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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]70% of kids dropout of sports by the age of 13.

There’s an interesting article that describes why -

“  parents invest significant time and money in their kids to train with teams and buy their uniforms. They expect “results." They drive them all over to year-round sports, sometimes more than one during the same season. Oftentimes, perhaps unintentionally, they drive them out of sports entirely.

For a lot of kids, it comes down to the fact that sports become less fun and more about the concept of what success is from more of an adult’s eyes than a child’s eyes,” Moffatt says. "Kids want to stay active, play and have fun with their friends, and winning and losing is something that they care less about.”

About 70 % of kids drop out of organized sports by age 13 and the so-called “professionalization of youth sports” can’t be understated as a significant factor why, according to a new report released Monday by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

“In addition, the pressure to succeed at a young age, as well as the perception that this is the most efficacious route to future athletic success, further leads to high volumes of training and loss of enjoyment in sport, both of which can contribute to widespread burnout and attrition among youth athletes.”

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2024/01/22/70-of-kids-drop-out-of-youth-sports-by-13-new-aap-study-reveals-why/72310189007/
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I’ve coached rec and had kids in rec and travel and I don’t think that kids stay or drop out of the sport has much to do with the parents.  I’ve seen real jerk parents with kids who love those sports and stay with it and kids with great supportive parents drop out.  In my experience the reasons that kids leave or stay is

1. Whether or not the kid likes the activity itself.
2. Does the kid have friends/ get along with their teammates 
3. Does that sport have cachet with their social group

I think as parents and coaches we overestimate how much we affect the desires of the kids. My personal example is that my son had a great summer swim season a couple years ago.  Beating kids who were year-round, swimmers.  He just wanted to be on lacrosse team with his friends, even though he basically spent the whole summer sitting on the bench because he wasn’t really fast enough to make a starting spot.  We made him finish out the swim season but he never was on swim team again.  But 4 years later he’s still playing lacrosse.  He just wanted to be with his friends and gain status in his group.

As the guy footing the bills, it’s frustrating to see my son trade. What was likely a pretty good swim career for a mediocre lacrosse career.  But what are you gonna do?

[/quote]

Same experience here with both of my kids. They want to play the sports their friends do, and care more about the social prestige/popularity of the sport. Each is now focusing on a sport that they aren’t really even physically suited for TBH- rather than the sports they are better at and work with their body types. It is annoying but really what can you do? [/quote]

That’s fine if that’s what they want to do. They’ll drop out soon enough.   Choosing a sport looking for prestige among your social circle?  That’s a new one I haven’t heard before.

These are anecdotes which are interesting but the study was done, and it’s not new, around the country and it makes sense.  Parents need to be aware of burnout and thinking more is better.  [/quote]

Framing it as prestige is a little formal sounding, but kids absolutely want to play with their friends or to be cool or to "get girls" and have for a very long time. [/quote]

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