Anonymous wrote:Oh yes, every lax player at STA has a 4.0 GPA and perfect SAT score... right. There are only so many hours in a day. All that time sunk into a sport is time away from the books. End of story.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We travel soccer parents refer to ourselves as "committed", but we know that's just a code for crazy. Now for perspective, this is the absolute top level of competitive soccer in an area that is among the best in the country. So my thought is that if one has a child who has been blessed with athletic ability and also loves the training, the friendships, and all the hard work, why wouldn't I facilitate that? We aren't the parents yelling at refs (and the other parents), but we are the parents trucking our kid all over the Mid-Atlantic for matches, training, and tryouts.

Most of the kids I know are quite good at academics, too. The attributes of hard work and time management translate to school as well as sport.

Because what's the end game? That they'll maybe play in college? 10% chance of happening. Playing D1 or using athletics to grub into an Ivy? Less than 5%.

I'm convinced parents do it just to fill THEIR day. It's not about keeping kids busy it's just an easy hole to go down when you don't have a life.

How about the fact that about 95% of CEOs participated in sports High school. Success in life is not just about academics.

https://www.youthletic.com/articles/from-captain-to-ceo-its-proven-that-youth-sports-make-kids-successful/

I want a kid who is balanced. Feel bad for those who's parents don't see the value, they are missing out on much.

We're not talking about "normal" high school athletics, we're talking about weekend, travel, league, year-round "crazies". At the end of the day the fun ends and these kids have to go to college and need to academic chops to earn a tough degree. In my experience, majority of athletic crazy parents do not require their kids to be anywhere near the top of the class.

Shut the fuck up. You know nothing.

I was #9 out of 457 Ffx Co HS--over 4.0 GPA. I won 4 State Championships and a National Championship with my travel soccer team. I started Freshmen year of HS on Varsity and we won the VA State Championship.

BS in Biochem. PhD Immunology. Johns Hopkins.

My group of teammates was very similar. Many Ivies, Duke, etc. among us.

I credit team sports as a girl/teen to my success and drive in life.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We travel soccer parents refer to ourselves as "committed", but we know that's just a code for crazy. Now for perspective, this is the absolute top level of competitive soccer in an area that is among the best in the country. So my thought is that if one has a child who has been blessed with athletic ability and also loves the training, the friendships, and all the hard work, why wouldn't I facilitate that? We aren't the parents yelling at refs (and the other parents), but we are the parents trucking our kid all over the Mid-Atlantic for matches, training, and tryouts.

Most of the kids I know are quite good at academics, too. The attributes of hard work and time management translate to school as well as sport.

Because what's the end game? That they'll maybe play in college? 10% chance of happening. Playing D1 or using athletics to grub into an Ivy? Less than 5%.

I'm convinced parents do it just to fill THEIR day. It's not about keeping kids busy it's just an easy hole to go down when you don't have a life.

How about the fact that about 95% of CEOs participated in sports High school. Success in life is not just about academics.

https://www.youthletic.com/articles/from-captain-to-ceo-its-proven-that-youth-sports-make-kids-successful/

I want a kid who is balanced. Feel bad for those who's parents don't see the value, they are missing out on much.

We're not talking about "normal" high school athletics, we're talking about weekend, travel, league, year-round "crazies". At the end of the day the fun ends and these kids have to go to college and need to academic chops to earn a tough degree. In my experience, majority of athletic crazy parents do not require their kids to be anywhere near the top of the class.

Shut the fuck up. You know nothing.

I was #9 out of 457 Ffx Co HS--over 4.0 GPA. I won 4 State Championships and a National Championship with my travel soccer team. I started Freshmen year of HS on Varsity and we won the VA State Championship.

BS in Biochem. PhD Immunology. Johns Hopkins.

My group of teammates was very similar. Many Ivies, Duke, etc. among us.

I credit team sports as a girl/teen to my success and drive in life.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The return is much higher with academic preparation.

However parents spend insane amounts of money and time to encourage a particular sport. Once college comes around they're so locked into the suck cost that they're willing to send their kid to a lower ranked school that promises a spot on the team (no scholarship!)

