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[quote=Anonymous]If your daughter WANTS to get better, she will practice on her own.

If you talk to any great coach or athlete, the main driver is the athlete not the parents and that's what this area has backwards. The PARENTS are mostly pushing their kids because 1) how it reflects on them and their greatness and 2) keeping up with everyone else. We saw the same thing happening at 6 or 7 years old with soccer because any kid who has any athletic ability or talent somehow ends up going to "travel" soccer teams instead of rec/local even though a majority would be just fine with playing rec. The problem is since anyone with any skills or athletic interest leaves rec, there isnt a whole lot of competition. However, most kids I see dont have- as my husband would say- that dog in them. They really dont. A small subset do and they crave competition and display aggression and drive and practice outside of practice times and want more and more and more. I will note that for that small subset there is also usually a parental component that encourages it.  Most kids would be fine with rec sports.

Your kid IS SEVEN OP. SEVEN. Let them try as many sports as possible. No kid should be playing 1 sport- in a competitive way- more than 50% of the year before MS. At this age they should be playing sports, riding bikes, climbing trees, running and playing tag, developing teamwork and sportsmanship, and skills skills skills. The best practices are skills development and keeping it fun while also experiencing low-stakes competition. Theres overuse injuries rampant, growth issues, kids in braces in ES/MS age. THAT IS RIDICULOUS.

They need to work on skills independently. That should be the main driver. You dont need specialized coaching at seven. You can look up young athlete coaches on IG to develop cross body awareness and other important athletic abilities.

My kid has been recruited for track while on the soccer field. Tackle while playing flag. Year round wrestling when he started wrestling. He plays what he is interested in and we 100% support his interests. He is limited to 2 seasons of the same sport, for example, can play soccer spring and fall if he wanted but right now hes playing 4 sports per year and this year instead of soccer he tried flag football. He also has expressed interest in dance and we plan to have him start music lessons next year. He will start swim team next summer. No "travel" teams before MS. No specialization before HS. One sport per season and any other activities needs to be non-sports (dance, music, theatre, playing instrument, etc.).

My Dad was a college football coach, low-level, but still I grew up in that type of environment. There are some good coaches and there are some really awful coaches. Anyone spending time with your kid needs to be a positive influence for the growth of your whole child athletically. Most of these coaches are only interested in what your kid can do for them for the season. Point blank. Beyond that, they dont really care. It doesnt change their coaching style or practices being late night and then early the next morning, etc. And it starts at this age. Late practices even when kids need to be up at 630am. Multiple game tournaments on weekends. Less emphasis on skills and developments and more emphasis on winning games.

Just dont allow yourself to be dragged into what everyone else in this area has normalized. Your kid needs to be the main driver. If they arent asking to play at a higher level, if they arent practicing at home indepedently, etc. then its not them. Its you driving it.

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