Anonymous
Post 05/14/2026 15:09     Subject: What age did you stop staying for kids practices?
2nd/3rd grade depending on sport, though I would stay close by (by walking a perimeter loop, e.g.).
Anonymous
Post 05/14/2026 14:53     Subject: What age did you stop staying for kids practices?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I never left my kids for practice. The coach was there to coach, not to be an unpaid babysitter.



Please tell me your kid never played, say, school sports then. I guess since you said "unpaid," then no.


If you don't see the difference between high school sports teams and 5 year olds, there's no point having a conversation with you.


What about 7 year olds? 9 year olds? 11 year olds?

At what age do you stop hovering?


These sports groups are ripe for abuse with no oversight.
Anonymous
Post 05/14/2026 14:52     Subject: What age did you stop staying for kids practices?
I started dropping off at age 8, at age 6, I'd walk around near the practice so I was close by.
Anonymous
Post 05/13/2026 19:32     Subject: What age did you stop staying for kids practices?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Swim and gymnastics we weren’t allowed to stay (especially post Covid). So my kids were 7 when I was dropping off there, but those are paid coaches.

Rec soccer, after I got to know the coach, I would sometimes leave starting at age 5/6 if I had to run another kid somewhere, but my son is awesome about direction following and again, I knew the coach

Once my son was on pre-travel they asked the parents to leave. I stayed in my car until I knew how everything was run and knew my son had my number memorized, he was 7.

Dance- I only stayed when class was an hour, because it didn’t make sense to leave and come back.

I can’t think of a single time my kids needed me in any of those practices except for injuries in gymnastics. In which case, coaches called and we came and picked up (or not if she was fine).

If a rec coach needs parents to stay, they should absolutely tell parents that, because unless my kid is out of control, I would assume they have it handled. (Or I would offer to volunteer if there was no co-coach! I think two coaches is the minimum).


Solo coach of rec soccer here with a roster of 14 kids age 6-7. No, every organization does not have more than one coach.


Oh interesting- all of my kids rec teams had at least two coaches. And if one of them was not at a practice for whatever reason, they would ask for another parent's help. If it is just one adult, that changes everything- no way would I leave in that case

Even if there are two coaches, if the kids are young enough to need to be escorted to the bathroom then the parents should stay. Very few drills are done with the full team all at once. Kids are split into groups to work on different skills in manageable groups. Coaches shouldn't have to stop coaching multiples times a practice (and once one kid says they have to go others will too) to take kids to the bathroom.


How long are your practices that multiple kids need to use the bathroom? Maybe that’s the real problem.

Rec league practices are typically 1 hour 15 minutes for the two sports I coached (baseball, basketball) - and yes, multiple 5-8 year olds will ask to go to the bathroom during a 75 minute practice. Especially if it's right at dinner time and the kid ate on the way to practice.
Anonymous
Post 05/13/2026 19:26     Subject: Re:What age did you stop staying for kids practices?
Generally starting around age 7 or 2nd grade-ish.

Depending on the activity, location, how well I know the coach or other parents etc. For example, at our local little league I was more comfortable as we knew many parents/coaches by the time our youngest enrolled, and field is in a very safe area near our house. DH was also sometimes on a different field nearby helping coach our older son’s team.

For a newer activity, I’d be more inclined to stay.

We do have multiple kids, which factored in at times.
Anonymous
Post 05/13/2026 14:48     Subject: What age did you stop staying for kids practices?
Rec stay until kids are older. Travel leave. Travel coaches are professionals with low coach to kid ratios. If the travel coaches can't manage, they're not worth the travel team fees.
Anonymous
Post 05/13/2026 11:12     Subject: What age did you stop staying for kids practices?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I never left my kids for practice. The coach was there to coach, not to be an unpaid babysitter.



Please tell me your kid never played, say, school sports then. I guess since you said "unpaid," then no.


If you don't see the difference between high school sports teams and 5 year olds, there's no point having a conversation with you.


What about 7 year olds? 9 year olds? 11 year olds?

At what age do you stop hovering?


The answer is it depends. On the setup of practice. On your kids. On your family values. It just depends.


I mean… no $hit? Do you understand “it depends” as an answer to a *survey question* is the same as no answer? Apparently not, because you said it anyway…
Anonymous
Post 05/13/2026 10:01     Subject: What age did you stop staying for kids practices?
I run a large kids’ track program and we ask parents explicitly to stay for k-1st and then use their judgement about whether their older kids will be able to stay with the group.
Anonymous
Post 05/13/2026 08:56     Subject: What age did you stop staying for kids practices?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I never left my kids for practice. The coach was there to coach, not to be an unpaid babysitter.



Please tell me your kid never played, say, school sports then. I guess since you said "unpaid," then no.


If you don't see the difference between high school sports teams and 5 year olds, there's no point having a conversation with you.


What about 7 year olds? 9 year olds? 11 year olds?

At what age do you stop hovering?


The answer is it depends. On the setup of practice. On your kids. On your family values. It just depends.
Anonymous
Post 05/13/2026 08:55     Subject: What age did you stop staying for kids practices?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I never left my kids for practice. The coach was there to coach, not to be an unpaid babysitter.



Please tell me your kid never played, say, school sports then. I guess since you said "unpaid," then no.


If you don't see the difference between high school sports teams and 5 year olds, there's no point having a conversation with you.


As a parent of teenagers, I always find it bizarre when people ask where parents transition from one thing to another and parents of young children declare they will never do so.

