Reply to Baseball/softball schedule for a K and 1st grader- too much? (can parents of older kids chime in?)

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Kids are interested in doing each (boy and a girl)- I saw that there are two games, one weekday and one weekend and a practice.  I am all for having the kids be active but this is crazy- my kids also like to do other things (including non team sports) and with this schedule- it's not going to happen.  Is it worth it to start these house teams so early?  I don't think we started until later grades- and by then, I knew more what I wanted to do and why.  There are so many kids at our ES that are enrolled in all of these house teams - I can see why people think they are behind if little Johny didn't start baseball until 3rd or 4th grade since preschoolers are doing T-ball.[/quote]

I am a fast-pitch softball coach (House league) and have been since that age (I now coach 3rd and 5th).

Let me tell you how I personally approached things:

In the beginning, we practiced a LOT. Before the first game, I held two practices a week: One during the week (say, Wednesday) and another on Saturday. This lasted for about six weeks. Each practice was 90 minutes.

I do this for two reasons:

1) We have a lot beginners. There's a lot to teach. We had one game early in my career where when the first time we had "play ball" my team stood around unsure of what to do. So, I literally had to teach them which base to run to when they hit the ball, what is fair/foul, how do you make an out... 101 stuff. It really takes 5 or 6 practices for a completely inexperienced team to get the basics down.

2) Get the families used to the schedule. Once games began on Saturday, that replaced our practice.

By then we reverted to one practice a week and one game. Rarely was there a game during the week unless it was a makeup for a rainout on a Saturday.

So what you're describing is a bit much. Even the TRAVEL teams in our area practice only once a week, although they may play tournaments or double-headers on weekends.[/quote]

Your approach is completely reasonable- what I described is how Vienna sports approaches games and practices.  I did read the other PP's comments on how it's the coaches time- but it's also the team players time and their families.  Logistically having two kids in sports that demand at such an age two weeknight commitments (one game- one practice) and one weekend practice really fosters is in no way "introducing the kids" to the game.  Actually- amend my comment- even with just one kid- you have to be rather dedicated and still forgo a lot.  How can any family or kid know at that age to be that dedicated and also need to forgo any other interest due to lack of time.  In addition, it is not cheap- those items mentioned last one season- that is it.  I also read the snippy replied to say just don't do it- and we won't.  I agree with the other PP that stated the kids sit around waiting for such a long time to play (and that's two games a week- 1.5 hours each)- that it will just suck the enthusiasm out of the sport (basically self-propagate baseball families).  I do get the family / team spirit- my kids are on other sports teams and it's been great (they are still on the same teams and enjoy it) but the three nights per week at this age for "beginning" tball or softball for girls is too much.[/quote]

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