Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While I have always admired highly athletic kids and wish them the best, I am just so glad that mine never fell into that category. The commitment required for travel sports sounds exhausting, and many of the parents seem insufferable. And for what? The vast majority of the kids end up putting the sport largely behind them, more often than not before college. I just don't get the appeal.

I don’t understand why people care so much about what other kids do. But I’ll bite..our kids enjoyed travel sports because they loved their sport, got frustrated in rec when kids missed games and practice at the drop of a hat, liked the competitive nature and overall higher skill and commitment levels in travel. None of them had any interest or desire to play in college. But they made great friends, stayed fit, and had great time management skills which served them well in high school and college.

Why isn’t the same disdain shown to non athletic extracurriculars? It gets old.

I wouldn't say I have disdain for travel sports or other highly competitive expensive exracurriculars, but I would never let my child do them. Money aside, these activities are intense abd really don't allow kids to be kids and have a childhood. I don't want my child so busy that they do not have time for much else.

So if your kid developed a particular passion that they loved enough to put the time in to improve, be it music or sports or whatever, you'd discourage it?

Possibly, but its not like im putting a blanket ban on all activities or sometjing.. I'm not 100% sure. Do you really let your kids do whatever they wabt? No limitations anywhere? I think travel or high competitive activities are way too expensive and a time suck, not just for me, but for my kids. Like I said, I think for kids 14 and under free time and free play ate very important.

14 is too late to jump on the competitive sports bandwagon. If you wait that long, it's long over.

Then it's over. I'll listen to my kid and discuss things with them, but at the end of the day kids don't get to do everything they want.

It's also going to be fun because all of that "free time" will be spent on devices. Do you think 14 year olds are playing at the park?

Why not? 14 and under are kids. I absolutely expect then to be kids, what wrong with that? Devices arent big at my house, so that's a non issue

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While I have always admired highly athletic kids and wish them the best, I am just so glad that mine never fell into that category. The commitment required for travel sports sounds exhausting, and many of the parents seem insufferable. And for what? The vast majority of the kids end up putting the sport largely behind them, more often than not before college. I just don't get the appeal.

I don’t understand why people care so much about what other kids do. But I’ll bite..our kids enjoyed travel sports because they loved their sport, got frustrated in rec when kids missed games and practice at the drop of a hat, liked the competitive nature and overall higher skill and commitment levels in travel. None of them had any interest or desire to play in college. But they made great friends, stayed fit, and had great time management skills which served them well in high school and college.

Why isn’t the same disdain shown to non athletic extracurriculars? It gets old.

I wouldn't say I have disdain for travel sports or other highly competitive expensive exracurriculars, but I would never let my child do them. Money aside, these activities are intense abd really don't allow kids to be kids and have a childhood. I don't want my child so busy that they do not have time for much else.

So if your kid developed a particular passion that they loved enough to put the time in to improve, be it music or sports or whatever, you'd discourage it?

Possibly, but its not like im putting a blanket ban on all activities or sometjing.. I'm not 100% sure. Do you really let your kids do whatever they wabt? No limitations anywhere? I think travel or high competitive activities are way too expensive and a time suck, not just for me, but for my kids. Like I said, I think for kids 14 and under free time and free play ate very important.

Tell me you have preschoolers without telling me you have preschoolers.

Nope I don't have preschoolers. All I want is for my kids to be kids aa long as possible. Kids 14 abd under are kids aren't they?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While I have always admired highly athletic kids and wish them the best, I am just so glad that mine never fell into that category. The commitment required for travel sports sounds exhausting, and many of the parents seem insufferable. And for what? The vast majority of the kids end up putting the sport largely behind them, more often than not before college. I just don't get the appeal.

I don’t understand why people care so much about what other kids do. But I’ll bite..our kids enjoyed travel sports because they loved their sport, got frustrated in rec when kids missed games and practice at the drop of a hat, liked the competitive nature and overall higher skill and commitment levels in travel. None of them had any interest or desire to play in college. But they made great friends, stayed fit, and had great time management skills which served them well in high school and college.

Why isn’t the same disdain shown to non athletic extracurriculars? It gets old.

I wouldn't say I have disdain for travel sports or other highly competitive expensive exracurriculars, but I would never let my child do them. Money aside, these activities are intense abd really don't allow kids to be kids and have a childhood. I don't want my child so busy that they do not have time for much else.

So if your kid developed a particular passion that they loved enough to put the time in to improve, be it music or sports or whatever, you'd discourage it?

