Youth Sports

[bowhunter1023]

Not wholly sports, but similar vein as what's being discussed. Kaydence has been playing violin for over 3 years. She's gifted and we've seen it first hand at her most recent recital where she outperformed fellow students with several years of instruction on her. That said, she doesn't love it. She works hard, but begrudgingly and largely only because my wife pushes her to do her best. She's also played soccer since she was 4 and she's progressing at a rate that shows she can play in HS if she wants. I don't love soccer, but it's good exercise and it's a team sport, so I'm supportive of it. She really likes basketball and after two summer camps, wants to play again this winter (no b-ball last year due to COVID). Violin is perhaps the most fruitful lifelong endeavor, but she doesn't love it and it's the hardest thing on the family unit due to schedule/location. So, we let her rank them in order and violin was last. Time to prune that one and let her come back to it when/if she chooses to do so.

 

[cotty16]

I hate travel ball. It has killed local rec leagues, local legion teams, and just overall unification of communities. My boys did the travel thing for a year and they hated it also. We basically did it because we felt like we had to keep up with the Joneses. Ultimately we came back to legion ball so they could play with their friends. We are lucky that legion ball is still big in our community. But, most communities it is travel or nothing now and that sucks. The kid who doesn't have much money or reliable parents to get them out of town will never get to have a chance to play ball.

I also agree that it is causing kids to concentrate on one sport and I hate that as well. My best players every year are multisport athletes. Very rarely do I rely on a kid who just focuses on baseball year round. They just aren't battle tested. And, quite frankly, they seem to get injured very easily for whatever reason.

The demands HS and travel coaches (in any sport) put on their kids many times causes kids to have to make a choice. I think that's BS too. I encourage all my players to play at least one other sport. Our football coach and basketball coach does the same. Our school is very lucky to have a basketball coach that has been there for over 30 years, myself at year 21, and our football coach at year 19. We have worked great together and many times you'll see those two coaches in our dugout supporting the kids.

Oh, and just because your kid plays travel doesn't mean he's the next Cal Ripken. It just means you have money to do it. Travel ball, when first started, was designed for elite players. It has become watered down just like everything else as dads start up teams so their kid has a place to play. I hear it every year from parents... "my kid plays shortstop for the Ohio Elite." (you can enter whatever travel team you want there)

That shit doesn't hold anything in my eyes. I'll judge your kid when I see him on the field.

I simply tell my players that I don't care where they play... just play! The ones who can't afford travel, they play legion here or for our colt team that we set up. No cost to the kids!

One last thing... don't get me started on pee wee football. What a mess that is. 3 hour practices 6 days a week. Look at a team pic of pee wee football when those kids are seniors and see how many are still playing. Heck, look at it when they are in the 7th grade. Most quit because life was made miserable by a peewee coach who never played a down of football in their life.

 

[giles]

On the same page...hunting and fishing with kids. I have one that is ate up and 2 that I think do it to spend time with me. That balance is going to be interesting as the years progress.

 

[Curran]

The answer to the youth sports situation will depend on the individual...

Can young kids play multiple sports? Yes, and you should have them play as many sports as possible, from ages 5 through 10ish. At some point between 10 and 12 you will have to make a decision as a family and at least narrow things down to 1 to 2 sports. The reason being is that recreation leagues don't have enough youth staying engaged after that point to form teams. You will have to shift to club sports and start to specialize. This is the reality. The good ole days we grew up in are long gone.

Why should they specialize? This is where it depends on the individual youth and what they want to do. Of course, this is a family discussion too, because it will be a commitment for everybody. If the athlete wants to continue to advance their capabilities they should specialize... to a certain extent (I'll circle back to this). Soccer, hockey, baseball, and softball are spring and fall seasons, with training nearly year-round. Basketball has winter and summer seasons, with training nearly year-round. Football is a fall season, which conflicts with baseball and soccer. Off-season training for football will conflict with soccer, baseball, and basketball seasons. Sprinkle in other options like lacrosse and field hockey, cross country, track and field, and it gets crazy busy.

But I've always believed it all depends on the individual. This is where things get complicated too, because "parent goggles" are a real thing. I can't tell you how many conversations I've had with parents over the years who talk up their little athlete like they're the next all-star, only to watch them trip over themselves trying to run down the field. Yikes. Eventually, those situations work themselves out. Unfortunately, it comes at a price, mainly felt by the kid who has been talked up their entire life (by the parent), only to get cut from the team or sit the bench once they're at the high school or high-level club. Then you have a situation where the youth becomes disenchanted with the sport and quits. I hate to see that because honestly, sports are about life lessons, not scholarships.

This is where I circle back to specializing. Both our kids chose to specialize in soccer when it came time to make those decisions. They played a variety of sports growing up, and throughout middle school, but since each of them hit 14 it has been all soccer. It's what they want to do, so we support that decision. Now it is a matter of managing burn-out by keeping other activities in front of them (hunting, fishing, golf, etc.). There are definitely times when breaks are needed, you can see it in their play and overall attitude. Sometimes you have to implement a break for them, other times the season ends at just the right time, and before you know it they're talking about how much they miss playing.