As someone with 3 multi-sport high school athletes, one of whom will soon be a college athlete, I can tell you that if your kid does not stop playing, at some point you will stop staying at every practice in case they need the bathroom. So, never is a ridiculous answer.

Is there a difference between 5 year olds and varsity athletes? Of course, but that difference comes over years of gradual growth. Which is why the OP asks the question, when is it reasonable to leave them?


I'm the one who said "pleae tell me your kid never played school sports" and I can't tell if PPs were concerned with my answer - which I think you backed up - or the original post I quoted. Because seriously it's vanishingly rare for parents to be involved in school sports other than as boosters or people running the concession stand.
Anonymous
Post 05/13/2026 08:06     Subject: What age did you stop staying for kids practices?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Swim and gymnastics we weren’t allowed to stay (especially post Covid). So my kids were 7 when I was dropping off there, but those are paid coaches.

Rec soccer, after I got to know the coach, I would sometimes leave starting at age 5/6 if I had to run another kid somewhere, but my son is awesome about direction following and again, I knew the coach

Once my son was on pre-travel they asked the parents to leave. I stayed in my car until I knew how everything was run and knew my son had my number memorized, he was 7.

Dance- I only stayed when class was an hour, because it didn’t make sense to leave and come back.

I can’t think of a single time my kids needed me in any of those practices except for injuries in gymnastics. In which case, coaches called and we came and picked up (or not if she was fine).

If a rec coach needs parents to stay, they should absolutely tell parents that, because unless my kid is out of control, I would assume they have it handled. (Or I would offer to volunteer if there was no co-coach! I think two coaches is the minimum).


Solo coach of rec soccer here with a roster of 14 kids age 6-7. No, every organization does not have more than one coach.


Oh interesting- all of my kids rec teams had at least two coaches. And if one of them was not at a practice for whatever reason, they would ask for another parent's help. If it is just one adult, that changes everything- no way would I leave in that case

Even if there are two coaches, if the kids are young enough to need to be escorted to the bathroom then the parents should stay. Very few drills are done with the full team all at once. Kids are split into groups to work on different skills in manageable groups. Coaches shouldn't have to stop coaching multiples times a practice (and once one kid says they have to go others will too) to take kids to the bathroom.


How long are your practices that multiple kids need to use the bathroom? Maybe that’s the real problem.
Anonymous
Post 05/13/2026 08:05     Subject: What age did you stop staying for kids practices?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I never left my kids for practice. The coach was there to coach, not to be an unpaid babysitter.



Please tell me your kid never played, say, school sports then. I guess since you said "unpaid," then no.


If you don't see the difference between high school sports teams and 5 year olds, there's no point having a conversation with you.


What about 7 year olds? 9 year olds? 11 year olds?

At what age do you stop hovering?
Anonymous
Post 05/12/2026 14:34     Subject: What age did you stop staying for kids practices?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Swim and gymnastics we weren’t allowed to stay (especially post Covid). So my kids were 7 when I was dropping off there, but those are paid coaches.

Rec soccer, after I got to know the coach, I would sometimes leave starting at age 5/6 if I had to run another kid somewhere, but my son is awesome about direction following and again, I knew the coach

Once my son was on pre-travel they asked the parents to leave. I stayed in my car until I knew how everything was run and knew my son had my number memorized, he was 7.

Dance- I only stayed when class was an hour, because it didn’t make sense to leave and come back.

I can’t think of a single time my kids needed me in any of those practices except for injuries in gymnastics. In which case, coaches called and we came and picked up (or not if she was fine).

If a rec coach needs parents to stay, they should absolutely tell parents that, because unless my kid is out of control, I would assume they have it handled. (Or I would offer to volunteer if there was no co-coach! I think two coaches is the minimum).


Solo coach of rec soccer here with a roster of 14 kids age 6-7. No, every organization does not have more than one coach.


Oh interesting- all of my kids rec teams had at least two coaches. And if one of them was not at a practice for whatever reason, they would ask for another parent's help. If it is just one adult, that changes everything- no way would I leave in that case

Even if there are two coaches, if the kids are young enough to need to be escorted to the bathroom then the parents should stay. Very few drills are done with the full team all at once. Kids are split into groups to work on different skills in manageable groups. Coaches shouldn't have to stop coaching multiples times a practice (and once one kid says they have to go others will too) to take kids to the bathroom.
Anonymous
Post 05/12/2026 13:51     Subject: What age did you stop staying for kids practices?
My dh is the coach and coaches 2 teams a season (currently for 5 and 7 year olds). He absolutely would say something if the parents were leaving. Kids get hurt and want their parent. Kids shoes are always coming untied and they run to the parent to tie (particularly for the 5 year olds). My dh also needs parents to help keep kids in line. Even on the 7 year old's team, kids still have meltdowns and tantrums on the field. Dh has 7 other boys he needs to help.
Anonymous
Post 05/12/2026 13:46     Subject: What age did you stop staying for kids practices?
3rd grade.

Im 2nd grade I carpooled a lot so would obviously only stay if I was the one driving. By 3rd grade I dropped and left. Usually ran errands and came back.

K and 1st I definitely stayed. For one thing my kid was very young. For another thing I wanted to get to know other families and observe the coaches and the other kids.

Even now in middle school if my child starts a new activity I will stay for one or two practices to catch the vibe.

But for behavior and safety I was fine with it by 2nd.