One of my biggest problems with over-specialization is that too often everything your child does becomes a paid competition. When I drive down the road I see fewer and fewer kids outside shooting baskets. I see fewer kids tossing a baseball in the air and running under it to catch it. That doesn't mean kids aren't playing sports or getting better, but often it requires mom or dad to spend lots of time on the road, at the expense of other things families could be involved in. I certainly believe there is a place for competitive sports, but I think there's also something to be said for the improvements that can be made in your game just by some alone time, carving out new methods.

I love how everyone takes everything his says as literal. "So my kid can't dream?" "So we're only having picnics this summer?" "My wife and I are getting divorced?"

 

Everything in moderation, people.

 

No different than his assumption that everyone treats their kids in the same extreme manner as the examples given. Specialization, covering up crimes, worrying about wins/losses when a child has a concussion...etc. Again, those parents are out there but no way are they in the majority.

I am just going to say it, this obviously hits close to home for many of you.

 

Well, this IS a site for discussing sports...

One of my biggest problems with over-specialization is that too often everything your child does becomes a paid competition. When I drive down the road I see fewer and fewer kids outside shooting baskets. I see fewer kids tossing a baseball in the air and running under it to catch it. That doesn't mean kids aren't playing sports or getting better, but often it requires mom or dad to spend lots of time on the road, at the expense of other things families could be involved in. I certainly believe there is a place for competitive sports, but I think there's also something to be said for the improvements that can be made in your game just by some alone time, carving out new methods.

 

Along this line of thinking, I pretty much found myself as a football player playing backyard football with neighborhood friends and throwing the football around with my dad. Same goes for baseball and hoops, we had great neighborhood games.

Well, this IS a site for discussing sports...

 

You are really struggling Deuce. :sssh:

Along this line of thinking, I pretty much found myself as a football player playing backyard football with neighborhood friends and throwing the football around with my dad. Same goes for baseball and hoops, we had great neighborhood games.

 

Times have changed. Kids are playing more now than ever, in a controlled environment. What was your other option back then? Playing jacks? Slinky?

You are really struggling Deuce. :sssh:

 

My bad, I don't like to waste time on people who beat around the bush.

Times have changed. Kids are playing more now than ever, in a controlled environment. What was your other option back then? Playing jacks? Slinky?

 

Why is it a controlled environment? Because every Tom, Dick and Harry realized they could hold a weekend tournament, put the name "Elite" in the title, and every parent in ten counties will shlep their kids there expecting some type of recruiting guru to immediately offer their kid a full ride to UK, all the while Tom, Dick and Harry are sitting back and counting the money.

Why is it a controlled environment? Because every Tom, Dick and Harry realized they could hold a weekend tournament, put the name "Elite" in the title, and every parent in ten counties will shlep their kids there expecting some type of recruiting guru to immediately offer their kid a full ride to UK, all the while Tom, Dick and Harry are sitting back and counting the money.

 

Um...because there are coaches, officials and rules. Controlled vs uncontrolled.

Times have changed. Kids are playing more now than ever, in a controlled environment. What was your other option back then? Playing jacks? Slinky?

 

Dice, prostitution, and PBR.

I am just going to say it, this obviously hits close to home for many of you.

 

I was waiting for that one.

 

I have an issue, whether in this case or many others that have come up on this site or in real life, where someone takes a stance of telling other people to be more like them. I'm glad this guy's kids play intramural sports and love it. I'm glad they take great family vacations. However, to think that a family can't build great memories having lunch between games is silly. Guess what, every family I know that has kids competing in select / AAU sports also take nice family vacations and build great memories together.

 

Kids that play competitive sports also have plenty of time to play kick-ball with their buddies, hoops at the park, or football in the grass field.

 

Yes, as you (Guru) know, my son plays select soccer and AAU basketball, and I can tell you that some of our best father / son memories and chats were driving to a game on a Saturday morning.

 

What he also fails to mention is those games often are excuses for extended family get-togethers, which gets my kids around cousins, aunts, and uncles they wouldn't otherwise see as often.

 

I'm glad the good doctor feels so secure in his parenting of the intramural athletes that he can tell everyone else he is right and they are wrong, I just find it to be presumptuous and condescending.

Along this line of thinking, I pretty much found myself as a football player playing backyard football with neighborhood friends and throwing the football around with my dad. Same goes for baseball and hoops, we had great neighborhood games.

 

Fort Thomas is still very much like this. The boys come home from school and get on their bikes. They go to the Armory to play pick-up games, or play on the soccer field up there. There are, at least from their class, always at least 12 boys up there to do one or the other. I posted a picture of the boys and their friends with Rey Mauluga on our neighbor's deck. That was half of the group that met up to play basketball on a Saturday morning. Baseball is different, but that is a dead sport to many of my boys' friends. During football season, they'll play football at Woodfill or wherever. That's just a small sample of 6th graders who live a bike ride away from the Armory.

 

I don't dispute some of the things the author says. However, he's taking such an extreme group of parents and painting everyone else w/ a broad brush. The problem isn't youth sports, or the excessive amount of games or travel. The problem is parents whose priorities aren't where they should be. You can make these travels very family oriented. I travelled all the time for basketball when I was in middle school. Beginning in Feb. almost every weekend was at least a 1 hour drive, normally 3, w/ a hotel stay. My Dad and I went to these usually just the two of us. The amount of bonding and conversations forged a relationship that many don't have the opportunity to create. We laughed a lot, I learned a ton (through criticism and from his recounting personal anecdotes.) This does hit slightly close to home, I suppose, in that he provides 5 possiblities, but does not focus on any of the positives.

:laugh:

:laugh:

 

What's so funny?

I was waiting for that one.

 

I have an issue, whether in this case or many others that have come up on this site or in real life, where someone takes a stance of telling other people to be more like them. I'm glad this guy's kids play intramural sports and love it. I'm glad they take great family vacations. However, to think that a family can't build great memories having lunch between games is silly. Guess what, every family I know that has kids competing in select / AAU sports also take nice family vacations and build great memories together.

 

Kids that play competitive sports also have plenty of time to play kick-ball with their buddies, hoops at the park, or football in the grass field.

 

Yes, as you (Guru) know, my son plays select soccer and AAU basketball, and I can tell you that some of our best father / son memories and chats were driving to a game on a Saturday morning.

 

What he also fails to mention is those games often are excuses for extended family get-togethers, which gets my kids around cousins, aunts, and uncles they wouldn't otherwise see as often.

 

I'm glad the good doctor feels so secure in his parenting of the intramural athletes that he can tell everyone else he is right and they are wrong, I just find it to be presumptuous and condescending.

 

In the interest of full disclosure, MTGL and I razzed each other just a bit in text on this thread.

 

Honestly I didn't remember or know your little guy played those select sports but I figured from all of our back and forth that was the case.

 

In short, I don't think the author is referring to parents like you and your wonderful wife, I think the two of you see sports in the proper perspective.

 

I mean this as kindly as possible, I think you are struggling just a little with the trees in the forest too.