A) Some parents really need an "identity"- this is why you get "Baseball Mom," "Girl Scouts Mom," or "Cheerleading Mom." They derive a sense of purpose and identity from the activity that their child participates in and this reinforces that.

B) A lot of parents want to believe that their kids are really, really good at something. Being on an expensive "elite" league will do that for some parents.

C) A few are actually deluded into thinking this will get their kid noticed by colleges/the pros.

90% of the kids are mediocre and unappreciative? Not on our travel team. We switched to travel because in the rec league, everyone makes the team and plays, which is fine, but unless you have a coach who stacks the team (which I don't agree with), you can be subject to wildly varying abilities. Also kids who don't show up for half the games. Or who are only there because their parents forced them to play. Watching your dedicated kid lose game after game because you didn't have enough players or some kid couldn't be bothered to field balls coming at him is frustrating.

Travel teams have tryouts so not everyone makes it and they are expensive enough that parents and kids are invested in showing up.

Perhaps they want something you don't?

We're not sporty but musical, and I took pains to choose a teaching method that would suit us as well as a great teacher. It's VERY expensive, but the difference in quality of teaching is incredible. However, non-musical parents probably wouldn't care.

So the rec tier is perhaps just for the families who want to occupy their children and have fun doing an activity they like. The upper tier is for families who care about becoming as proficient as possible in that particular sport (or in our case, music).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, your level of hostility out of this seems out of proportion with how it could possibly affect you. Do you need more to worry about? Otherwise, you worry about you, ok?

I thought the same. The level of hostility reads like somebody who needs some help.

Defensive much?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, your level of hostility out of this seems out of proportion with how it could possibly affect you. Do you need more to worry about? Otherwise, you worry about you, ok?

I thought the same. The level of hostility reads like somebody who needs some help.

I didn't think they sounded that hostile, maybe just a little snarky. Maybe relax a bit?

OP is trolling

Anonymous wrote:OP, your level of hostility out of this seems out of proportion with how it could possibly affect you. Do you need more to worry about? Otherwise, you worry about you, ok?

I thought the same. The level of hostility reads like somebody who needs some help.

It's a product of the me me me generation and parents living through their kids. Ultimate time and money sink.

to get away from kids that have little talent. Imagine being on a rec orchestra or debate team, the more talented kids want more from it, better coaching, better competition.

simple as that, plus throw in some great times at hotel bars and the great team dinners. If the cost is a problem, don't do it.

OP, your level of hostility out of this seems out of proportion with how it could possibly affect you. Do you need more to worry about? Otherwise, you worry about you, ok?

Anonymous wrote:Because it's a fun social activity for the kids, social for the parents, exercise for the kids, something to do over the weekend...why can't they do it just to be social even if they're not going to play sports in college?

This. My kid is on a year round swim team because 1.) he likes it, 2.) it's great exercise, 3.) his friends are doing it and he has made new friends and 4.) he is gaining valuable experience being on a coed, multi aged team where team members support and encourage each other. I don't care if he doesn't swim through high school or college, I care that he is having fun and getting exercise now.

Because my kid loves it, he practices after practice, then he comes home and practices it. Because I like to see a child have a passion about something.

You really don't want travel kids in rec leagues.

Because it's a fun social activity for the kids, social for the parents, exercise for the kids, something to do over the weekend...why can't they do it just to be social even if they're not going to play sports in college?

I don't have a clue. We had a longstanding local rec league ripped apart because a portion of the PARENT COACHES decided to branch off and start their own travel league. Basically, they created an LLC and charged crazy parents 4x the amount to get the same coaching those kids were getting in the rec league. A few of us laughed about it over drinks because, really, who would go for that? Turns out over half of the league went. It's crazy. Now a number of families are coming back claiming it wasn't what they thought it was going to be. You think? Parents need to get a grip and realize that, if their kid was going to be the next Lebron James or Mike Trout, they would already know by now.

Carting your kids around three to five days a week for practice, travel on weekends. 90% of the kids are mediocre and unappreciative, mostly using it as a social activity.

Why do so many get sucked into this lifestyle? I'm close to deleting facebook because I'm so tired of everyone "winning" some obscure swim-lax-soccer-volleyball-etc. "tournament" every weekend.