Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 13-year-old is still juggling 4 competitive sports. They wont make a living doing any of them so I'm not forcing a choice. Jack of all 4, master of none. But they are happy, busy and fit, so why not?

Yeah, I feel like some basic techniques are difficult to master in multiple sports. For example, Volleyball and basketball, hard hands vs soft hands, they seem like they would be complimentary, but they aren't when it has to be a reflex. Soccer is good for basketball for a while before kids start to get eye hand coordination and what not, but after a while, running on grass vs sliding around on a court. It has to be a reflex. I think I see some of that in swimming vs. basketball, just isn't quite right when kids move their arms. I in the modern year-round seasons, it seems you have to pick one to do well. Not great for the kids, but that is the way it is.

True. Mine is good enough to play any of their sports at the varsity level in high school, but college would be a stretch, so I'm just keeping them busy and letting them enjoy the ride. One sport, more than the others, has been a huge time and money suck, and I'm trying to help them see that it makes more sense to drop the travel/club part once they start high school and just play it in high school. Ultimately, they need to focus most on school and eventually getting a job, though!

Anonymous wrote:I have 2 college athletes and I think you should keep up at least a second sport if they enjoy it through MS if you can. Better for their bodies, broader social circles, and it’s usually doable.

That makes sense, also even the hardcore sports are usually only a two or three time a week activity for the younger kids. There are probably some competitive year-round swimmers swimming 5 days a week at 7, but I think most don't.

I have 2 college athletes and I think you should keep up at least a second sport if they enjoy it through MS if you can. Better for their bodies, broader social circles, and it’s usually doable.

Anonymous wrote:My 13-year-old is still juggling 4 competitive sports. They wont make a living doing any of them so I'm not forcing a choice. Jack of all 4, master of none. But they are happy, busy and fit, so why not?

Yeah, I feel like some basic techniques are difficult to master in multiple sports. For example, Volleyball and basketball, hard hands vs soft hands, they seem like they would be complimentary, but they aren't when it has to be a reflex. Soccer is good for basketball for a while before kids start to get eye hand coordination and what not, but after a while, running on grass vs sliding around on a court. It has to be a reflex. I think I see some of that in swimming vs. basketball, just isn't quite right when kids move their arms. I in the modern year-round seasons, it seems you have to pick one to do well. Not great for the kids, but that is the way it is.

My 13-year-old is still juggling 4 competitive sports. They wont make a living doing any of them so I'm not forcing a choice. Jack of all 4, master of none. But they are happy, busy and fit, so why not?

Anonymous wrote:As your kid matures. You've tried several sports not just at the rec level and all signs with the kid seem to indicate picking one sport. Like you're trying to decide should we go to the pool or shoot basketball, and your kid just happens to have shorts on under their pants ready to go. How do you manage the loosing sport? Do you still make time to go to the pool for its upper body and core conditioning benefits? Do you still do summer swim rec league, or just sign her up for more basketball summer camps?

I hate it, but I'm still happy my kid is into sports. We left behind level 3 gymnastics and rec basketball for soccer and swimming. I hated letting go of both of them, but my kid was ready as she didn't enjoy those things as much anymore. Not sure when she'll let go of swimming and or soccer....but I hope to encourage her to keep doing sports and activities that she'l love to do. We do make time to shoot basketball and stay active, but she is done with basketball and gymnastics camps. I would ask for their input on the things you kid doesn't want to do anymore. My kid would rebel at age 11 if I put into a camp she didn't want to do. So, I will get her buy-in when we sign up for camps, i will go a lot better that way if I do!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Whose doing the letting go? You?

How old is your child? I think by middle school they might want to pair down. But you can still go swimming, maybe it's just not competitive swim.

So stop seeing the only way to do sports as competitive and help your kid keep the FUN in it. That's the best way to have a life long healthy relationship with sports.

Not to bend semantics, but do you actually have trouble understanding the scenario as stated?

Well, quite frankly, "the scenario as stated" was an incoherent rambling wall of text so...yeah.

But, I got the gist of it. You?

You don’t mention how old your kid is, but I highly recommend sticking with swimming as long as you can. Summer swim team is a life saver for those awkward middle school and early high school years when your kid is too old for summer camps and too young for a real summer job. If it’s a community pool there’s a lead into snack shop and lifeguard jobs. It’s realy eased the transition into late teens

You should be on em tough and do your stuff

Follow the kid’s lead.

Anonymous wrote:Whose doing the letting go? You?

How old is your child? I think by middle school they might want to pair down. But you can still go swimming, maybe it's just not competitive swim.

So stop seeing the only way to do sports as competitive and help your kid keep the FUN in it. That's the best way to have a life long healthy relationship with sports.

Not to bend semantics, but do you actually have trouble understanding the scenario as stated?

Whose doing the letting go? You?

How old is your child? I think by middle school they might want to pair down. But you can still go swimming, maybe it's just not competitive swim.

So stop seeing the only way to do sports as competitive and help your kid keep the FUN in it. That's the best way to have a life long healthy relationship with sports.

Firstly, please separate yourself from your child. YOU have not tried several sports - your child has. Secondly, all movement is good. As long as they're doing something physical it's fine. Do whatever the child has interest in.

As your kid matures. You've tried several sports not just at the rec level and all signs with the kid seem to indicate picking one sport. Like you're trying to decide should we go to the pool or shoot basketball, and your kid just happens to have shorts on under their pants ready to go. How do you manage the loosing sport? Do you still make time to go to the pool for its upper body and core conditioning benefits? Do you still do summer swim rec league, or just sign her up for more basketball summer camps?