Ohhhh FFS


bigorangebuck22 Senior Member
322 posts 6 reps Joined Nov 2009
Mon, Aug 12, 2019 1:08 AM

I don't want to know how much I spent over a 14 or 15 year period. A small fortune.... mostly in gasoline. 

kizer permanente Senior Member
1,309 posts 18 reps Joined Aug 2017
Mon, Aug 12, 2019 6:29 AM

It's not cost? You don't have kids that play travel ball I take it lol

Spock Senior Member
5,271 posts 9 reps Joined Jul 2013
Mon, Aug 12, 2019 7:44 AM

What is killing kids sports is the fact that parents are ramming one sport down a kids throat all year around and putting to much pressure on kids to compete at a young age.  Just let them have fun and play

gut Senior Member
18,369 posts 114 reps Joined Nov 2009
Mon, Aug 12, 2019 1:00 PM
posted by kizer permanente

It's not cost? You don't have kids that play travel ball I take it lol

LOL I take it you don't realize that travel ball isn't the only option?

kizer permanente Senior Member
1,309 posts 18 reps Joined Aug 2017
Mon, Aug 12, 2019 2:46 PM
posted by gut

LOL I take it you don't realize that travel ball isn't the only option?

You haven't seen a modern day little league or rec league in a long time I imagine?

Automatik Senior Member
15,737 posts 98 reps Joined Nov 2009
Mon, Aug 12, 2019 2:55 PM

Why is this in the politics forum?

And yes, playing sports costs money, especially non-school focused club teams.

I wanted to play club ice hockey when I was like 12-13. I went to a few open practices, discussed the cost and ice time schedules. My parents then told me to find something else I enjoyed. LOL

geeblock Member
1,123 posts 0 reps Joined May 2018
Mon, Aug 12, 2019 3:00 PM

I know people spending easily 4-5 k in a summer for their kids in travel baseball and travel soccer. I think their kids might get free college it looks like so for some people I can understand the sacrifices they make to pay that kind of money 

kizer permanente Senior Member
1,309 posts 18 reps Joined Aug 2017
Mon, Aug 12, 2019 3:10 PM

I used to think parents were crazy to spend the money they did on sports, but when you look at little league anymore, it's not what it used to be. The worst of the worst play it. So unless your kids is part of the worst, you're doing them a disservice, even if they only want to play in high school. There's no way they make a high school team playing modern day little league or local ymca league stuff. It used to be only elite kids played travel. now average kids do. So even if your kid is just good.. not great... they have to find some travel team to play on. 

jmog Senior Member
7,737 posts 50 reps Joined Nov 2009
Mon, Aug 12, 2019 3:32 PM
posted by kizer permanente

I used to think parents were crazy to spend the money they did on sports, but when you look at little league anymore, it's not what it used to be. The worst of the worst play it. So unless your kids is part of the worst, you're doing them a disservice, even if they only want to play in high school. There's no way they make a high school team playing modern day little league or local ymca league stuff. It used to be only elite kids played travel. now average kids do. So even if your kid is just good.. not great... they have to find some travel team to play on. 

This is so true.

 

When I was playing little league baseball, (80s to early 90s) the regular little league teams were good. Typically only the top player off each team got "picked" to play travel ball. I was playing travel ball most summers growing up, the only summers I didn't was when I chose to play pee wee football instead (my parents had a 1 sport at a time rule).

 

Back then the "travel ball" season didn't start until around early June after the regular little league season was over. The tryouts for the team was either by selection (like I said, they would grab the best kid or 2 from each team in the league) or by tryout. So even the "elite" kids played little league as well. 

Now, even the above average kids aren't playing little league at all, they are playing "travel ball" year round. Its ridiculous to be honest. I absolutely love baseball and was darn good at it (played in D1 college until I hurt my shoulder and couldn't throw anymore). But even I would have been burned out by this type of "year round travel ball" that parents put kids through now.

 

There is no reason for a kid to "specialize" in one sport anytime before high school.

geeblock Member
1,123 posts 0 reps Joined May 2018
Mon, Aug 12, 2019 3:35 PM

Kids that only play one sport often find themselves injured more. Playing more sports works side muscles and prevents overuse injuries. I know 2 kids who are only freshman and had elbow surgery already 

kizer permanente Senior Member
1,309 posts 18 reps Joined Aug 2017
Mon, Aug 12, 2019 4:53 PM
posted by jmog

This is so true.

 

When I was playing little league baseball, (80s to early 90s) the regular little league teams were good. Typically only the top player off each team got "picked" to play travel ball. I was playing travel ball most summers growing up, the only summers I didn't was when I chose to play pee wee football instead (my parents had a 1 sport at a time rule).

 

Back then the "travel ball" season didn't start until around early June after the regular little league season was over. The tryouts for the team was either by selection (like I said, they would grab the best kid or 2 from each team in the league) or by tryout. So even the "elite" kids played little league as well. 

