Kids and sports

[R1975P]

On ESPN they are talking about our kids and do they play or what they do in their free time . In 1980 7 percent of jr high kids were over weight, in 2010 18 percent were. Two things were brought up, TV games and phones, plus making our kids one sport kids by the time they are 10. Let the kids play, worry about what sport later. I have a good idea, let's force schools to get bigger and have 10 percent of the kids play sports.
These are big time people talking about needing to keep people active.

 

[Prone2Clone]

I don't see how that can be. I don't remember having 18,000 soccer leagues starting at age 4 that run year round plus every other sport under the sun back in 1980. My kids have already had more official practices and games than I did my entire life. Speaking of free time, there isn't much. I spent all day yesterday at a 6th grade basketball tournament. And I mean all day. Had to sneak out to the parking lot to listen to Melvin's big day.

 

[im4cyclones]

On ESPN they are talking about our kids and do they play or what they do in their free time . In 1980 7 percent of jr high kids were over weight, in 2010 18 percent were. Two things were brought up, TV games and phones, plus making our kids one sport kids by the time they are 10. Let the kids play, worry about what sport later. I have a good idea, let's force schools to get bigger and have 10 percent of the kids play sports.
These are big time people talking about needing to keep people active.

Not sure I understand...

 

[becrisgreg]

The day when someone figured out they could make $$$$$ on youth sports was the day it went on life support. I would say cottage industry, but that cottage is a damn mansion.

 

[3TrueFans]

This thread confuses me.

 

[wcamnclone]

Not sure I understand...

I think he means that rural schools are struggling in the sense that populations and enrollment numbers in the rural ares are on the decline while the suburban areas are growing. More and more families are moving to the suburban areas. People move to where the jobs are. Kids graduating college are the perfect example. Are you more likely to move back to your hometown area with limited job opportunities or to The Des Moines/Omaha/Kansas City/Chicago/Minneapolis metros because of the options available.

Small schools are being forced to co-op or consolidate just to have the numbers to field athletic teams.

 

[bozclone]

Sports are organized activities now. They are not like the games we played with the neighborhood kids when we were kids. I have a son that is a starting varsity football player and a daughter that is a starting 8th grade basketball player. Both work year round to be competitive and perform at a high level. Sports teach them many things, but they are way more work than when I was a kid. To be honest, I think a lot of the fun has been taken out of them.

 

[twocoach]

On ESPN they are talking about our kids and do they play or what they do in their free time . In 1980 7 percent of jr high kids were over weight, in 2010 18 percent were. Two things were brought up, TV games and phones, plus making our kids one sport kids by the time they are 10. Let the kids play, worry about what sport later. I have a good idea, let's force schools to get bigger and have 10 percent of the kids play sports. These are big time people talking about needing to keep people active.

The problem is that fat, lazy people who are terrible parents are having the vast majority of the children in this country. I would assume that the obesity rates in your average suburban schools are no different now than they were 30 years ago. I can't think of more than a tiny handful of kids at my daughter's elementary school that I would consider overweight.

 

[NickTheGreat]

I really thought this thread was going to be about the increase of kid's sports, maybe about the costs even? :twitcy:

When I was a pup in rural schools, the only organized sports were Little League Baseball, and some sort of basketball in 5th and 6th grade. I was also a chubby kid. Carry on, OP

 

[Tre4ISU]

I know there are more options now but it seems like there are less kids involved. I looked at a HS football game and the sidelines were much smaller than 10 years ago and I think that reaches all sports.

 

[johnnydugouts]

While everyone mocks "aau dad" I take pride in being that guy.

 

[twocoach]

While everyone mocks "aau dad" I take pride in being that guy.

Heck yes. I am a proud swim dad. I teach my daughter that it is OK to be obsessive so long as it is used productively. There is a huge stigma about being too obsessed with things, as if you are better off flitting through life sampling things as you go with no energy or passion ever put into the pursuit of those things. It's bizarre.

 

[Cyballz]

The problem is that fat, lazy people who are terrible parents are having the vast majority of the children in this country. I would assume that the obesity rates in your average suburban schools are no different now than they were 30 years ago. I can't think of more than a tiny handful of kids at my daughter's elementary school that I would consider overweight.

Fantastic reasoning skills. Your argument is akin to believing the ocean doesn't exist because you can't see it from your porch.

Heck yes. I am a proud swim dad. I teach my daughter that it is OK to be obsessive so long as it is used productively. There is a huge stigma about being too obsessed with things, as if you are better off flitting through life sampling things as you go with no energy or passion ever put into the pursuit of those things. It's bizarre.

There is nothing wrong with obsession.....you know, until your entire existence is wrapped up in that activity you ditched everything else in your life for and are left as hollow shell when that activity ends. One can engage in things with energy and passion without becoming obsessed. Obsession is when something has an unhealthy dominance in one's life. There is a middle ground between being a flitterer and being obsessive. I can only hope your daughter has the same inaccurate definition of obsession as you do.

 

[twocoach]

Fantastic reasoning skills. Your argument is akin to believing the ocean doesn't exist because you can't see it from your porch.There is nothing wrong with obsession.....you know, until your entire existence is wrapped up in that activity you ditched everything else in your life for and are left as hollow shell when that activity ends. One can engage in things with energy and passion without becoming obsessed. Obsession is when something has an unhealthy dominance in one's life. There is a middle ground between being a flitterer and being obsessive. I can only hope your daughter has the same inaccurate definition of obsession as you do.

Exactly my point. YOU add the word "unhealthy" to the definition, which in the dictionary is simply "the domination of one's thoughts or feelings by a persistent idea, image, desire, etc. ". That you for proving my point. The vast majority of athletes that were obsessed with their sport simply become obsessed with being good at the next goal in their life if they have parents and coaches who have taught them how. I was just as obsessed with good grades when I was in school and I am now obsessed with knowing all I can learn about my job and being good at it. There is no hollow shell. I find that the obsession with learning new skills and striving to set and reach new goals leads to a wonderfully fulfilling life. Moderate efforts gain only moderate results. I have no interest in leading a moderate life. It's the only one I get.

 

[heitclone]

Busier doesn't mean more active...

 

[carvers4math]

My kids were in a huge school district followed by a small one. In the huge one, high school kids were limited to two activities. In the small one, kids can be in as many things as they want. When the coaches can work it out, we have kids do cross country and football during the same season, and combinations of golf/tennis/track/soccer. At one football game, the girl next door to us started cheerleading and marched in the band pregame in the cheerleading outfit, put on a dance costume and performed with the drill team at half, put her band uniform over that for the halftime show, and then back to cheerleading.

I think in a small school with a no cut policy, kids can be much more active.

 

[twocoach]

My kids were in a huge school district followed by a small one. In the huge one, high school kids were limited to two activities. In the small one, kids can be in as many things as they want. When the coaches can work it out, we have kids do cross country and football during the same season, and combinations of golf/tennis/track/soccer. At one football game, the girl next door to us started cheerleading and marched in the band pregame in the cheerleading outfit, put on a dance costume and performed with the drill team at half, put her band uniform over that for the halftime show, and then back to cheerleading.

I think in a small school with a no cut policy, kids can be much more active.

There are tons of sporting activities that occur outside of school sports.