Why do kids here in the US spend so much time and effort on sports?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's exercise. It's fun. It's very good for you. Sports build more than muscles. Friendships, healthy hobby, learn to manage time, learn to accept defeat. The list is endless.

There's also a lot of valuable skills learned in sports that may not be evident at first glance: teamwork, time management, personal limits, winning/losing with grace, etc. These are life skills athletes carry with them into the workplace and other areas of life.

Time management is a big one. A common trait among athletes attending academically challenging universities is their ability to balance academics and their commitment to their sport. It's a practice they've had to develop to earn their spot there and one that will serve them well for life.

Yes, some kids play sports because their parents make them, but that's not unique to sports and speaks more to parenting than the value of playing sports.

[Anonymous]

You can learn all of that without sports though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can learn all of that without sports though.

Yes, you can. As stated, they're not unique to sports, but these are some of the positive intangibles that can be gained from playing sports.

Just because you can learn them elsewhere doesn't negate their value to athletes.

[Anonymous]

OP, as long as your kid loves it, it's a good thing.

It's a different story when the parent makes them do it and the kid isn't enjoying it.

All the driving and time commitment for parents is a conundrum, especially when you have multiple kids interested in different activities. I've seen similar demands for other activities as well. My son's robotics coach requires 20-30 hours a week at practice, and driving to kingdom come for various tournaments. Same with the band kids during band season. I do think the time commitment for a lot of extra-curriculars has gotten out of hand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I am not sure where the 20+ hours a week comes from? What sports practice can be more than 2 hours/day?

At our school, many extracurricular activities requires at least 3 hours of practice a day, some more during busy season. This is true of sports, band, robotics, dance and several others. On many Saturdays they are asked to show up all day to practice or go to a competition or event. It's too much, and there's no middle ground if a kid is interested in the activity. The kids in these activities who take a heavy academic load are just not getting enough sleep.

OP, I agree with you that such a heavy commitment makes it hard to balance academics and outside activities, but at our school, the crazy time commitment is not limited to sports. I'd love to see it change but have noticed that many parents and school administrators aren't willing to give up their #1 or #2 rank in these activities to allow the kids more free time.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:My issue is not what people choose to pursue as hobbies. My problem is that there is an inherent belief that sports are better than other hobbies. I have teens and they are made well aware that unless they do a sport, they are part of the less popular crowd. I am thankful they don't careas much, but there are many kids who probably do care.

Where is your evidence to backup that claim?  I am sure a lot more women want to date Shawn Mendes than some random athletes.

Just ask your teens. I am sure there is rare exceptions but the sport star is always seemingly the popular ones at school.

then explain to me why women would prefer to date Shawn Mendes than some US soccer athletes?

That is a straw man because no one knows that. And I think most women would prefer to date a hot football QB than a hot pop singer, yes.

If Landon Donovan or Clint Dempsey, US men soccer superstars, walk into a Giant grocery store, probably 99% of shoppers in the store would neither recognize them nor do they care. If Justin Beiber or Post Malone walk into the same Giant grocery store, the police would be called in within minutes to restore order because a lot of young women want to be there and touch them.

Most women would prefer a man with the body of a professional soccer player over a man with the body of Post Malone

Maybe, but consider what soccer players salary compared to Mendes. Mendes is probably 100X the top soccer players in the US.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are a lot of kids on travel teams that just aren't talented and shouldn't play. Their parents continue paying for them to be in travel and it just makes no sense since its a huge time suck. Rec league is a great place for majority of kids, which leaves more time to do other things such as enrichment.

What's the harm if they are having a good time? It actually doesn't suck up that much more than rec.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You're doing what you say everyone else is doing but you're confused? Why do you allow your own kids to play sports at that level?

+1 I grew up in the US and my kids have played one rec sport each through elementary school and high school, skipping a few years here and there. Never have our days been consumed by sports. Curious why yours are so over scheduled.

