Competitive Team Sports for Kids..?

[Masato]

Hey all

I know there are several parents here

What are your thoughts/experiences with having kids in organized team sports?

I always hated that shit when I was a kid, always preferred individual sports, felt stupid in uniforms lol. But many parents have professed the values of it, but to be honest I see a lot of evidence through friends/other parents that really make me wonder.

As kids get older it seems to become REALLY competitive, and there are games and practices and tournaments multiple times a week and you are expected to be at every one... its like the whole family becomes a slave to the team and the demands of the coach etc. If you decide not to go for whatever personal reason you're letting everyone down etc. Some good friends have a 13 yr old daughter in volleyball and complain that the focus is so hard on winning that their daughter gets benched tons, lots of drama, parents fighting etc and they are cancelling all kinds of other healthy things the kid likes as a sacrifice for volleyball

Is this a fair price to learn teamsmanship, dedication, responsibility etc? Do team sports rob kids of their individuality? Is winning more important than having fun? Someone advised me when my first kid was born that sports is good because it keeps teens out of trouble etc, but I wonder if its worth the price. Of course its all up to individual perspective, I'm sure some kids really love it but I wonder sometimes..

I still have no plans to put my kids into team sports (son does BJJ tournaments sometimes as he pleases), but thought the topic was interesting, was wondering others' thoughts.

We don't discuss parenting enough here, I know we have some moms and dads on board

[Canuckster]

I think you answered the question already. If the kid is miserable at whatever it is they are doing, they shouldn't be doing it. If the best examples of teamwork, sportsmanship and all that fun stuff are the drama and infighting that goes on, there's little point. Unless your kid finds his passion and wants to do it, it doesn't seem worth it to me in the long run.

[Masato]

Plus growing up I found most of the kids who played hockey or baseball etc always seemed kind of dumb, lol Short-sighted meatheads. Maybe that was just coincidence, maybe just my own projections and bigotry

Similar kind of mentality to soldiers, etc... I always found it weird to rank the value of a team over individuals. sell your soul to the uniform under someone else's direction etc. -Guess that's how you win trophies though, if you care about that stuff

I think sports in general in our culture is way over-blown, it shouldn't be as important as it is. Beer-league team sports just for fun and recreation is great though, I see these old dudes playing where my daughter takes some swim/lifeguard lessons and they look great and always having fun.

Would love to hear from anyone who did competitive team sports and valued it/enjoyed it. Maybe I've just never felt tha rush

[Edge Guerrero]

Hey all

I know there are several parents here

What are your thoughts/experiences with having kids in organized team sports?

I always hated that shit when I was a kid, always preferred individual sports, felt stupid in uniforms lol. But many parents have professed the values of it, but to be honest I see a lot of evidence through friends/other parents that really make me wonder.

- I was the same. Do you want your kid ending like us?

And Kicking & Screaming is a good movie.

[Winnson]

Badminton, ice hockey, baseball and a little bit of basketball worked for me. Everyone is different though. My kid went from ballet and Jazz, to kung fu dance to drama.

Fun fact: When I was a wee lad posted way the fuck out in nowhere, my dad was my cub scout leader, my hockey coach, my baseball coach, my soccer coach, my sister's figure skating coach etc etc etc. Funny thing was, he sucked at most of that stuff. He just did it because we wanted him to.

If you want your kids to do stuff, get involved in it, even if you suck. Oh, Dad taught me golf too. When I was 5 I knocked him out cold with my backswing. When he woke up, we finished the course. My dad is a goddam boss.

[Masato]

^ nice

Playing sports is not bad. My kids have been on hockey, soccer, volleyball teams before. Its good exposure, a lot of fun and you do learn teamwork, sportsmanship, etc.

I'm talking when it gets competitive, when the parents would have ousted your Dad and found someone who really knows the sport so they can win win win. When it starts getting serious and taking up 4 days a week + every single weekend etc. When does it become too much and not fun anymore

[Winnson]

Depends on the kid I guess. I know a few guys that went to competitive in hockey. Most of them loved it, but a few hated it. Some parents are fucking psycyhos with that shit.

Living vicariously through their child maybe?

[Shinkicker]

Does COD count? Lol

My son told me he joined a "klan" on Xbox. I said, "soooo, you're in a gang?" He spent 30 mins trying to explain while I kept interjecting with, "so, it's a gang?", all serious faced. I still refer to it as a gang. Pisses him off.

Oh, the little joys in life.

[Shinkicker]

As far as organized sports both of my boys have done them. But as soon as they said they didn't want to anymore, I let them stop. It would punish others if mine weren't into it.

[Shinkicker]

My main reason to encourage it was exercise. At the time, I didn't have any worries though because they were both active. In my backyard I've had a fox hole, a fort behind the fence, an obstacle/military training course, a tree house, a shooting range, motorcycle track, basketball court, and things for cover during nerf gun wars. They have built a soap box car in my garage out of trash.....anyway I wasn't at all worried about sports. But now they are getting lazy. My 13 year old at least somewhat understands and works out some.