Kids

[PhDhawk]

hey, what’d ya know…the circle jerk trio

Ah they finally got a nickname! Exciting.

[Mjl]

rather than focus on 1 sport at a young age, they should try them all.

Book recommendation - Algorithms To Live By. Explains why Mich is mathematically correct here.

[sdoyel]

My oldest (6) scored 3 buckets in his basketball game the other day. I got him a small outdoor hoop when the pandemic started (he was 4) and a couple months ago we upgraded to a MegaSlam in ground hoop. He’s out there almost every day shooting. Very proud of this little guy…

TBall season 5 is around the corner!

[twocoach]

lol, you're not wrong

Like most stereotypes, there’s some roots in truth here!

I can tell you though that the cost isn’t different, and is in many cases less, than other “club” travel sports. Baseball and hockey cost more. Gymnastics costs materially more. Even soccer is creeping way up there.

People are really good about handing gear down, which blunts the cost significantly.

It’s an entire industrial construct to itself.

Obviously your post primarily focuses on money/cost - and not race.

Meanwhile, I am somewhat ashamed to say my parents had no problem letting me play organized hockey as a kid. A sport in which if I am not mistaken, there was a grand total of one African American kid who was my age that played in our community.

Sorry folks, maybe I am putting too much in to racial diversity and maybe it's a lot easier said than done but if I had a kid I would probably prefer he/she participated in sports that are not dominated by/with wealthy white people. Then again, of course where I chose to live might have a strong bearing on that.

I don't have "because it will provide opportunities to experience more racial diversity" on my list of criteria for kids activities. If they do end up getting to experience that then that's great. I just sign them up for stuff based on whether they are interested in it, whether there is a reputable organization that provides it nearby and whether it is financially and time-wise reasonable in the family budget.

Neither of my kids has particularly enjoyed sports; both ended up enjoying dance and performance based activities.

[twocoach]

rather than focus on 1 sport at a young age, they should try them all.

Depends on the kid.

[sdoyel]

rather than focus on 1 sport at a young age, they should try them all.

Depends on the kid.

Agreed. We've asked our 6yo if he wants to play soccer with his buddies. He has zero interest. He's just into tball and basketball, so we won't force him.

Many kids that play on our teams we can tell their parents have forced them because they show zero interest...

[twocoach]

rather than focus on 1 sport at a young age, they should try them all.

Depends on the kid.

Agreed. We've asked our 6yo if he wants to play soccer with his buddies. He has zero interest. He's just into tball and basketball, so we won't force him.

Many kids that play on our teams we can tell their parents have forced them because they show zero interest...

I actually got into a rather long discussion with Scot Pollard on this topic on twitter a few years ago. Some kids need to focus on one sport because it takes that much focus just to be good enough to continue to play it at a level they enjoy. Kids that are naturally great at whatever sport they try without much practice at all are inevitably held up as the examples of what being a multisport athlete can do for you. No one takes into account the kids that have to work their asses off for hours a week just to make the team.

[jfish26]

Depends on the kid.

Agreed. We've asked our 6yo if he wants to play soccer with his buddies. He has zero interest. He's just into tball and basketball, so we won't force him.

Many kids that play on our teams we can tell their parents have forced them because they show zero interest...

I actually got into a rather long discussion with Scot Pollard on this topic on twitter a few years ago. Some kids need to focus on one sport because it takes that much focus just to be good enough to continue to play it at a level they enjoy. Kids that are naturally great at whatever sport they try without much practice at all are inevitably held up as the examples of what being a multisport athlete can do for you. No one takes into account the kids that have to work their asses off for hours a week just to make the team.

I think it's important to expose kids to as many sports as possible. I don't think, once they're of that age where they start to have some agency (varies, but generally around 5th/6th grade), if they're really only into one or two things, it's fine to focus.

[jhawks99]

My oldest kid played soccer, basketball, track, swim team, cross country, volleyball and a season of tumbling. I probably forgot a sport or two.

Youngest wanted nothing to do with any sport. She played little kid soccer for a year and that was it.

[Deleted User 863]

My oldest kid played soccer, basketball, track, swim team, cross country, volleyball and a season of tumbling. I probably forgot a sport or two.

Youngest wanted nothing to do with any sport. She played little kid soccer for a year and that was it.

Opposite for me. Oldest really wasn't interested whenever we'd talk to her about sports. She's into riding horses, and animals in general. Enjoys watching all kinds of sports, just doesn't want to play them.

Youngest wants to play soccer basketball and golf...no interest in baseball or football.

Raised the exact same way. Totally different kids.

[Deleted User 863]

Sports can be a wonderful thing for kids....it can also be a terrible thing for kids if parents don't handle it correctly (and every child is unique so there is no handbook on how to do it).

[KUTradition]

Sports can be a wonderful thing for kids....it can also be a terrible thing for kids if parents don't handle it correctly (and every child is unique so there is no handbook on how to do it).

^^^
to the second point, don’t force anything on them in an effort to re-live your own glory days

[Deleted User 863]

Sports can be a wonderful thing for kids....it can also be a terrible thing for kids if parents don't handle it correctly (and every child is unique so there is no handbook on how to do it).

^^^
to the second point, don’t force anything on them in an effort to re-live your own glory days

That's the worst.

[Cascadia]

Sports can be a wonderful thing for kids....it can also be a terrible thing for kids if parents don't handle it correctly (and every child is unique so there is no handbook on how to do it).

^^^
to the second point, don’t force anything on them in an effort to re-live your own glory days

That's standard American parenting.

[NewtonHawk11]

Man that is something that is a struggle for many.

For example, my son was playing in his year-end football tournament. I coach on the team and right before the game, he started to not feel well. I told him to sit off and relax for a bit. Drink some water and see how you feel. He was bound and determined to play, but both me and my wife pulled him. He threw up on the way to the car and when my wife drove him home, he said he wants to play because he knows how much I love the game and am passionate about it.

I've never put any of that pressure on him, but kids feel that. Like he knows I played for a long time, love watching the game and everything about it. But I never force. Shit, he played soccer from when he was 4 to when he was about 9. I didn't force to play flag football or anything like that.

It is frustrating when the kids are forced to play sports because their parents did or want them to succeed like they did. Those are the worst. But kids pay attention to a lot of stuff and try SO HARD to impress their parents.

[jfish26]

My oldest kid played soccer, basketball, track, swim team, cross country, volleyball and a season of tumbling. I probably forgot a sport or two.

Youngest wanted nothing to do with any sport. She played little kid soccer for a year and that was it.

The important part for me is they are eating healthy (generally, they're kids for chrissakes), responsible to their family and legitimate authority figures and that they have some sort of thing. I couldn't care less if it's lacrosse or soccer or drama or ballroom dancing or chess or robotics.

[pdub]

What if it was University of Missouri cheerleading?

[jhawks99]

What if it was University of Missouri cheerleading?

Then you disown them.

[pdub]

Correct answer.

[Deleted User 863]

Correct answer.

Rivalry.