Anonymous wrote:It’s insanity. Students are supposed to be spending the equivalent of a full time job on academics, yet sports teams expect students to play since 5 and be on a club team year around to be competitive. The demand is ridiculous. Teachers are frustrated that students are spending so much time on sports, and no one cares about fixing the broken system because everyone is selfish and greedy!

Parents are the problem

My kids were Div one players but academics came first no matter what. Their peers parents were ridiculous begging their teachers for extensions etc

We did not allow our kids to play year round either.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This isn’t hard, folks.

If academics are the priority, opt out of the intensive sports.

If sports are the priority, opt out of the rigorous academics.

There is plenty of choice here, you just need to prioritize appropriately.

This. And fwiw your best bet is to prioritize academics for the most long term benefits. One bad injury has devastated many a promising child athlete. Everyone thinks it won't be their child. Nothing sadder than a broken former athlete trying to get into college with a solid B average and no AP's. And the parents who have had their whole identity wrapped around their child athlete are even worse off post injury.

Jesus. You’re just as bad. Some kids aren’t meant to take APs. Just like some kids aren’t meant to be multi sport athletes.

The judgement and condescension towards parents who encourage athletics is absurd, especially considering how many parents in this area have their identities wrapped around their kids’ SAT scores and T20 or bust college ambitions. Imagine making your kid feel like a failure because they “only” scored a 1450, or they “only” got into their state flagship. Talk about breaking your kids…

Oh look, another parent putting all their eggs in the sports basket.

Anonymous wrote:It’s insanity. Students are supposed to be spending the equivalent of a full time job on academics, yet sports teams expect students to play since 5 and be on a club team year around to be competitive. The demand is ridiculous. Teachers are frustrated that students are spending so much time on sports, and no one cares about fixing the broken system because everyone is selfish and greedy!

High school is not supposed to be about only academics. Not why people are there.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This isn’t hard, folks.

If academics are the priority, opt out of the intensive sports.

If sports are the priority, opt out of the rigorous academics.

There is plenty of choice here, you just need to prioritize appropriately.

This. And fwiw your best bet is to prioritize academics for the most long term benefits. One bad injury has devastated many a promising child athlete. Everyone thinks it won't be their child. Nothing sadder than a broken former athlete trying to get into college with a solid B average and no AP's. And the parents who have had their whole identity wrapped around their child athlete are even worse off post injury.

Jesus. You’re just as bad. Some kids aren’t meant to take APs. Just like some kids aren’t meant to be multi sport athletes.

The judgement and condescension towards parents who encourage athletics is absurd, especially considering how many parents in this area have their identities wrapped around their kids’ SAT scores and T20 or bust college ambitions. Imagine making your kid feel like a failure because they “only” scored a 1450, or they “only” got into their state flagship. Talk about breaking your kids…

Anonymous wrote:This isn’t hard, folks.

If academics are the priority, opt out of the intensive sports.

If sports are the priority, opt out of the rigorous academics.

There is plenty of choice here, you just need to prioritize appropriately.

This. And fwiw your best bet is to prioritize academics for the most long term benefits. One bad injury has devastated many a promising child athlete. Everyone thinks it won't be their child. Nothing sadder than a broken former athlete trying to get into college with a solid B average and no AP's. And the parents who have had their whole identity wrapped around their child athlete are even worse off post injury.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s insanity. Students are supposed to be spending the equivalent of a full time job on academics, yet sports teams expect students to play since 5 and be on a club team year around to be competitive. The demand is ridiculous. Teachers are frustrated that students are spending so much time on sports, and no one cares about fixing the broken system because everyone is selfish and greedy!

If they weren't playing a sport they would just have more time for scrolling Tik Tok. Would that be better?

Because non-sports extracurricular activities don't exist. I guess all the times my DD was in theater and orchestra activities and student government meetings she was actually just scrolling Tiktok.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The issue is that there aren’t any low key alternative to club sports after a certain age. It’s either club or nothing. It’s happened because the clubs are now owned by PEs and the parents are delusional about their kid's chances of getting a scholarship.

Depends on sport and where you live.

Arlington Soccer has a great program for high school players. One practice and game per week, coaches tend to be chill about players missing due to other commitments

The thing is for developing kid one practice/one game a week doesn't really get a kid in shape. I don't know that there is a "low commitment" way to get a kid in shape. Kids need to run and play five days a week during middle school and so on.

