Let me start off by saying that I played sports all through school and I coached for many years. When I was growing up we played the sport for school only during that season. What I mean by that is that there were no team camps and no summer workouts. We had time to be "kids". We started playing for our school districts when we were in 5th grade. When we had free time, from the time we could walk, we did not play video games (probably mainly because they were extremely cheesy and most parents despised them) but instead we played ball. We played baseball, basketball, and football. My school didn't even have football. I can't even begin to tell you how many hours I spent down at the local basketball court! Do we have to start kids so early in sports because they spend less time playing the sport on their own? Do they have too many things going on in their lives to get the needed experience on the playground? Or do coaches and parents seem to think that starting them this early actually gives the players that much of an advantage? My personal opinion is that starting kids this early could allow the kids to develop bad habits. An example would be shooting a basketball. If a kid in second grade is trying to shoot a basketball, even a women's size and at a shorter hoop, he/she will probably develop poor shooting skills because he/she has to heave the ball to get the ball up to the basket. I also believe if parents push a kid to be a star that this sometimes burns the kid out. I mean, if a kid in seventh grade goes to every summer camp with his team, maybe goes to an individual camp, and goes to all the off season workouts, wouldn't all the joy of playing the sport be eliminated? Maybe they wouldn't be burnt out at that instance but I think that somewhere, in season, it will show that instead of having fun and playing the game, it is a job. I think many parents and coaches forget what sports is about. Sports were developed as an extracurricular activity, something to do in your free time and have fun doing. They were also developed to promote teamwork. I have seen my son, and many of his friends, struggle with grasping a sports concept and being able to "instruction" into action on the court or field. I just don't think kids are ready for competition at some of the young ages they are started at. I think it is perfectly fine to send them to a small "learning" camp that keeps it fun and "wanting to play" alive. If the child stays interested in the sport he/she will have plenty of time to master that particular sport.
All that being said, I think as parents and coaches we are in a catch 22. If you don't push the kids and go to everything that is offered then you will always wonder if that is why the child was not successful. This is a bad situation and I am not sure if I have a solution. We have put ourselves in this quandary.
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8 comments:
I think sports should be played in different times so that you can have time off. Breanna myers
I think it is the kids choice wether they want to play sports or not. If they say yes the kid should be commited.
Jake Voss
Mr Carey, I have played volleyball for two years now and expect to keep playing. But, when I play I try to have fun but also be able to serve the balls good and try to hit every one I can. But, I started volleyball in 5th grade and when I first started I was horrible! But, after practice and a couple camps, I think I am really good now and have really improved. But I want to be on both sides of the story you said because it probably is a good think if parents start early in life with a sport, but not to young of age. Probably about 7,8,or9 would be a good time to start practicing for a sport. But, also I want to say I think it's good for kids to have some fun, once in a while and not focus on being perfect at a sport. Or have their parents or coach push them too hard into a sport. Because then the sport will get boring. I started to get like that in volleyball because I wasn't improving much so my coach was pushing me to do better. But when I didn't improve I think she got annoyed by me because she wouldn't let me serve alot and would make me sit on the bench at games. But, then after pushing myself I got better, and improved. My coach then was happy for me and did let me participate more which made me happy. Now I am an excellent volleyball player and I hope to stay that way.
Kaytlynn Shepard
I agree with you.Sometimes when I am pushed to hard at a sport I tend to not enjoy it as much. I started sports early too. For instance I started basketball early and I developed a bad shooting habbit. Thankfully I got out of it. Jacob Farr
I think that if they want to start them that early they can, but like you said it may develope bad habbits. They can grow out of them.
Most kids who are good are just born to be able to play baseball, basketball, or football. Others who don't grow out of or are not that good they just have to work hard at it and get good.
The last comment you got was from
Abram Wiseman.
Sorry.
I think that children chould be able to choose if they want to play sports or not.
It should not be the parents that get to choose.The child might want to play or not want to play.
Brandon Epley
As a parent, I'd like to comment because this is a very important topic. I COMPLETELY agree with your comments and feel this is not discussed enough. A 2nd or 3rd grader is not begging to play on an organized team, he/she just wants to play ball with his buddies. Adults with their need to win and competitiveness tend to ruin the sport for a child.
Parents and coaches think that starting kids earlier and earlier gives them an edge, but I think in reality it does the opposite.
1. It burns kids out. It's just not fun anymore because there's such pressure to perform at a young age.
2. It teaches bad habits, such as the shooting habit you mentioned. There are many skills that kids aren't physically ready to do. I compare it to trying to teach a 2 year old to tie his shoes. He's just not ready. But you keep pushing and eventually he'll get it -- at age 5/6, the same time he would have learned anyway. And then you have the coaches/parents taking credit for it because they started him early!
3. It changes kids -- from the pressure of trying to tie those shoes for all those years when they just couldn't do it. I've seen how it's affected kids when they're yelled at for not running a play correctly at age 6/7/8. Plus the cut-throat, competitive nature of the organized games changes kids. Like not being physically ready for tying shoes, kids aren't psychologically ready for the forced competitiveness. Coaches and parents can't keep themselves under control to let the kids have fun anymore. Kids are either going to quit or get hardened to deal with that pressure.
4. On another note, when kids used to play pickup games, they learned how to deal with problems on their own. With the refs/umps at these young ages (especially when things aren't called correctly), I think it affects kids learning how to negotiate differences and
work through problems while still walking away as buddies.
I have 10-year-old twin nephews who played on a baseball team for the first time this summer. You would think they'd be really behind the kids who'd played since age 5. But this wasn't the case. Sure, at first, there were a few things they'd hadn't picked up at home from playing catch, but they learned them quickly because they were physically and psychologically ready. Plus, they loved it -- they had the fire to play. The other kids looked stressed from the pressure to win and seemed competely burnt out.
Many times, during my son's games, the kids looked like the kids above. A lot of times they just wanted the game over because of the roughness and the pressure. Then, every time, when the game was over, the kids started playing a pickup game -- every time! They would be laughing, having fun and enjoying the game. Why can't it be like this all the time?!
Debbie Lentz (Chad's mom)
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