think, when you could have said it in three: "they're just jealous."

You're pathetic if you really think that way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our kids play travel sports because DH and I both played travel sports then a college sport, so for us it is just a lifestyle that we love and are comfortable with spending our time and money to support. Ironically, our youngest son chose about the only 2 sports that neither of us played growing up (ice hockey and lacrosse), so we're having fun learning along the way, but the level of athleticism and parental commitment required is the same across most sports (though hockey is really expensive). Older kids played travel sports then D1 and D3 athletics (no scholarship for either). Wouldn't change it for the world. We just love sports.

Translation: we like it, so we forced it on our kids.

Yes, this. Because kids can't have a childhood or be functional adults without all of these extras.

[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:While I have always admired highly athletic kids and wish them the best, I am just so glad that mine never fell into that category. The commitment required for travel sports sounds exhausting, and many of the parents seem insufferable. And for what? The vast majority of the kids end up putting the sport largely behind them, more often than not before college. I just don't get the appeal.

I don’t understand why people care so much about what other kids do. But I’ll bite..our kids enjoyed travel sports because they loved their sport, got frustrated in rec when kids missed games and practice at the drop of a hat, liked the competitive nature and overall higher skill and commitment levels in travel. None of them had any interest or desire to play in college. But they made great friends, stayed fit, and had great time management skills which served them well in high school and college.

Why isn’t the same disdain shown to non athletic extracurriculars? It gets old.

I wouldn't say I have disdain for travel sports or other highly competitive expensive exracurriculars, but I would never let my child do them. Money aside, these activities are intense abd really don't allow kids to be kids and have a childhood. I don't want my child so busy that they do not have time for much else.

So if your kid developed a particular passion that they loved enough to put the time in to improve, be it music or sports or whatever, you'd discourage it?

Possibly, but its not like im putting a blanket ban on all activities or sometjing.. I'm not 100% sure. Do you really let your kids do whatever they wabt? No limitations anywhere? I think travel or high competitive activities are way too expensive and a time suck, not just for me, but for my kids. Like I said, I think for kids 14 and under free time and free play ate very important.

14 is too late to jump on the competitive sports bandwagon. If you wait that long, it's long over.

Then it's over. I'll listen to my kid and discuss things with them, but at the end of the day kids don't get to do everything they want.

It's also going to be fun because all of that "free time" will be spent on devices. Do you think 14 year olds are playing at the park?

Why not? 14 and under are kids. I absolutely expect then to be kids, what wrong with that? Devices arent big at my house, so that's a non issue

You sound very naive. Keep telling yourself your 14 year old is so different from any other kid that age and won’t want to sit around playing on a phone or on video games. That is what “hanging out” turns into. Your influence on your kids will wane and peer influences will become very important in adolescence. That’s how development works.

um ok.. I was 14 and I know what I was like. Yes, it's different with all the tech now, bit all of that is controllable. Quit assuming all 14 year olds are all the same. All I wanted to do at that age was be a kid.

But what does your kid want? Are you assuming your kid wants the same thing as you wanted as a kid? I'm assuming your kids have not shown any intense interest or talent for sport they may have already tried because if they did, you would not be making the decision to say, "nah....they can try travel at 14" so easily. Sure, there are a few parents who really push their kids to do travel sports (usually the crazy parents), but at the end of the day, this thread shows me that parents put their kids in travel because the kids want to do it.

at all.

Travel sports are totally different. They are extremely abd expensive and a huge tune suck on the kids and their families. It's completely fine to say no to that.

Travel basketball is less than 1k a year for DD. If she stays good enough, there are high school teams that are free including uniform and shoes. I can think of a lot of activities that cost more than that

[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:While I have always admired highly athletic kids and wish them the best, I am just so glad that mine never fell into that category. The commitment required for travel sports sounds exhausting, and many of the parents seem insufferable. And for what? The vast majority of the kids end up putting the sport largely behind them, more often than not before college. I just don't get the appeal.

I don’t understand why people care so much about what other kids do. But I’ll bite..our kids enjoyed travel sports because they loved their sport, got frustrated in rec when kids missed games and practice at the drop of a hat, liked the competitive nature and overall higher skill and commitment levels in travel. None of them had any interest or desire to play in college. But they made great friends, stayed fit, and had great time management skills which served them well in high school and college.

Why isn’t the same disdain shown to non athletic extracurriculars? It gets old.