When I was a kid in FCPS in the 90s, you could walk on to some high school sports with very little experience as a freshman. That was a different era. Now for the popular sports, you won’t make the high school team in popular sports without travel/club experience. It’s much more competitive. So the options would be rec up to high school, and then transition into a less popular sport or non sport clubs. For some kids, that would be quite upsetting because they love the sport they are in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You're doing what you say everyone else is doing but you're confused? Why do you allow your own kids to play sports at that level?

+1 I grew up in the US and my kids have played one rec sport each through elementary school and high school, skipping a few years here and there. Never have our days been consumed by sports. Curious why yours are so over scheduled.

When I was a kid in FCPS in the 90s, you could walk on to some high school sports with very little experience as a freshman. That was a different era. Now for the popular sports, you won’t make the high school team in popular sports without travel/club experience. It’s much more competitive. So the options would be rec up to high school, and then transition into a less popular sport or non sport clubs. For some kids, that would be quite upsetting because they love the sport they are in.

+1

The only sports a kid can possibly walk on with little experience-unless they have some incredible physical attributes or something (like 6’5” kid for basketball or similar) at our HS: football, track, cross country, wrestling (very unpopular in our area- I know some areas are different). Swim team does carry a huge roster as well, but I think a lot of them don’t compete in meets at all. Obviously it isn’t the end of the world not to make teams (and even some travel kids don’t- no guarantees), but without club experience the door is closed tight much earlier.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:My issue is not what people choose to pursue as hobbies. My problem is that there is an inherent belief that sports are better than other hobbies. I have teens and they are made well aware that unless they do a sport, they are part of the less popular crowd. I am thankful they don't careas much, but there are many kids who probably do care.

Where is your evidence to backup that claim?  I am sure a lot more women want to date Shawn Mendes than some random athletes.

Just ask your teens. I am sure there is rare exceptions but the sport star is always seemingly the popular ones at school.

then explain to me why women would prefer to date Shawn Mendes than some US soccer athletes?

That is a straw man because no one knows that. And I think most women would prefer to date a hot football QB than a hot pop singer, yes.

If Landon Donovan or Clint Dempsey, US men soccer superstars, walk into a Giant grocery store, probably 99% of shoppers in the store would neither recognize them nor do they care. If Justin Beiber or Post Malone walk into the same Giant grocery store, the police would be called in within minutes to restore order because a lot of young women want to be there and touch them.

Most women would prefer a man with the body of a professional soccer player over a man with the body of Post Malone

Maybe, but consider what soccer players salary compared to Mendes. Mendes is probably 100X the top soccer players in the US.

Are you 12? Your line of reasoning gives it away

[Anonymous]

NP. I don't know if anyone has mentioned this yet, but over the years, I doubted whether club sports were a good idea for my kids. I have two that do club sports and one that does not. Since the pandemic, I have seen how much my two club sports kids benefitted from the continuation of the relationships and activities with their club teammates and coaches. I can't put it into words. Not only did sports keep them active, but those games were the highlight of a long year of school spent staring at screens. Rec teams are great for fun, but they tend to have coaching and player turnover that doesn't allow the development of deeper relationships like club teams do. My two club sports kids are in a much better place in every way from having the structure and experience their sports provided when they didn't see most classmates or teachers for such a long time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are a lot of kids on travel teams that just aren't talented and shouldn't play. Their parents continue paying for them to be in travel and it just makes no sense since its a huge time suck. Rec league is a great place for majority of kids, which leaves more time to do other things such as enrichment.

What's the harm if they are having a good time? It actually doesn't suck up that much more than rec.

Seriously? 3 days a week practice and games on Saturday and Sunday in different states is not sucking up a bunch of family time? All for a kid who is good, will never go pro but is "having a good time?" Hah ok.

[Anonymous]

Travel soccer is a big joke and don’t get me started with lacrosse

[Anonymous]

Because nobody plays outside anymore.

It’s sick.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because nobody plays outside anymore.

It’s sick.

Yeah it's really sad. Even older kids deserve a chance to be kids.