Possibly, but its not like im putting a blanket ban on all activities or sometjing.. I'm not 100% sure. Do you really let your kids do whatever they wabt? No limitations anywhere? I think travel or high competitive activities are way too expensive and a time suck, not just for me, but for my kids. Like I said, I think for kids 14 and under free time and free play ate very important.

14 is too late to jump on the competitive sports bandwagon. If you wait that long, it's long over.

Then it's over. I'll listen to my kid and discuss things with them, but at the end of the day kids don't get to do everything they want.

Okay... why you are even posting on here then? You're clearly not an athlete yourself, nor will your kid(s) ever have a shot at being a successful athlete, so this board isn't for you. Do you have some kind of inferiority complex over it?

My kid plays travel ball because nothing makes him happier than baseball. Any day he can play baseball is a good day, regardless of the outcome of the game. He spends all his allowance on baseball gear. He dreams about baseball. He is now in high school, and plays on his varsity team and a travel team. He started travel at 12, on a B team, and that was awesome. He still doesn't travel far - there is enough competition within a two hour drive. Basically, we do travel sports because it makes our kid happy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While I have always admired highly athletic kids and wish them the best, I am just so glad that mine never fell into that category. The commitment required for travel sports sounds exhausting, and many of the parents seem insufferable. And for what? The vast majority of the kids end up putting the sport largely behind them, more often than not before college. I just don't get the appeal.

I don’t understand why people care so much about what other kids do. But I’ll bite..our kids enjoyed travel sports because they loved their sport, got frustrated in rec when kids missed games and practice at the drop of a hat, liked the competitive nature and overall higher skill and commitment levels in travel. None of them had any interest or desire to play in college. But they made great friends, stayed fit, and had great time management skills which served them well in high school and college.

Why isn’t the same disdain shown to non athletic extracurriculars? It gets old.

I wouldn't say I have disdain for travel sports or other highly competitive expensive exracurriculars, but I would never let my child do them. Money aside, these activities are intense abd really don't allow kids to be kids and have a childhood. I don't want my child so busy that they do not have time for much else.

So if your kid developed a particular passion that they loved enough to put the time in to improve, be it music or sports or whatever, you'd discourage it?

Possibly, but its not like im putting a blanket ban on all activities or sometjing.. I'm not 100% sure. Do you really let your kids do whatever they wabt? No limitations anywhere? I think travel or high competitive activities are way too expensive and a time suck, not just for me, but for my kids. Like I said, I think for kids 14 and under free time and free play ate very important.

14 is too late to jump on the competitive sports bandwagon. If you wait that long, it's long over.

Then it's over. I'll listen to my kid and discuss things with them, but at the end of the day kids don't get to do everything they want.

It's also going to be fun because all of that "free time" will be spent on devices. Do you think 14 year olds are playing at the park?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While I have always admired highly athletic kids and wish them the best, I am just so glad that mine never fell into that category. The commitment required for travel sports sounds exhausting, and many of the parents seem insufferable. And for what? The vast majority of the kids end up putting the sport largely behind them, more often than not before college. I just don't get the appeal.

I don’t understand why people care so much about what other kids do. But I’ll bite..our kids enjoyed travel sports because they loved their sport, got frustrated in rec when kids missed games and practice at the drop of a hat, liked the competitive nature and overall higher skill and commitment levels in travel. None of them had any interest or desire to play in college. But they made great friends, stayed fit, and had great time management skills which served them well in high school and college.

Why isn’t the same disdain shown to non athletic extracurriculars? It gets old.

I wouldn't say I have disdain for travel sports or other highly competitive expensive exracurriculars, but I would never let my child do them. Money aside, these activities are intense abd really don't allow kids to be kids and have a childhood. I don't want my child so busy that they do not have time for much else.

So if your kid developed a particular passion that they loved enough to put the time in to improve, be it music or sports or whatever, you'd discourage it?

Possibly, but its not like im putting a blanket ban on all activities or sometjing.. I'm not 100% sure. Do you really let your kids do whatever they wabt? No limitations anywhere? I think travel or high competitive activities are way too expensive and a time suck, not just for me, but for my kids. Like I said, I think for kids 14 and under free time and free play ate very important.

Tell me you have preschoolers without telling me you have preschoolers.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While I have always admired highly athletic kids and wish them the best, I am just so glad that mine never fell into that category. The commitment required for travel sports sounds exhausting, and many of the parents seem insufferable. And for what? The vast majority of the kids end up putting the sport largely behind them, more often than not before college. I just don't get the appeal.