There was a thread recently about "signing day" and how proud the parents were of their kids for making it on any team. It sounds like a scam quite honestly. You spend tons of money on a sport in hopes of a scholarship, but when college comes around you end up having to restrict your choices to lower ranked schools just so your kid can make it on a team. And you're still paying the full tuition!

Sigh. People love sports though.

What does a parent do when it is not they that loves the sport but their child who is passionate about playing on any level?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are the same person. They are living vicariously through their children. The academic version pushes the kid to excel academically, ensuring they spend every waking minute to pursue the goal of: proving mommy or daddy is smart.

The athletic parent is trying to prove that they were a good athlete once.

+1. Both are fed by the same underlying emotion: fear.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Academic parents can be intense and competitive, but I've seen no crazy ones. Sports parents, on the other hand, with the shouting and the insults...

Where would you see Academic parents in their setting? Standing behind their child at the SAT's screaming in their face to finish? You don't see them because they are at home abusing their children to take the top classes, to get only A's, to guilt them when they get any grade lower, to deny them socialization, etc...

we are academic parents. We encourage and help when needed. Sorry your kid is an academic failure and you need to take it out on us.

Ha! Spot on, PP!

We have a great student "taking the top classes and getting only A's' who's into theater and music. We do go to her performances and applaud accordingly, but schoolwork takes priority. She's never been into any kind of team sports, thank God!

Anonymous wrote:The return is much higher with academic preparation.

However parents spend insane amounts of money and time to encourage a particular sport. Once college comes around they're so locked into the suck cost that they're willing to send their kid to a lower ranked school that promises a spot on the team (no scholarship!)

There was a thread recently about "signing day" and how proud the parents were of their kids for making it on any team. It sounds like a scam quite honestly. You spend tons of money on a sport in hopes of a scholarship, but when college comes around you end up having to restrict your choices to lower ranked schools just so your kid can make it on a team. And you're still paying the full tuition!

Sigh. People love sports though.

Anonymous wrote:They are the same person. They are living vicariously through their children. The academic version pushes the kid to excel academically, ensuring they spend every waking minute to pursue the goal of: proving mommy or daddy is smart.

The athletic parent is trying to prove that they were a good athlete once.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We travel soccer parents refer to ourselves as "committed", but we know that's just a code for crazy. Now for perspective, this is the absolute top level of competitive soccer in an area that is among the best in the country. So my thought is that if one has a child who has been blessed with athletic ability and also loves the training, the friendships, and all the hard work, why wouldn't I facilitate that? We aren't the parents yelling at refs (and the other parents), but we are the parents trucking our kid all over the Mid-Atlantic for matches, training, and tryouts.

Most of the kids I know are quite good at academics, too. The attributes of hard work and time management translate to school as well as sport.

Because what's the end game? That they'll maybe play in college? 10% chance of happening. Playing D1 or using athletics to grub into an Ivy? Less than 5%.

I'm convinced parents do it just to fill THEIR day. It's not about keeping kids busy it's just an easy hole to go down when you don't have a life.

Wow, you sound awfully jealous of kids that can "fill their day" with sports and do well in school. I think the reason kids who play sports can handle school so well is because they have better time management, reduced stress from fresh air and exercise, and they have a family of teammates to depend on and enjoy. Socialization and exercise in high school is extremely important. When I think of the academic kids I think of introvert, in the house studying all day long, stressing for perfection. It doesn't seem healthy to me.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Neither. DCUM parents win it hands down.

+1,000 and you know what's sad the people most uptight on this thread are white sports freaks or Asian academic freaks

And the remedy much like politics how many people from either "side" have actually talked to the other side

So glad I am moving out of this insanity before we have kids

+1 to the poster writing that not all jocks are dumb

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Neither. DCUM parents win it hands down.

+1,000 and you know what's sad the people most uptight on this thread are white sports freaks or Asian academic freaks

And the remedy much like politics how many people from either "side" have actually talked to the other side

So glad I am moving out of this insanity before we have kids

+1 to the poster writing that not all jocks are dumb