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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Do you mean people who become elite athletes? It is almost always a combination of motivated child and motivated parent.[/quote]

I don’t necessarily mean D1 or future pro athletes.

I was thinking about the kids we know who do gymnastics or hockey. I have a friend whose daughter has done gymnastics her entire life since she was in preschool. She did cartwheels and handstands when she was in early elementary but I don’t remember her being any different than other girls doing gymnastics. At some point, she was going to gymnastics all the time and the family would be tied up many weekends, often times traveling for various tournaments. The parents don’t seem academically focused but all in on her gymnastics. On the other hand, we know another girl who is very bright and generally very athletic. She also does some cartwheels and basic stuff. The mom told me the girl begs the parents for gymnastics but the parents are busy with work and her brother’s spoet. There is no way this girl can learn and train by herself without parent support. If her parents were as dedicated as the other friend we have, I don’t doubt this girl could also have been a great gymnast.

The kids we know who play sports all the time are used to the lifestyle. There are so many different sports where families revolve around all things baseball or basketball. We know a kid whose parents are divorced who loves basketball. His parents don’t drive him anywhere and definitely no skills training for him. Does he really have a shot against those kids who have been training since they could walk? Sure he is athletic but so is everyone else who plays basketball.[/quote]

What you just described isn't pushing. You described parents who have the bandwidth and desire to support sports interests (versus other interests) that their kids have. Totally, totally different than the kids I know who are signed up for sports by their parents, mom is always going on and on about how little Larla wants to play in high school, but Larla clearly could not care less about practices or games and puts in no work outside of practice and does the bare minimum at practice (or less!).[/quote]

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