I wouldn't say I have disdain for travel sports or other highly competitive expensive exracurriculars, but I would never let my child do them. Money aside, these activities are intense abd really don't allow kids to be kids and have a childhood. I don't want my child so busy that they do not have time for much else.

So if your kid developed a particular passion that they loved enough to put the time in to improve, be it music or sports or whatever, you'd discourage it?

Possibly, but its not like im putting a blanket ban on all activities or sometjing.. I'm not 100% sure. Do you really let your kids do whatever they wabt? No limitations anywhere? I think travel or high competitive activities are way too expensive and a time suck, not just for me, but for my kids. Like I said, I think for kids 14 and under free time and free play ate very important.

14 is too late to jump on the competitive sports bandwagon. If you wait that long, it's long over.

Then it's over. I'll listen to my kid and discuss things with them, but at the end of the day kids don't get to do everything they want.

It's also going to be fun because all of that "free time" will be spent on devices. Do you think 14 year olds are playing at the park?

Why not? 14 and under are kids. I absolutely expect then to be kids, what wrong with that? Devices arent big at my house, so that's a non issue

You sound very naive. Keep telling yourself your 14 year old is so different from any other kid that age and won’t want to sit around playing on a phone or on video games. That is what “hanging out” turns into. Your influence on your kids will wane and peer influences will become very important in adolescence. That’s how development works.

um ok.. I was 14 and I know what I was like. Yes, it's different with all the tech now, bit all of that is controllable. Quit assuming all 14 year olds are all the same. All I wanted to do at that age was be a kid.

But what does your kid want? Are you assuming your kid wants the same thing as you wanted as a kid? I'm assuming your kids have not shown any intense interest or talent for sport they may have already tried because if they did, you would not be making the decision to say, "nah....they can try travel at 14" so easily. Sure, there are a few parents who really push their kids to do travel sports (usually the crazy parents), but at the end of the day, this thread shows me that parents put their kids in travel because the kids want to do it.

at all.

Travel sports are totally different. They are extremely abd expensive and a huge tune suck on the kids and their families. It's completely fine to say no to that.

Travel basketball is less than 1k a year for DD. If she stays good enough, there are high school teams that are free including uniform and shoes. I can think of a lot of activities that cost more than that

I know there are sports that cost more, way more. But 1,000 for basketball is still way too much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our kids play travel sports because DH and I both played travel sports then a college sport, so for us it is just a lifestyle that we love and are comfortable with spending our time and money to support. Ironically, our youngest son chose about the only 2 sports that neither of us played growing up (ice hockey and lacrosse), so we're having fun learning along the way, but the level of athleticism and parental commitment required is the same across most sports (though hockey is really expensive). Older kids played travel sports then D1 and D3 athletics (no scholarship for either). Wouldn't change it for the world. We just love sports.

Translation: we like it, so we forced it on our kids.

Yes, this. Because kids can't have a childhood or be functional adults without all of these extras.

Exactly. I love how the poster says her youngest chose a sport "neither of us played growing up." What she really means is: we made clear to the kids that they had to pick at least one sport to participate in and didn't give them a choice in the matter because that's how important we think playing a sport is. Because we all know that that is exactly what happened.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While I have always admired highly athletic kids and wish them the best, I am just so glad that mine never fell into that category. The commitment required for travel sports sounds exhausting, and many of the parents seem insufferable. And for what? The vast majority of the kids end up putting the sport largely behind them, more often than not before college. I just don't get the appeal.

I don’t understand why people care so much about what other kids do. But I’ll bite..our kids enjoyed travel sports because they loved their sport, got frustrated in rec when kids missed games and practice at the drop of a hat, liked the competitive nature and overall higher skill and commitment levels in travel. None of them had any interest or desire to play in college. But they made great friends, stayed fit, and had great time management skills which served them well in high school and college.

Why isn’t the same disdain shown to non athletic extracurriculars? It gets old.

I wouldn't say I have disdain for travel sports or other highly competitive expensive exracurriculars, but I would never let my child do them. Money aside, these activities are intense abd really don't allow kids to be kids and have a childhood. I don't want my child so busy that they do not have time for much else.

So if your kid developed a particular passion that they loved enough to put the time in to improve, be it music or sports or whatever, you'd discourage it?

Possibly, but its not like im putting a blanket ban on all activities or sometjing.. I'm not 100% sure. Do you really let your kids do whatever they wabt? No limitations anywhere? I think travel or high competitive activities are way too expensive and a time suck, not just for me, but for my kids. Like I said, I think for kids 14 and under free time and free play ate very important.