I don’t understand why people care so much about what other kids do. But I’ll bite..our kids enjoyed travel sports because they loved their sport, got frustrated in rec when kids missed games and practice at the drop of a hat, liked the competitive nature and overall higher skill and commitment levels in travel. None of them had any interest or desire to play in college. But they made great friends, stayed fit, and had great time management skills which served them well in high school and college.

Why isn’t the same disdain shown to non athletic extracurriculars? It gets old.

I wouldn't say I have disdain for travel sports or other highly competitive expensive exracurriculars, but I would never let my child do them. Money aside, these activities are intense abd really don't allow kids to be kids and have a childhood. I don't want my child so busy that they do not have time for much else.

So if your kid developed a particular passion that they loved enough to put the time in to improve, be it music or sports or whatever, you'd discourage it?

Possibly, but its not like im putting a blanket ban on all activities or sometjing.. I'm not 100% sure. Do you really let your kids do whatever they wabt? No limitations anywhere? I think travel or high competitive activities are way too expensive and a time suck, not just for me, but for my kids. Like I said, I think for kids 14 and under free time and free play ate very important.

14 is too late to jump on the competitive sports bandwagon. If you wait that long, it's long over.

Then it's over. I'll listen to my kid and discuss things with them, but at the end of the day kids don't get to do everything they want.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While I have always admired highly athletic kids and wish them the best, I am just so glad that mine never fell into that category. The commitment required for travel sports sounds exhausting, and many of the parents seem insufferable. And for what? The vast majority of the kids end up putting the sport largely behind them, more often than not before college. I just don't get the appeal.

I don’t understand why people care so much about what other kids do. But I’ll bite..our kids enjoyed travel sports because they loved their sport, got frustrated in rec when kids missed games and practice at the drop of a hat, liked the competitive nature and overall higher skill and commitment levels in travel. None of them had any interest or desire to play in college. But they made great friends, stayed fit, and had great time management skills which served them well in high school and college.

Why isn’t the same disdain shown to non athletic extracurriculars? It gets old.

I wouldn't say I have disdain for travel sports or other highly competitive expensive exracurriculars, but I would never let my child do them. Money aside, these activities are intense abd really don't allow kids to be kids and have a childhood. I don't want my child so busy that they do not have time for much else.

So if your kid developed a particular passion that they loved enough to put the time in to improve, be it music or sports or whatever, you'd discourage it?

Possibly, but its not like im putting a blanket ban on all activities or sometjing.. I'm not 100% sure. Do you really let your kids do whatever they wabt? No limitations anywhere? I think travel or high competitive activities are way too expensive and a time suck, not just for me, but for my kids. Like I said, I think for kids 14 and under free time and free play ate very important.

14 is too late to jump on the competitive sports bandwagon. If you wait that long, it's long over.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:B team, baby! More local travel, fewer crazy parents. Still a good experience for many kids. Some of them will grow into wonderful high school and college athletes; some will tap out in 7th grade. It's all fine. Whatever each family decides.

Yes! We love our DD's B team!

We found more crazy parents on the local "B" team than the more elite nationally competitive team we moved on to, mostly because at the higher level, you travel to play better competition, which quickly puts things in perspective!

My kids like travel because it provides more of an opportunity to improve and to play more, there are fewer comings and goings among teammates, so they have made great friends (and we have too), and the rec version of the sport isn't really offered much after age 10 or 12 or so. We all think the travel is fun, and despite it, we have plenty of time for other interests as well. Spread over a ling season, the costs are pretty reasonable.

Interestingiy, we spend less time on my kids' travel sport than I did as a competitive swimmer in the 80s!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While I have always admired highly athletic kids and wish them the best, I am just so glad that mine never fell into that category. The commitment required for travel sports sounds exhausting, and many of the parents seem insufferable. And for what? The vast majority of the kids end up putting the sport largely behind them, more often than not before college. I just don't get the appeal.

I don’t understand why people care so much about what other kids do. But I’ll bite..our kids enjoyed travel sports because they loved their sport, got frustrated in rec when kids missed games and practice at the drop of a hat, liked the competitive nature and overall higher skill and commitment levels in travel. None of them had any interest or desire to play in college. But they made great friends, stayed fit, and had great time management skills which served them well in high school and college.

Why isn’t the same disdain shown to non athletic extracurriculars? It gets old.

I wouldn't say I have disdain for travel sports or other highly competitive expensive exracurriculars, but I would never let my child do them. Money aside, these activities are intense abd really don't allow kids to be kids and have a childhood. I don't want my child so busy that they do not have time for much else.

So if your kid developed a particular passion that they loved enough to put the time in to improve, be it music or sports or whatever, you'd discourage it?