I get the sentiment that it appears mutually exclusive, but I don't think there is a way to get an adolescent in tip top shape without the organized athletics. This is why I feel the schools are basically failing here.

Oddly enough, once you’re an adult, there’s so many fantastic rec sport opportunities, like Volo in DC. It’s just the kids who have these crazy commitments. I agree there should be limits - look at all the ACL tears in soccer and Tommy John surgery in baseball.

Anonymous wrote:

The issue is that there aren’t any low key alternative to club sports after a certain age. It’s either club or nothing. It’s happened because the clubs are now owned by PEs and the parents are delusional about their kid's chances of getting a scholarship.

Depends on sport and where you live.

Arlington Soccer has a great program for high school players. One practice and game per week, coaches tend to be chill about players missing due to other commitments

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This isn’t hard, folks.

If academics are the priority, opt out of the intensive sports.

If sports are the priority, opt out of the rigorous academics.

There is plenty of choice here, you just need to prioritize appropriately.

The issue is that there aren’t any low key alternative to club sports after a certain age. It’s either club or nothing. It’s happened because the clubs are now owned by PEs and the parents are delusional about their kid's chances of getting a scholarship.

That is probably true in most cases. Except of course basketball. I'm not from around here, but you might be surprised at how many people play basketball casually several nights a week. I'm pretty sure there is any level of basketball you want to participate in year-round. Many of the AAU teams are nothing but year-round rec teams.

I get it most other sports enthusiasm quickly wanes and by middle school most kids are doing one sport five days a week.

The other option is to join a gym. I think many people do that. It's almost better than doing a sport in some facets.

Some sports, if you aren't going to be competitive why join a club? If you want to run or swim for fun or exercise, just go do it. Even soccer, it's probably not as prevalent as it used to be, but people go out and play soccer. "Just do it!" Ball and shoes that's all you really need, go find a team.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This isn’t hard, folks.

If academics are the priority, opt out of the intensive sports.

If sports are the priority, opt out of the rigorous academics.

There is plenty of choice here, you just need to prioritize appropriately.

The issue is that there aren’t any low key alternative to club sports after a certain age. It’s either club or nothing. It’s happened because the clubs are now owned by PEs and the parents are delusional about their kid's chances of getting a scholarship.

Which area is this? We have at least 6 tennis clubs outside of HS team with varying commitments, you can opt for 2x/week easily.

Werd?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This isn’t hard, folks.

If academics are the priority, opt out of the intensive sports.

If sports are the priority, opt out of the rigorous academics.

There is plenty of choice here, you just need to prioritize appropriately.

The issue is that there aren’t any low key alternative to club sports after a certain age. It’s either club or nothing. It’s happened because the clubs are now owned by PEs and the parents are delusional about their kid's chances of getting a scholarship.

Which area is this? We have at least 6 tennis clubs outside of HS team with varying commitments, you can opt for 2x/week easily.

Anonymous wrote:It’s insanity. Students are supposed to be spending the equivalent of a full time job on academics, yet sports teams expect students to play since 5 and be on a club team year around to be competitive. The demand is ridiculous. Teachers are frustrated that students are spending so much time on sports, and no one cares about fixing the broken system because everyone is selfish and greedy!

Mine got into an Ivy with no sports and can barely run a mile. Feel better?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This isn’t hard, folks.

If academics are the priority, opt out of the intensive sports.

If sports are the priority, opt out of the rigorous academics.

There is plenty of choice here, you just need to prioritize appropriately.

The issue is that there aren’t any low key alternative to club sports after a certain age. It’s either club or nothing. It’s happened because the clubs are now owned by PEs and the parents are delusional about their kid's chances of getting a scholarship.

So start your own club. Why do you expect the world to bend to your whims? If your kid can’t or doesn’t want to participate in the sports that are available to him, he doesn’t have to. Problem solved.

Anonymous wrote:This isn’t hard, folks.

If academics are the priority, opt out of the intensive sports.

If sports are the priority, opt out of the rigorous academics.

There is plenty of choice here, you just need to prioritize appropriately.

The issue is that there aren’t any low key alternative to club sports after a certain age. It’s either club or nothing. It’s happened because the clubs are now owned by PEs and the parents are delusional about their kid's chances of getting a scholarship.