You are wrong to assume that travel sports don't leave time for plenty of free play. Kids on our block do travel hockey, soccer, and competitive swimming, and still spend a ton of time roaming the neighborhood, playing with friends, just goofing around. My kids also have LOTS of time for relaxing, reading, etc. And they also do other things like music. Our family has time to hike, camp, visit family, etc. And competitive sports are a natural part of childhood, just like free play. Kids get to challenge themselves, make great friends, and goof around with their teammates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our kids play travel sports because DH and I both played travel sports then a college sport, so for us it is just a lifestyle that we love and are comfortable with spending our time and money to support. Ironically, our youngest son chose about the only 2 sports that neither of us played growing up (ice hockey and lacrosse), so we're having fun learning along the way, but the level of athleticism and parental commitment required is the same across most sports (though hockey is really expensive). Older kids played travel sports then D1 and D3 athletics (no scholarship for either). Wouldn't change it for the world. We just love sports.

Translation: we like it, so we forced it on our kids.

Yes, this. Because kids can't have a childhood or be functional adults without all of these extras.

Exactly. I love how the poster says her youngest chose a sport "neither of us played growing up." What she really means is: we made clear to the kids that they had to pick at least one sport to participate in and didn't give them a choice in the matter because that's how important we think playing a sport is. Because we all know that that is exactly what happened.

Exactly. I love how the poster says her youngest chose a sport "neither of us played growing up." What she really means is: we made clear to the kids that they had to pick at least one sport to participate in and didn't give them a choice in the matter because that's how important we think playing a sport is. Because we all know that that is exactly what happened.

So? People who make their kids play a sport of their choice clearly see value in it. If you don't, then you don't. Statistically, you're on the wrong side of this debate, but again, why do you even care? Opt out and move on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While I have always admired highly athletic kids and wish them the best, I am just so glad that mine never fell into that category. The commitment required for travel sports sounds exhausting, and many of the parents seem insufferable. And for what? The vast majority of the kids end up putting the sport largely behind them, more often than not before college. I just don't get the appeal.

I don’t understand why people care so much about what other kids do. But I’ll bite..our kids enjoyed travel sports because they loved their sport, got frustrated in rec when kids missed games and practice at the drop of a hat, liked the competitive nature and overall higher skill and commitment levels in travel. None of them had any interest or desire to play in college. But they made great friends, stayed fit, and had great time management skills which served them well in high school and college.

Why isn’t the same disdain shown to non athletic extracurriculars? It gets old.

I wouldn't say I have disdain for travel sports or other highly competitive expensive exracurriculars, but I would never let my child do them. Money aside, these activities are intense abd really don't allow kids to be kids and have a childhood. I don't want my child so busy that they do not have time for much else.

So if your kid developed a particular passion that they loved enough to put the time in to improve, be it music or sports or whatever, you'd discourage it?

Possibly, but its not like im putting a blanket ban on all activities or sometjing.. I'm not 100% sure. Do you really let your kids do whatever they wabt? No limitations anywhere? I think travel or high competitive activities are way too expensive and a time suck, not just for me, but for my kids. Like I said, I think for kids 14 and under free time and free play ate very important.

14 is too late to jump on the competitive sports bandwagon. If you wait that long, it's long over.

Then it's over. I'll listen to my kid and discuss things with them, but at the end of the day kids don't get to do everything they want.

Okay... why you are even posting on here then? You're clearly not an athlete yourself, nor will your kid(s) ever have a shot at being a successful athlete, so this board isn't for you. Do you have some kind of inferiority complex over it?

In my experience the people who have distain for travel sports without ever having participated in it are not athletic themselves and their kids aren’t athletic either. They think that everyone doing travel sports is just being duped into it. They can’t fathom that some (not all) kids have actual talent and high interest, and are better served by playing at a more competitive level. It’s like they’re unable to see it because their own child does not display those abilities and they think other kids can’t possibly be that much better than their own child at a young age. Newsflash: some kids are really good athletes from a young age. Travel sports are a good fit for them. Some of them will stick with it, some of them will not. If you don’t want to participate in then don’t take your kid to tryouts. No need for sour grapes.

Ha ha love it. It took you about 500 words to say what you think, when you could have said it in three: "they're just jealous."

You're pathetic if you really think that way.

Yes, the "sour grapes" at the end is what another poster was getting at with the social cache and how the parents can be insufferable.