Possibly, but its not like im putting a blanket ban on all activities or sometjing.. I'm not 100% sure. Do you really let your kids do whatever they wabt? No limitations anywhere? I think travel or high competitive activities are way too expensive and a time suck, not just for me, but for my kids. Like I said, I think for kids 14 and under free time and free play ate very important.

Anonymous wrote:B team, baby! More local travel, fewer crazy parents. Still a good experience for many kids. Some of them will grow into wonderful high school and college athletes; some will tap out in 7th grade. It's all fine. Whatever each family decides.

Yes! We love our DD's B team!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will never understand the travel sport hate. It's an activity! My 6th grade kid goes and practices 3 afternoons per week, totalling 5 hours a week. She hangs out with friends, does something good for her body and mind, and learns a lot.

On weekends she has a game with her team, which is also fun and makes the bond all the stronger.

What's the issue here?

If she was into music, would you say she shouldn't practice 3X week?

Does she have free time to play and hang out with friends though? Hanging out with friends in an organized setting isn't the same.

Having free time to play with friends in an unstructured environment is nice for little kids, but as kids get older, we liked keeping them too busy with sports and school to get into any trouble. We also liked that they were unwilling to put anything in their bodies that might compromise their athletics.

I might agree with you if it was high schoolers, but imo elementary and middle school kids need time to play with their friends and be unstructured. Who's to say older kids don't want that? Why arebt they allowed to be kids too? Just because some kids will get into trouble doesn't mean they all will.

5 hours a week is not going to crimp any adolescent's style.

Only 5 hours a week? Never heard of travel sports taking up only 5 hours a week.

2X 1.5 hour practice and 1X practice. Pretty standard.

Disagree here as well. My older kids both played travel soccer from around 2nd grade on, and it was a great experience for our whole family. They love playing and competing, and we (and all our local extended family) enjoyed watching them play and getting to know the other parents. Some of our closest friends today are ones we met when our kids were u8 or u9 teams together, and both kids made extremely close friends on their teams. The crazy parents we've met are a small minority, and we generally just find them amusing. We have enjoyed the travel, which is not that extensive unless the kids are on a national-level team. We always had carpools to help with the weekly practice burdens, and it was so interesting listening to the kids talk, especially during the MS and HS years. I learned a lot from those carpools.

In terms of the costs, we found them reasonable for the services our clubs provided, and we have plenty of money for discretionary expenses. I'm not sure why anyone would regret spending money on whatever activity their kids enjoyed, regardless of the ultimate outcome, unless it didn't work for their budget. That's always one of the weirder parts of these anti-travel sports posts to me.

In our family's case, one of our kids ended up with a D1 scholarship worth multiples of all the travel costs we paid for both kids. The other kid just played club in college. Despite their different talent levels and sports outcomes, they loved the sport equally, and were equally conscientious about putting in extra fitness and skills work on their own. The character and life lesson benefits are the same for both (though I'm not saying travel sports is the only way to learn leadership skills, discipline, and resilience etc.) The one who played club in college met many friends and a couple of boyfriends through that experience, and now that she has graduated, she has enjoyed playing in local adult leagues wherever she is. It's a great way to meet people once you are out of school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While I have always admired highly athletic kids and wish them the best, I am just so glad that mine never fell into that category. The commitment required for travel sports sounds exhausting, and many of the parents seem insufferable. And for what? The vast majority of the kids end up putting the sport largely behind them, more often than not before college. I just don't get the appeal.

I don’t understand why people care so much about what other kids do. But I’ll bite..our kids enjoyed travel sports because they loved their sport, got frustrated in rec when kids missed games and practice at the drop of a hat, liked the competitive nature and overall higher skill and commitment levels in travel. None of them had any interest or desire to play in college. But they made great friends, stayed fit, and had great time management skills which served them well in high school and college.

Why isn’t the same disdain shown to non athletic extracurriculars? It gets old.

I wouldn't say I have disdain for travel sports or other highly competitive expensive exracurriculars, but I would never let my child do them. Money aside, these activities are intense abd really don't allow kids to be kids and have a childhood. I don't want my child so busy that they do not have time for much else.

So if your kid developed a particular passion that they loved enough to put the time in to improve, be it music or sports or whatever, you'd discourage it?

They are only as intense as you and your kid want them to be. There are plenty of travel teams where they don't practice too much, or where practices and games are flexible. At least with the big sports like soccer, lacrosse, and basketball, there are a million teams and levels you can pick from. Want to train 15 hours a week and be on a very high level team? You can. Want 2 practices a week and a low key, easy going atmosphere? That is also available.