How much is too much?

[Ragin'Raven]

Many of you are parents of "sports age" children on here (I'm thinking of age 1st grade-High School). Hypothetical situation; you knew a kid who has a schedule like this..would you say this is too much?

Basketball: AAU tournaments nearly every weekend, usually 3+ games each time, but if no tournament, there's no practice that week. If there is a tournament, then there are two practices.

Baseball: AAU weekend tournaments, usually 3-4 games a tournament, and two practices a week, one strictly hitting.

So say, for this hypothetical kid/situation, this weekend alone saw him playing four basketball games and three baseball games, for a grand total of 7 games, in which that kid played in the majority or all of each game.

And say this kid's parents live in a warm climate, and so he plays both sports year round, thus having this type of a schedule pretty much all the time.

The kid might not complain openly about his schedule, and he may love both sports very much, but isn't this a bit much for his body to take?


Ok, so he's 11, and he's my nephew... But that's beside the point. That's a ton of sport for one kid.

[arnie_uk]

No, let them play. Playing on the sports teams, as a 20 something year old, looking back are some of the things you really cherish, especially when with work etc now at this age I can't play sport. Enjoy your youth

[arnie_uk]

Sport teaches you a hell of a lot of life lessons as well. In fact I'd go as far as saying I use more of what I learnt from sport in everyday life than anything I learnt in the 14 years of school we have before hitting college age

[Ragin'Raven]

[quote name='arnie_uk' timestamp='1365370899' post='1427324']
No, let them play. Playing on the sports teams, as a 20 something year old, looking back are some of the things you really cherish, especially when with work etc now at this age I can't play sport. Enjoy your youth
[/quote]

I agree. I played sports growing up as well, and there are amazing lessons that come with that. That just seems like an insane amount of games for two days.

[Ragin'Raven]

I joked over the phone with my husband, I know about the Play 60 campaign, but this kid's playing 300.

[arnie_uk]

Kid goes to school, adults work. Adults come home have a beer or glass of wine, kids go play sports. That's how it should be. I played rugby and football. Rugby training after school mon wed thurs, training before school on Tuesdays, matches on Saturdays. Football training mon thurs and fri, games on wed nights. You'd go from school, to the rugby pitches, home for dinner and immediately to football, home and bed and do it all over again.

Would you rather him be sitting on play stations or in front of a tv eating junk wasting his life away n a dark room not making friends? That's the alternative

[Mt. Crushmore]

I played 4 sports when I was younger and at times I had to juggle all 4 at the same time. However, I would say it was definitely worth it.

[redravenfan]

[quote name='Ragin'Raven' timestamp='1365370730' post='1427321']
Many of you are parents of "sports age" children on here (I'm thinking of age 1st grade-High School). Hypothetical situation; you knew a kid who has a schedule like this..would you say this is too much?

Basketball: AAU tournaments nearly every weekend, usually 3+ games each time, but if no tournament, there's no practice that week. If there is a tournament, then there are two practices.

Baseball: AAU weekend tournaments, usually 3-4 games a tournament, and two practices a week, one strictly hitting.

So say, for this hypothetical kid/situation, this weekend alone saw him playing four basketball games and three baseball games, for a grand total of 7 games, in which that kid played in the majority or all of each game.

And say this kid's parents live in a warm climate, and so he plays both sports year round, thus having this type of a schedule pretty much all the time.

The kid might not complain openly about his schedule, and he may love both sports very much, but isn't this a bit much for his body to take?


Ok, so he's 11, and he's my nephew... But that's beside the point. That's a ton of sport for one kid.
[/quote]i'm with you i played sports basketball, lacrosse and hockey at various times throughout my life. 7 games is a bit much in two days . add to that school work thats a heavy schedule

[Bltravens]

I did everything as a kid and never burned out. So long as the kid is playing for fun and enjoyment they'll never complain. As long as the kid isn't playing 1 single sport year round they'll never burn out and its actually better for their psychomotor and motor development to play multiple sports. I played baseball, touch football, soccer, hockey, and swam in the same years at one point in my youth. It wasn't until high school when I decided to focus on particular sports because I could play. When I was in elementary school I just wanted to play sports with other kids, score goals, catch long passes, intercept the ball, swim fast, hit home runs....hell I want to do that right now lol.

In regards to the particular schedule that's kind of insane. Why is everything on the weekends? I never had more than 2 games in the same day (unless there was a tournament going on, which was like 4 times a year).

[BMORElegacy]

My mom had the rule of one sport. I hated it growing up but it allowed me to enjoy other things in life and brought balance to my life.

[Gordo52]

My parents didn't push me enough in football.


I could've been great..... *Uncle Rico voice*.

[Gordo52]

But seriously I pretty much agree with Arnie here.

Unless that kids parents are pushing him and he doesn't like it. But if he enjoys it, I say let em do their thing!

[Ragin'Raven]

[quote name='Bltravens' timestamp='1365377037' post='1427421']

In regards to the particular schedule that's kind of insane. Why is everything on the weekends? I never had more than 2 games in the same day (unless there was a tournament going on, which was like 4 times a year).
[/quote]

He plays AAU, which usually has tournaments on the weekends. I told my sister-in-law that I don't envy her. She's got a daughter who's going to be on the same AAU route (only 7, but she plays soccer, basketball, and does gymnastics. I will support my boys when they get older and involved in sports, but I don't think I can be the parent that allows for that type of excessive schedule. I worry about the stress that puts on the body.

[H8R]

It really depends. Id rather see 100 percent focus on one ball sport . If he/she was doing something like track or wrestling that helped conditioning for the primary sport.. Sure...

[Guest Moderator 6]

From a physical point of view there are no problems here. There are other factors to keep in mind like time spent with family, school work, etc... If his grades are lacking, then yes, it's too much. If he's getting A's and B's in school and not having any real 'problems' in life, then play ball!

[MTRavensFan]

HUGE difference between 1st graders and high school players.

11 y/o are not mature enough to set reasonable limits for themselves (which parents need to set, despite the griping), but are mature enough to develop their own passions (which parents need to encourage at all costs). Only truly in-tune parents can discern the difference and make those calls, which can change on a daily basis.

[BALTIMOREFLACCO]

I'm 18 at the moment, and one of my biggest regrets from early teen-hood is dropping some sports as early as I did. If he enjoys it, definitely let him play!

[Gordo52]

[quote name='BALTIMOREFLACCO' timestamp='1365439620' post='1427885']
I'm 18 at the moment, and one of my biggest regrets from early teen-hood is dropping some sports as early as I did. If he enjoys it, definitely let him play!
[/quote]
I'm 18 too and I really wish I would've have stuck it out with baseball or play football earlier in my life.