You see, we all wish our children were athletic. This is the way the "cool kid" athletic adults and kids think though. Not all of them, but some of them. These are the same ones who will make fun of "band geeks" and "math nerds". It's a whole mindset and very basic American frat guy/sorority girl.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our kids play travel sports because DH and I both played travel sports then a college sport, so for us it is just a lifestyle that we love and are comfortable with spending our time and money to support. Ironically, our youngest son chose about the only 2 sports that neither of us played growing up (ice hockey and lacrosse), so we're having fun learning along the way, but the level of athleticism and parental commitment required is the same across most sports (though hockey is really expensive). Older kids played travel sports then D1 and D3 athletics (no scholarship for either). Wouldn't change it for the world. We just love sports.

Translation: we like it, so we forced it on our kids.

Yes, this. Because kids can't have a childhood or be functional adults without all of these extras.

Exactly. I love how the poster says her youngest chose a sport "neither of us played growing up." What she really means is: we made clear to the kids that they had to pick at least one sport to participate in and didn't give them a choice in the matter because that's how important we think playing a sport is. Because we all know that that is exactly what happened.

Exactly. I love how the poster says her youngest chose a sport "neither of us played growing up." What she really means is: we made clear to the kids that they had to pick at least one sport to participate in and didn't give them a choice in the matter because that's how important we think playing a sport is. Because we all know that that is exactly what happened.

So? People who make their kids play a sport of their choice clearly see value in it. If you don't, then you don't. Statistically, you're on the wrong side of this debate, but again, why do you even care? Opt out and move on.

Not my point at all. My point is that that's what happened and we know it. So own it. If you're so sure it's the right thing to do, then don't dance around it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While I have always admired highly athletic kids and wish them the best, I am just so glad that mine never fell into that category. The commitment required for travel sports sounds exhausting, and many of the parents seem insufferable. And for what? The vast majority of the kids end up putting the sport largely behind them, more often than not before college. I just don't get the appeal.

I don’t understand why people care so much about what other kids do. But I’ll bite..our kids enjoyed travel sports because they loved their sport, got frustrated in rec when kids missed games and practice at the drop of a hat, liked the competitive nature and overall higher skill and commitment levels in travel. None of them had any interest or desire to play in college. But they made great friends, stayed fit, and had great time management skills which served them well in high school and college.

Why isn’t the same disdain shown to non athletic extracurriculars? It gets old.

I wouldn't say I have disdain for travel sports or other highly competitive expensive exracurriculars, but I would never let my child do them. Money aside, these activities are intense abd really don't allow kids to be kids and have a childhood. I don't want my child so busy that they do not have time for much else.

So if your kid developed a particular passion that they loved enough to put the time in to improve, be it music or sports or whatever, you'd discourage it?

Possibly, but its not like im putting a blanket ban on all activities or sometjing.. I'm not 100% sure. Do you really let your kids do whatever they wabt? No limitations anywhere? I think travel or high competitive activities are way too expensive and a time suck, not just for me, but for my kids. Like I said, I think for kids 14 and under free time and free play ate very important.

14 is too late to jump on the competitive sports bandwagon. If you wait that long, it's long over.

Then it's over. I'll listen to my kid and discuss things with them, but at the end of the day kids don't get to do everything they want.

Okay... why you are even posting on here then? You're clearly not an athlete yourself, nor will your kid(s) ever have a shot at being a successful athlete, so this board isn't for you. Do you have some kind of inferiority complex over it?

In my experience the people who have distain for travel sports without ever having participated in it are not athletic themselves and their kids aren’t athletic either. They think that everyone doing travel sports is just being duped into it. They can’t fathom that some (not all) kids have actual talent and high interest, and are better served by playing at a more competitive level. It’s like they’re unable to see it because their own child does not display those abilities and they think other kids can’t possibly be that much better than their own child at a young age. Newsflash: some kids are really good athletes from a young age. Travel sports are a good fit for them. Some of them will stick with it, some of them will not. If you don’t want to participate in then don’t take your kid to tryouts. No need for sour grapes.

Ha ha love it. It took you about 500 words to say what you think, when you could have said it in three: "they're just jealous."

You're pathetic if you really think that way.

Yes, the "sour grapes" at the end is what another poster was getting at with the social cache and how the parents can be insufferable.

You see, we all wish our children were athletic. This is the way the "cool kid" athletic adults and kids think though. Not all of them, but some of them. These are the same ones who will make fun of "band geeks" and "math nerds". It's a whole mindset and very basic American frat guy/sorority girl.

