Re: Kids
Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2022 4:19 pm
Ah they finally got a nickname! Exciting.
Ah they finally got a nickname! Exciting.
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.RainbowsandUnicorns wrote: ↑Sat Feb 12, 2022 8:26 amObviously your post primarily focuses on money/cost - and not race.jfish26 wrote: ↑Sat Feb 12, 2022 8:02 amLike 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.
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.
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.
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.sdoyel wrote: ↑Mon Feb 14, 2022 10:49 amAgreed. 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 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.twocoach wrote: ↑Mon Feb 14, 2022 11:04 amI 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.sdoyel wrote: ↑Mon Feb 14, 2022 10:49 amAgreed. 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...
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.
^^^BasketballJayhawk wrote: ↑Mon Feb 14, 2022 7:29 pm 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).
That's the worst.KUTradition wrote: ↑Mon Feb 14, 2022 7:43 pm^^^BasketballJayhawk wrote: ↑Mon Feb 14, 2022 7:29 pm 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.KUTradition wrote: ↑Mon Feb 14, 2022 7:43 pm^^^BasketballJayhawk wrote: ↑Mon Feb 14, 2022 7:29 pm 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
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.