Now, even the above average kids aren't playing little league at all, they are playing "travel ball" year round. Its ridiculous to be honest. I absolutely love baseball and was darn good at it (played in D1 college until I hurt my shoulder and couldn't throw anymore). But even I would have been burned out by this type of "year round travel ball" that parents put kids through now.

 

There is no reason for a kid to "specialize" in one sport anytime before high school.

Yeah when I was a kid you played a little league season and kids were selected for “Allstars” which was travel ball. Now kids try out for year round travel teams.  

Spock Senior Member
5,271 posts 9 reps Joined Jul 2013
Mon, Aug 12, 2019 5:15 PM

All year around single sport shit  is the worst

gut Senior Member
18,369 posts 114 reps Joined Nov 2009
Mon, Aug 12, 2019 5:36 PM
posted by kizer permanente

You haven't seen a modern day little league or rec league in a long time I imagine?

That's not the point of the article.  The article claims sports aren't accessible because of cost.  That's demonstrably false, and your points about the quality/competition of local little league are irrelevant. 

The goal of putting your kid in sports really isn't college scholarships.  So the idea that the only option is travel or not playing is ridiculous.

Automatik Senior Member
15,737 posts 98 reps Joined Nov 2009
Mon, Aug 12, 2019 7:27 PM

Go on then. Feel free to refute the article...

geeblock Member
1,123 posts 0 reps Joined May 2018
Mon, Aug 12, 2019 7:57 PM
posted by gut

That's not the point of the article.  The article claims sports aren't accessible because of cost.  That's demonstrably false, and your points about the quality/competition of local little league are irrelevant. 

The goal of putting your kid in sports really isn't college scholarships.  So the idea that the only option is travel or not playing is ridiculous.

The cost absolutely doesn’t allow inner city kids to play baseball. The cost to maintain the field and lack of fields is bad too. This is why most kids play basketball. Easily the cheapest sport. Lots of kids who are economically disadvantaged if they are really   Good and the team wants to win will often have a “sponsor” which is usually the team booster club or a rich parent of another player. I have seen this happen in football and baseball in my coaching days 

ernest_t_bass 12th Son of the Lama
26,698 posts 204 reps Joined Nov 2009
Tue, Aug 13, 2019 6:29 AM
posted by Spock

All year around single sport shit  is the worst

Do you encourage distance running all year round, and participating in 5Ks, etc?  Just playing devil's advocate.  I hate year round sports.

wkfan Senior Member
1,850 posts 13 reps Joined Nov 2009
Tue, Aug 13, 2019 9:01 AM

I don't think the time and money commitment to travel ball, be it soccer, baseball, basketball, etc is as much a reason as being made here.  Sure, it does take time and money, but it isn't a deal breaker in most cases.

IMO, the real culprit is that kids stay in the house more and don't congregate in the summer at the baseball fields, basketball courts and just play!  Be it due to kids being at a daycare as both parents (if there are 2 in the home) are working, not allowing the kids to run their neighborhood or just staying in the house playing video games.  I truly think this is why participation in sports is down.

Sports are accessible to play....all of the schools that I know of have baseball fields, basketball courts and greenspace that kids can congregate on.  No need to have sponsors, schedules or team booster clubs..just kids who want to play.

like_that 1st Team All-PWN
29,228 posts 321 reps Joined Apr 2010
Tue, Aug 13, 2019 9:45 AM

Why does it have to be one or the other?  I think it's a mixture of everything brought up in this thread. 

Dr Winston O'Boogie Senior Member
3,345 posts 35 reps Joined Oct 2010
Tue, Aug 13, 2019 10:15 AM

Last year was my daughter's first year of "rec / travel" league.  She's 12 and plays volleyball.  It has been very eye opening to me how the whole thing works.  Basically, you cannot take the attitude of "well I'll try different sports each season" or "maybe I'll try out for volleyball when I get to high school to supplement my other activities".  You have to specialize at least by middle school if you want any chance to play in high school.  Unless you are an unusually good athlete, a coach will not look closely at someone who hasn't shown the commitment to a sport by playing it year round long before high school. 


My daughter is not aiming for an athletic scholarship either.  Her goal is to just be on the team in high school.  And apparently this is what it takes.  It's unbelievable.  

geeblock Member
1,123 posts 0 reps Joined May 2018
Tue, Aug 13, 2019 11:34 AM
posted by Dr Winston O'Boogie

Last year was my daughter's first year of "rec / travel" league.  She's 12 and plays volleyball.  It has been very eye opening to me how the whole thing works.  Basically, you cannot take the attitude of "well I'll try different sports each season" or "maybe I'll try out for volleyball when I get to high school to supplement my other activities".  You have to specialize at least by middle school if you want any chance to play in high school.  Unless you are an unusually good athlete, a coach will not look closely at someone who hasn't shown the commitment to a sport by playing it year round long before high school. 


My daughter is not aiming for an athletic scholarship either.  Her goal is to just be on the team in high school.  And apparently this is what it takes.  It's unbelievable.  

Coaches are 100% the problem. They absolutely punish kids for playing other sports for their own self gain 

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