Reply to youth soccer participation down 23.5% in key 6-12 year age group...

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]The fun is gone too young.  Too many parents ruining it for the kids and over-training them younger and younger.  Clubs out to make $ and requiring too much structure and too much $$ at an age-inappropriate time.

The organized 90-minute travel practices 3+ times a week almost year round for SECOND graders is ridiculous...add in multiple tournaments each season and long drives and a culture that gives up on 90% of kids in an age group.  [/quote]
+1,000,000[/quote]

We are bailing this club nightmare.  They ruin the sport by age 12 for many families.  Great post. [/quote]

Question for the pp’s do you think it would have been better had your kids started travel at an older age?  My son expressed interest but I’m concerned about burnout[/quote]
OMG “Burnout”. Please stop with this tired concern. Just because a kid quits playing a sport or any activity it isn’t cause for concern or “burnout”. And even if it is burnout So what? It is no crime to simply lose interest in a extracurricular activity. If they would rather skip a practice let them. If they have a crappy game laugh it off. If they don’t want you at practice, stay in the car.

The point is, set some expectations but let them drive the ship and if they don’t absolutely fall in love with every activity don’t worry about it and try something else until something sticks. 
[/quote]

Wow calm down pp.  Perhaps burnout wasnt the correct term (didn’t realize it was such a trigger) - my concern is my child getting too consumed with practices and games at such a young age.  I really don’t care if my kid loves soccer 2 years from now, but if he commits to a season the expectation in my family is that he finishes it.  I don’t want a cranky, stressed out kid when it could be avoided by starting at an older age.[/quote]

Buddy, this isn’t hard. You simply won’t know how your kid will react so frankly it is a stupid waste of your time worrying about it. Also, you can go under the assumption that your kid is a kid and doesn’t know what the fuck they even like yet. Kids are goofy shits who will eat pancakes 3 times a day for a month.

So while yes, the “life lesson” of finishing what you start is nice and all but if you’re forgetting the effect that putting to much emphasis on that lesson can have if your kid truly finds out that they just don’t like it and you make them finish. He/she will be less likely to try something new.

And the last final point. If 3 practices is just to much then only go to two and reassess. Communication with the coach is important and YOU are the customer. In a short time your kid just might say “I want to go to the third practice now”. [/quote]

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