Yea, I agree with you. it's also a sign of insecurity to think that way, ironically.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our kids play travel sports because DH and I both played travel sports then a college sport, so for us it is just a lifestyle that we love and are comfortable with spending our time and money to support. Ironically, our youngest son chose about the only 2 sports that neither of us played growing up (ice hockey and lacrosse), so we're having fun learning along the way, but the level of athleticism and parental commitment required is the same across most sports (though hockey is really expensive). Older kids played travel sports then D1 and D3 athletics (no scholarship for either). Wouldn't change it for the world. We just love sports.

Translation: we like it, so we forced it on our kids.

Yes, this. Because kids can't have a childhood or be functional adults without all of these extras.

Exactly. I love how the poster says her youngest chose a sport "neither of us played growing up." What she really means is: we made clear to the kids that they had to pick at least one sport to participate in and didn't give them a choice in the matter because that's how important we think playing a sport is. Because we all know that that is exactly what happened.

Exactly. I love how the poster says her youngest chose a sport "neither of us played growing up." What she really means is: we made clear to the kids that they had to pick at least one sport to participate in and didn't give them a choice in the matter because that's how important we think playing a sport is. Because we all know that that is exactly what happened.

So? People who make their kids play a sport of their choice clearly see value in it. If you don't, then you don't. Statistically, you're on the wrong side of this debate, but again, why do you even care? Opt out and move on.

Can't tell you how many ppl I know who require sports and activities in general.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While I have always admired highly athletic kids and wish them the best, I am just so glad that mine never fell into that category. The commitment required for travel sports sounds exhausting, and many of the parents seem insufferable. And for what? The vast majority of the kids end up putting the sport largely behind them, more often than not before college. I just don't get the appeal.

I don’t understand why people care so much about what other kids do. But I’ll bite..our kids enjoyed travel sports because they loved their sport, got frustrated in rec when kids missed games and practice at the drop of a hat, liked the competitive nature and overall higher skill and commitment levels in travel. None of them had any interest or desire to play in college. But they made great friends, stayed fit, and had great time management skills which served them well in high school and college.

Why isn’t the same disdain shown to non athletic extracurriculars? It gets old.

I wouldn't say I have disdain for travel sports or other highly competitive expensive exracurriculars, but I would never let my child do them. Money aside, these activities are intense abd really don't allow kids to be kids and have a childhood. I don't want my child so busy that they do not have time for much else.

So if your kid developed a particular passion that they loved enough to put the time in to improve, be it music or sports or whatever, you'd discourage it?

Possibly, but its not like im putting a blanket ban on all activities or sometjing.. I'm not 100% sure. Do you really let your kids do whatever they wabt? No limitations anywhere? I think travel or high competitive activities are way too expensive and a time suck, not just for me, but for my kids. Like I said, I think for kids 14 and under free time and free play ate very important.

You are wrong to assume that travel sports don't leave time for plenty of free play. Kids on our block do travel hockey, soccer, and competitive swimming, and still spend a ton of time roaming the neighborhood, playing with friends, just goofing around. My kids also have LOTS of time for relaxing, reading, etc. And they also do other things like music. Our family has time to hike, camp, visit family, etc. And competitive sports are a natural part of childhood, just like free play. Kids get to challenge themselves, make great friends, and goof around with their teammates.

Any kid that I've ever know in a travel sport or activity is always super busy. That's the draw for some parents is too keep their kids busy.

[Anonymous]

Some of these travel sports are 4 days a week plus travel on the weekends. You may get a month off but you are pressured to “train”. You can not do any other sport or extracurricular activities. Once home work starts to picking up you really do not have time for anything else. The burn out rate is very high. Realistically 75-85% of the kids on the “top” team have little to no chance of playing in college.

These teams are pretty joyless with mediocre coaching. Most parents could not tell a good coach from a bad coach. When it comes down to who is a good coach, it’s the one who picked my kid. The coaches are always feeding the parents “it’s about development” line. When is it about just playing a game for fun? Remember most of these kids will never play at the next level. Many of them are getting limited to no minutes in the games! You do not develop if you are not playing in games.

So I would say only play travel if you want to play in college because you are giving up a lot. Just be realistic about your kid’s chances. It your kid is a top player great if they a roll player of non starter…

Now there are so many clubs/teams in this area pretty much any decent u17 and below are on the “elite” team in the elite league. So if your kid is pretty good but does not want to play college the next level down is equal to a rec team. I wish there was an in between.