Throughout it all, you just have to keep perspective as a parent. Sports are not about scholarships. If that happens, great. But don't count on it. Play sports and play them as long as possible. The lessons they teach are invaluable throughout life, from teamwork and leadership, to learning about commitment and follow through. Discipline, hard work, giving your best effort, learning from your losses, preparing for the next game, the list goes on and on and on...

 

[jagermeister]

@Curran I was waiting for you to explain a reasoning to specialization, but all you really mentioned was that is what your kids preferred to do. I understand supporting what your kids want to do. But aside from that, if they don’t necessarily want to specialize, I see no valid reason to specialize in one sport. I only see reasons NOT to specialize in one sport. Like you said, organized sports shouldn’t be about scholarships. All the more reason to play on multiple teams in multiple sports. Variability in teammates, in coaching styles, in athleticism and skills, in situational awareness, in overcoming struggles… All things that I think make better athletes and, more importantly, better people.

I hate what organized youth sports have become. I know I can’t change it…. But I hate it nonetheless. The whole fact that all these different sports are now year-round pursuits is bull crap. Yes we are creating some fine athletes… but we are also creating a bunch of whiny, selfish, entitled, individual players instead of high quality teammates. That’s not a blanket statement of course. But I’ve seen plenty of kids whose selfish attitudes totally disgust me. My niece’s varsity softball team for example… This spring I watched one of their Sectional Semifinal games. I was told one of their best players, who also plays travel ball, decided NOT to come to the game, but to go to Cedar Point instead… and that she would show up to the Finals if they made it far enough. First off, what kind of kid has a mentality like that, to abandon her teammates in one of the more important games of the year? And secondly, what kind of parent allows that kind of bullshit? And lastly, what kind of coach allows that kind of bullshit? It’s absolutely ludicrous in my opinion.

 

[hickslawns]

For those entering the travel league ages- beware the politics. They are heavy. Don't get me wrong, we met some great people and made some great friends. We also saw some ugly sides of people which disappointed us. Just realize, they make "a" and "b" teams and talk out of both sides of their mouth. Drop a kid from a team who is a solid asset and been on the team several years because they recruited a better player. What we found most important was to keep teaching the life lessons. Lesson 1: life ain't fair kid. (Always a tough lesson but it needs to be learned.) We made sure to encourage the passions. At the same time though, we made sure to parent along the way. Don't turn your kid into that spoiled/entitled/selfish little brat. Trust me here when I say it is difficult. Garrett hates losing. He hated getting beat as an individual on the field or as a team. He would get so pissed he would walk off the field crying while the other players may be shrugging it off and laughing. Hadn't even taken their shin guards out of the socks and they were over it. He was coached by my wife and I to get over it. It took several approaches from consoling to threatening to yank him. After a few times, we realized he just needed his moment to work thru the emotions on his own and then we could converse about the positives and negatives of the game outcome. And in all fairness, he may have been a little old to be crying but not like 7/8/9th grade. It was more 3/4 grade. We still took it as a positive. Passion like this will transfer to other life activities as he ages. Imagine having the same passion for victory/success in your job/schooling/marriage/hobbies later in life? It isn't all bad. Just need to harness that passion in a positive light. BUT not all parents will take this approach. Some will jump travel teams until they find the best team or most winning team or a team that cherry picks at lower levels than they should be playing.

I guess my point is: beware the pitfalls, and find the positives if you go this route. Still plenty of life lessons to be had. Don't get sucked into the politics or ass kissing. We didn't feel the need to buy shirts or popups for the club to ensure a spot for our kid. If he didn't have what it took. . . Work harder boy.

 

[Big_Holla]

This one popped up on my timeline this morning, 7 years ago in Columbus. Man do I miss watching her play, considering it all.

 

[Curran]

@Curran I was waiting for you to explain a reasoning to specialization, but all you really mentioned was that is what your kids preferred to do. I understand supporting what your kids want to do. But aside from that, if they don’t necessarily want to specialize, I see no valid reason to specialize in one sport. I only see reasons NOT to specialize in one sport.

From my experience, (1) specialization advances the athlete in that particular sport, faster and farther than a generalized athlete (you don't see it as much in young ages but as they approach high school it becomes very apparent), (2) the level of athleticism, training, and play at the club level has surpassed the level of play at the high school level, and (3) at some point in time if the athlete wants to continue advancing and competing they will have to specialize and pick a sport because the clubs are the only outlets to offer leagues after a certain age.

Just wait, you'll see.

I'll also add that specialization isn't for every athlete. If they don't want anything more than to simply play sports with their friends, that's great. Enjoy that time and just have fun.

 

[jagermeister]

From my experience, (1) specialization advances the athlete in that particular sport, faster and farther than a generalized athlete (you don't see it as much in young ages but as they approach high school it becomes very apparent), (2) the level of athleticism, training, and play at the club level has surpassed the level of play at the high school level, and (3) at some point in time if the athlete wants to continue advancing and competing they will have to specialize and pick a sport because the clubs are the only outlets to offer leagues after a certain age.

Just wait, you'll see.

I'll also add that specialization isn't for every athlete. If they don't want anything more than to simply play sports with their friends, that's great. Enjoy that time and just have fun.

Lol . Yep! I’ll find out soon enough!