Anonymous
Post 04/10/2013 08:46     Subject: when did your child choose one sport per season? Multiple teams are driving me NUTS!!

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We never let our kids pick more than one sport per season. They get to pick the sport they really want to play that season and we sign them up. It's crazy to take on too many activities, especially at a young age. It interferes with your entire week: dinnertime, homework, bath/bedtime, everything. It's not worth and it's just too disruptive to the family.


I actually find it less insane at a young age because if you miss a practice or a game it's not that big of deal. It's when they get older that it becomes more difficult.


I guess it depends on what you want to teach your kids. The whole point of joining a team is making a commitment and honoring that commitment by showing up and doing your best. We truly don't think our kids are going to be playing for the Yankees someday. However, do know that they'll have to be valuable team players at all different levels. Just because you're on a team of 5 and 6 year olds doesn't make your commitment to the other 5 & 6 year olds any less important. After all, the coaches, other players, and other players' parents have all honored their commitment to show up. What makes your kid's soccer game more important than his baseball game on any particular Saturday?? That's why we insist on picking your poisons (if you will) and standing by the choice you make every season.


Actually, I just had this discussion with my son who has conflicts.

I said that in real life there are conflicts and there are consequences to your decisions. My son has missed practice because he does not finish his homework or he has a huge project or he has a band concert. There are priorities.

He missed a "big" game because his cousin got married. The best player on the team missed the first game of the season because of his cousing Bar Mitzvah. (They lost but it is better to have him for 7 games rather than no games at all.)

Showing up is important but it is not the MOST important thing. It's good we can teach this lesson at a young age.
Anonymous
Post 04/10/2013 08:37     Subject: when did your child choose one sport per season? Multiple teams are driving me NUTS!!

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We never let our kids pick more than one sport per season. They get to pick the sport they really want to play that season and we sign them up. It's crazy to take on too many activities, especially at a young age. It interferes with your entire week: dinnertime, homework, bath/bedtime, everything. It's not worth and it's just too disruptive to the family.


I actually find it less insane at a young age because if you miss a practice or a game it's not that big of deal. It's when they get older that it becomes more difficult.


I guess it depends on what you want to teach your kids. The whole point of joining a team is making a commitment and honoring that commitment by showing up and doing your best. We truly don't think our kids are going to be playing for the Yankees someday. However, do know that they'll have to be valuable team players at all different levels. Just because you're on a team of 5 and 6 year olds doesn't make your commitment to the other 5 & 6 year olds any less important. After all, the coaches, other players, and other players' parents have all honored their commitment to show up. What makes your kid's soccer game more important than his baseball game on any particular Saturday?? That's why we insist on picking your poisons (if you will) and standing by the choice you make every season.
Anonymous
Post 04/10/2013 08:31     Subject: when did your child choose one sport per season? Multiple teams are driving me NUTS!!

Anonymous wrote:We never let our kids pick more than one sport per season. They get to pick the sport they really want to play that season and we sign them up. It's crazy to take on too many activities, especially at a young age. It interferes with your entire week: dinnertime, homework, bath/bedtime, everything. It's not worth and it's just too disruptive to the family.


I actually find it less insane at a young age because if you miss a practice or a game it's not that big of deal. It's when they get older that it becomes more difficult.
Anonymous
Post 04/10/2013 07:38     Subject: when did your child choose one sport per season? Multiple teams are driving me NUTS!!

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Juice, chips,and orange slices are brought to you by the same people who think of play dates.


Sorry, but no. My kids don't need any chips. Or juice. Orange slices are fine, but sticky and I'd prefer they not, unless the same person bringing them is also bringing a way to clean off hands. The kids can just drink water. They're not pro athletes; don't get sucked in by the Gatorade commercials.

Do any professional athletes get sliced oranges at halftime? I can't imagine a scenario where this would be necessary for our children.
Anonymous
Post 04/10/2013 06:04     Subject: when did your child choose one sport per season? Multiple teams are driving me NUTS!!

Anonymous wrote:Juice, chips,and orange slices are brought to you by the same people who think of play dates.


Sorry, but no. My kids don't need any chips. Or juice. Orange slices are fine, but sticky and I'd prefer they not, unless the same person bringing them is also bringing a way to clean off hands. The kids can just drink water. They're not pro athletes; don't get sucked in by the Gatorade commercials.
Anonymous
Post 04/10/2013 05:37     Subject: when did your child choose one sport per season? Multiple teams are driving me NUTS!!

We only allow them to pick one per season.

So far DS has done flag football and a basketball clinic this year with several weeks off in between. He's doing soccer this spring.
Anonymous
Post 04/09/2013 22:50     Subject: when did your child choose one sport per season? Multiple teams are driving me NUTS!!

Juice, chips,and orange slices are brought to you by the same people who think of play dates.
Anonymous
Post 04/09/2013 22:13     Subject: when did your child choose one sport per season? Multiple teams are driving me NUTS!!

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:do they all do team snacks too?


Right? What is up with that? Put my foot down two years ago and refused to provide snacks for practice. So many folks thanked me for that.


This! I so want to bring this up. It's too much fucking juice and chips...twice a Saturday.

We only had orange slices at half time as a kid and even that stopped by travel soccer. We brought our own water.
Anonymous
Post 04/09/2013 22:11     Subject: Re:when did your child choose one sport per season? Multiple teams are driving me NUTS!!

DS #1(first grade) did just soccer in Fall. Basketball & indoor soccer in winter (only Saturday games, no practice). Baseball and soccer this spring.

DS #2 (preschool 5yrs) tball this spring.

I plan to make him pick one per season by 3rd grade (maybe 2nd grade if it gets too crazy with younger bro). I want him to get exposure and decide what he likes best. He also wants to do flag football in the Fall.

Anonymous
Post 04/09/2013 21:45     Subject: when did your child choose one sport per season? Multiple teams are driving me NUTS!!

Never. As long as they don't overlap and grades stay up, the kids are allowed to do as many activities as they'd like.
Anonymous
Post 04/09/2013 21:44     Subject: when did your child choose one sport per season? Multiple teams are driving me NUTS!!

Kid is 13 and still does two every spring. One is low-keyed, though.

I know tons of kids who do one rec one travel every season. As far as I'm concerned, as long as he gets good grades, were fine.
Anonymous
Post 04/09/2013 21:30     Subject: when did your child choose one sport per season? Multiple teams are driving me NUTS!!

Anonymous wrote:do they all do team snacks too?


Right? What is up with that? Put my foot down two years ago and refused to provide snacks for practice. So many folks thanked me for that.
Anonymous
Post 04/09/2013 20:33     Subject: when did your child choose one sport per season? Multiple teams are driving me NUTS!!

When did my child choose one sport per season....the first time we chose a sport....add me in to the "one sport at a time" crowd (with the occasional exception of overlapping seasons for a week or two) Overscheduling is hard on parents AND kids and doesn't serve much purpose. If kid is interested in trying a sport, there are often clinics or camps that can give some exposure without the committment of a whole season.
Anonymous
Post 04/09/2013 20:27     Subject: when did your child choose one sport per season? Multiple teams are driving me NUTS!!

Anonymous wrote:do they all do team snacks too?

Every stinking one of them.
Anonymous
Post 04/09/2013 19:43     Subject: Re:when did your child choose one sport per season? Multiple teams are driving me NUTS!!

my kid doesn't want to play any sports. i have to cajole him to pick one per season. he would rather do art. 2nd grade.