Fwiw OP I support your idea. My rising 9th grader plays organized team sports but also has a group chat with a large group of kids he knows from school. They converge on a local elementary for periodic pickup soccer games. It's been fantastic for him to have something that is kid-driven and opportunistic. Last night they played for 3 hours.

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Real life has rec leagues. They’re good.

In my vision of the world, I’d love for my kids, my relatives, my friends’ kids to be able to try out many more sports than they are able.

A kid really can’t try out:
Soccer
Baseball/softball
Basketball
Swimming
Football/flag football

Because that’s at least 4 seasons, 3 of which are best in fall (and you can do summer swim & start later).

If your kid also has an interest in lacrosse, that’s another fall season.

Baseball doesn’t have to be fall, but if you’re dabbling, it’s recommended to avoid spring ball.

If you’re 7 joining soccer, you’re already the worst on the team. How does that make you feel to start that way?

I long for less commitment, more dabbling for these young ages. And really for anybody who has other extra curriculars. If you’re the fat 6th grader who now has the money to get into sports, too late. Maybe you can wait until high school.

Yes, they can try all of this. OP, your area seems to be lacking in rec level and beginner resources. In our neighborhood little kids learn most of these sports from older cousins or their neighbors. Our PE classes have units for every sport on your list except swimming. Our underfunded crappy city sponsors not only rec leagues for everything including a summer city league swim team. There are also lots of cheap multi sport “try it out” camps in the summer hosted by local schools, the city, and the Y. We even have “sandlot” games sponsored by the local softball travel team for girls not sure about the sport- girls who are 7-12 and have little experience show up, get sorted onto teams by a team mom or dad, and play under the guidance of more experienced kids.

Poke around and you might be surprised how much is already out there. And yes, as someone else said, there is always going to be a kid who’s the beginner or worse than other kids. Getting over that hump is one of the most important lessons sports has to offer.

Anonymous wrote:I noticed page 2-3 people attacking my volunteerism. Ha ha ha ha ha ha. They don’t know me and they attack it because this is anonymous.

Where the — did I say I didn’t volunteer, and that I’m not willing to.

Besides the scheme I suggested would have paid coaches and staff, along with volunteers (same as leagues). The pay, instead of coming from a franchise or business, would come from city or county.

The city or county already pays for this. It’s called…a rec league!!!

If you’re 7 joining soccer, you’re already the worst on the team. How does that make you feel to start that way?

Yes, if you start something 2 years later than everyone else does, at the beginning you will not be as good. But if you want to do it, you work at it. My son started soccer in 2nd, everyone else started in K, by the end of 4th grade you could not tell any difference. You just need to have a good attitude about it.

I have nothing against it in theory - you would need a lot of volunteers, though. And what happens if a kid gets injured? My son has received some fairly serious injuries playing pickup soccer (growth plate fracture, serious concussion). So you would need enough volunteers to have one person to coordinate getting medical care if needed, not just watch the kids.

I noticed page 2-3 people attacking my volunteerism. Ha ha ha ha ha ha. They don’t know me and they attack it because this is anonymous.

Where the — did I say I didn’t volunteer, and that I’m not willing to.

Besides the scheme I suggested would have paid coaches and staff, along with volunteers (same as leagues). The pay, instead of coming from a franchise or business, would come from city or county.

Oh sorry, you could manage this as a full time extra curricular, wear out your only child. I’ve seen them going from soccer straight to baseball etc.

But with 2-3 kids? No way.