Life Choices at 8 years old?

This is a tough one to write but I am about to blow a gasket over youth sports.

I am must tell you where I sit before I take a stand. I am a sports junkie, that is right, I admit it. My favorite thing to read about is sports, watch on TV, well, sports. I would drive 100 miles in a driving snow storms to watch a Pop Warner football game. I HAVE driven more than a 100 miles for a eight year old son’s soccer game. But its time to put my foot down, youth sports has gone to far and it’s time to take my kids lives back.

I have five children who have all played or do play sports. You name the sport, we have probably played it. Soccer, T-ball, baseball, basketball, softball, football, etc, etc, etc.

Tonight I just got back from my eight year old son’s spring team meeting. My son was selected to play on a all star team and play up an age bracket to U9. At 8 years old, he was recruited to play on a team. On one hand, as a proud father, I should be proud, on the other hand, I realize my son and I are being sucked into the year round, 7 day a week, world of youth soccer.

At the team meeting the parents were given the expectations of for the team and the season. I could not believe my ears. Our coach went on to tell us that we need new uniforms because the ones the city gives us are not good enough. There goes another $50. The message got worse the more I listened.

Now that my 8 year old son has been identified as a good player, the soccer program wants him to make life choices. Alec is now expected to dedicate his whole life to soccer. He is expected to play the fall season, two indoor seasons during the winter, a spring season and tournaments during the summer. Are you kidding me, my son is 8, not 18! The soccer program goes on to pressure your son and tell him that if he takes a season off, he will fall behind and that he is not committed to the game.

“He has to make choices, pick a sport and dedicate to it” say the coach. Are you kidding me, my son is 8, he cant even pick what he really wants for lunch each day or what clothes he will wear, how on earth are we as parents to tell my son he has to pick one sport at the age of 8 and plan on playing it year round for the next decade?

Youth sports have also turned into a seven day a week venture. High School sports have no practices or events on Sundays, but youth and club sports cross that line. I know of some leagues where the only day of the week they have the games is on a Sunday. So much for balance in a youth of having a spiritual side and a day of worship and rest.

Youth sports has turned into a business and they suck you in for the money playing on your lost hopes and dreams that your son or daughter are going to go pro some day. I ask the coaches and league director as a game I play, “do you think he can play at high school or beyond” and I always get “he has potential if he dedicates himself to it. When I mentioned that I doubted my sons will play after high school, the coach fired back “ You never know, there is always that chance.” Give me a break. The odds are against it. My sons have a better chance of being hit by lightning than they have to play professional sports. But don’t tell that to the coaches and league directors. Their income is on the line.

We have decided since our children wont likely being playing pro sports, to let them try multiple sport and not dedicate themselves to any one of them until they get to high school. My thought is if my son or daughter plays soccer year round, they will be decent players, but they will only know one sport. How dull is that…

I love sports, but I refuse to make my 8 year old make a life choice… time to go jump on the tramp, play freeze tag and have a pillow fight.