What do you think you are accomplishing before age 14 in sports?

[JNreturns]

National travel, ten Summer tournaments, practice all year around in one sport? How about an "8 year old" "competitive" regional (six state) tournament in baseball? Or basketball? Folks, there is some delusional crap going on out there.

It is good to build interest and certainly good to have kids doing healthy things, like sports. But this kind of stuff is absurd.

Here are some thoughts:

1) Travel sports can increase the closer you get to 15-16.
2) Before age 14, you are just trying to get kids experience and help build their interest for a sport.
3) Rates of puberty and development are random. Someone might be cut from a team in 8th grade, and be six-seven inches taller two years later. So did being on a "competitive" team at age 12 matter? Uh, no.

 

[Pancho and Lefty]

It is crazy what this has all turned into. A lot of people making big money off of all this. It is amazing to me how there are so many pro athletes speaking out against the year round ball, throwing to long and hard, etc but it has had no impact on curtailing any of it.

 

[bhunt95]

blame parents

 

[bullitpdq68]

Last night at youth practice we had a few kids have to leave early so they could go to fall baseball tryouts. While this is upsetting at least they are playing football, so it is hard to tell the parents they need to decide between football or fall baseball.

I don't know what the answer is but fall baseball is getting bigger and bigger it seems, and even basketball and Wrestling is starting to become year round, we have a few youth kids not playing because they or their parents are concentrating on those sports.

 

[JNreturns]

Last night at youth practice we had a few kids have to leave early so they could go to fall baseball tryouts. While this is upsetting at least they are playing football, so it is hard to tell the parents they need to decide between football or fall baseball.

I don't know what the answer is but fall baseball is getting bigger and bigger it seems, and even basketball and Wrestling is starting to become year round, we have a few youth kids not playing because they or their parents are concentrating on those sports.

I can see that after age 13-14...before that age...LUDICROUS

 

[bullitpdq68]

I can see that after age 13-14...before that age...LUDICROUS

Like I said my oldest daughter loves softball, as a parent I felt it was my duty to make sure she was well rounded and I told her if you are going to play softball you are going to play other sports end of story if you want daddy to help pay. So she played basketball and ran track. Now we did allow her to take off season batting and fielding lessons as long as it did not interfere with her school or other sports.

 

[farmer_fran]

Parents are partially to blame. However, tournament organizers/officials and coaches enable these regional tournaments and year-long practices for kids aged 8 and up. There is money to be made and they are making it.

 

[bullitpdq68]

Parents are partially to blame. However, tournament organizers/officials and coaches enable these regional tournaments and year-long practices for kids aged 8 and up. There is money to be made and they are making it.

Yes I know our local youth league uses these tournaments year round to raise money for improvements to the fields.

I mean if there was no place for these kids to play then it might not be as bad as it is. But shoot I have a friend who can make over $300 a weekend just being an umpire for these tournaments. So much money is being made off these little kids.

 

[farmer_fran]

Yes I know our local youth league uses these tournaments year round to raise money for improvements to the fields.

I mean if there was no place for these kids to play then it might not be as bad as it is. But shoot I have a friend who can make over $300 a weekend just being an umpire for these tournaments. So much money is being made off these little kids.

There are some good things, no doubt, especially for improvements to the fields and side hustles such as umpiring. However some youth teams are pretty hard core organizations with outrageous fees to use their private indoor facilities, private training sessions, travel for numerous regional tournaments. We have friends who have to do fundraisers just to afford to have their kids pay the $2k annual fee. At ages 8, 9, 10, etc. this seems a little over the top.

 

[bullitpdq68]

There are some good things, no doubt, especially for improvements to the fields and side hustles such as umpiring. However some youth teams are pretty hard core organizations with outrageous fees to use their private indoor facilities, private training sessions, travel for numerous regional tournaments. We have friends who have to do fundraisers just to afford to have their kids pay the $2k annual fee. At ages 8, 9, 10, etc. this seems a little over the top.

Totally agree.

 

[orabidone]

National travel, ten Summer tournaments, practice all year around in one sport? How about an "8 year old" "competitive" regional (six state) tournament in baseball? Or basketball? Folks, there is some delusional crap going on out there.

It is good to build interest and certainly good to have kids doing healthy things, like sports. But this kind of stuff is absurd.

Here are some thoughts:

1) Travel sports can increase the closer you get to 15-16.
2) Before age 14, you are just trying to get kids experience and help build their interest for a sport.
3) Rates of puberty and development are random. Someone might be cut from a team in 8th grade, and be six-seven inches taller two years later. So did being on a "competitive" team at age 12 matter? Uh, no.

Lets see, we have a RB named Daijun Edwards who was offered a scholie by Kirby Smart, before his fourteenth birthday! He wasn't even able to play in the eighth grade, due to growth plate issues, where his muscles grew faster than his bones, requiring an operation to correct the problem! He is now a three year starter for the Colquitt Co. Packers, as a 6'1", 225lb. JUNIOR!

 

[JNreturns]

Lets see, we have a RB named Daijun Edwards who was offered a scholie by Kirby Smart, before his fourteenth birthday! He wasn't even able to play in the eighth grade, due to growth plate issues, where his muscles grew faster than his bones, requiring an operation to correct the problem! He is now a three year starter for the Colquitt Co. Packers, as a 6'1", 225lb. JUNIOR!

Not signed. Slight interest by 3 D1s in him. And all three of them have 5 -7 players in front of him at his position. Pullleease. 5'11" 185 lbs... I see no record of track and field for him.