This is where I have landed. With the right perspective (and right team for your kid) it's a very Archived Message
Posted by Blazer on February 2, 2024, 13:06:47, in reply to "Yep. You have to sort through a lot of bullshit "
positive experience. I used to be baffled by families that spend money on club sports, but here we are, and........it's fine? We don't force the kids to play, and try to reinforce as much as possible that they should be doing this if they enjoy it, and if they don't enjoy it anymore, they can stop (as long as they honor their commitments to the current team/season). Our oldest is on a high-level soccer team competing in regional leagues and we've found a great situation with a coach and parents that have become really good friends. We do spend a fair amount on travel, but I see it less as money wasted and more as quality time spent with our kids doing something they enjoy. Last summer we went to a tournament in D.C. which was a blast--turned it into a family vacation and it produced pretty incredible memories, both sports-related and otherwise. We have no illusions about youth sports as an investment that will lead to a college scholarship. Maybe it will--our oldest played major minutes for his high school varsity team as a freshmen and is starting to get recruiting letters from colleges. So maybe that becomes something, but maybe not. We would also prefer he attend a better university for academics than a third-rate school just for a partial scholarship. But mostly travel sports is a chance to spend a lot of time with the family doing something the kids enjoy. By contrast, our youngest is not particularly athletic, but plays on a local club team with all of his friends from school and has a blast. Are there other ways to spend money and quality time with your family? Of course. But as long as it's positive and the kids are enjoying it, I don't see it as time or money wasted. Again, with the right perspective. Previous Message but if you find the right situations the pros far outweigh the cons.
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Message Thread: | This response ↓
- Ooooohhh a new level of youth sports drama - the first tournament requiring travel - ISeeDeadHawkeyes February 2, 2024, 11:28:56
- Last update for those of you that found this amusing - ISeeDeadHawkeyes February 9, 2024, 13:19:26
- Who loves hilarious meddling mom updates? - ISeeDeadHawkeyes February 6, 2024, 16:17:13
- One more summer of travel softball for me and finally done - Tbag February 2, 2024, 15:52:52
- As an aside, I will take youth sports 1000 times over what I hear my colleagues talk about - OWWDig February 2, 2024, 12:07:28
- Wife was a competitive gymnastics director at one point - ISeeDeadHawkeyes February 2, 2024, 12:34:52
- We do both, and it's ... a lot. - AintHatin February 2, 2024, 12:32:12
- *cries* i have 2 in competitive dance this year* - lcubed February 2, 2024, 12:25:27
- 100%. Competitive dance and cheer is awful in every single way. There's legitimately no benefit* - longsnapper February 2, 2024, 12:14:45
- Dude. - EffinIllini February 2, 2024, 12:14:23
- man, it must suck to be a poor kid - Sammich February 2, 2024, 12:11:53
- I’ve been at a couple convention centers where those dance competitions were happening, and - doubledown February 2, 2024, 12:09:48
- amen* - OWWDig February 2, 2024, 12:14:36
- Youth sports are such a racket* - longsnapper February 2, 2024, 12:03:54
- mostly, yes.* - Ari Gold February 6, 2024, 16:45:50
- 100% late capitalist bullshit* - Jackie February 2, 2024, 12:48:29
- Yep. You have to sort through a lot of bullshit - BradUnderwoodforprez February 2, 2024, 12:23:57
- This is where I have landed. With the right perspective (and right team for your kid) it's a very - Blazer February 2, 2024, 13:06:47
- This statement is way too broad. Very dependant on the team/club - opey8 February 2, 2024, 12:14:22
- Yes. For so many reasons. - EffinIllini February 2, 2024, 12:11:44
- How enforced are those "stay to play" tournaments? - EffinIllini February 2, 2024, 11:58:46
- If it's out here, that's very common. - tvillini February 2, 2024, 11:43:04
- Stay to play is such a fucking racket. It's always the worst hotel and they jack up the rate. * - doubledown February 2, 2024, 11:41:30
- we're doing a tournament in Peoria that is that way - Gene Parmesan February 2, 2024, 11:38:13
- my nephew had a baseball tournament here in Atlanta... - shua February 2, 2024, 11:36:49
- I went from no kids doing any real sports to kid had to go to taekwondo nationals - gvibes February 2, 2024, 11:34:29
- I really don't understand how this is worth it for anyone involved* - Sammich February 2, 2024, 11:30:00
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