Do Your Kids Play Sports?

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ditzyscrap

New member
Another random thread of the day, lol...

We just enrolled Mason in a free t-ball thing at his school...it's only on Mondays after school, we just have to be there to pick him up at 4:30. They don't play against any other schools or anything, it's just for fun.

Neither DH or I was allowed to play extracurricular sports (though we did intramurals in school, which was during the lunch hour). We haven't really decided if we'll allow our kids to do it...I actually believe (for the most part) that kids should just be allowed to be kids and not in like 7529523 different activities when they're not at school.

But anyway, I enrolled him in this t-ball thing, and I have been considering putting Natalie in dance class. We will do swimming lessons too in the summer - I just need to get my license first so I can drive them to and from lessons!

Anyhow...what sports do your kids play (or would you like them to do)? Do you limit how many they are allowed to do at one time?
 
well nothing now.. but come fall/winter, as long as all goes as planned ce will start instructional hockey. I'm thinking.. for a kid like ce.. one at a time is best ^_^ we'll see how he does when he gets older. He did dance for a while, when he was 3, and just that was too much for him :p
 
My daughter was in track in middle school. She did girls football last year(not last school year but last year meaning this school year) which was actually just a bunch of practices all leading up to one big game the night of homecoming where the ninth and eleventh grade girls played the tenth grade and twelth grade girls and that was just flag football. The twelth graders cheated though and tied their "flags" around their waist instead of just clipping them and tackled my daughter when she tried to pull the flag off one of the girls. She has a few other extracurriculars like young republicans club, national honors society, chorus and student government. My sons dont really do sports. The youngest one wants to play football but we dont really have the money right now and the older one is just really shy and doesnt really like sports yet. He is a very tall/big kid so I figure he might get pushed to try out for football or basketball.
 
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My kids are too little yet but Emma REALLY wants to play soccer this summer. The starting age is 4 here and she won't be 4 till July. I'm going to try to limit it to one or two "things" per season.
 
Cameron (7) did soccer once a year from age four to six. He did and does swim lessons during the summers. Last summer he did baseball (non-competitive) and he wants to do that again this summer.

He did chess club this year at the school I work at and last year he did a model car club at his school. We limit extra-curricular acitivies during the school year. Its just too hard to run all over the place after school, do dinner, see their dad before he goes to work, and do homework.

A couple years ago Cameron did Karate, but it was too much of committment. Three times a week was just too much for us, plus it was expensive.
 
All three of mine were taking Ice Skating Lessons but the little ones dropped out about 3 weeks into their 3rd session saying it wasnt fun anymore. Katie still loves it and goes twice a week. We're really low pressure about sports but want to support them in whatever THEY are interested in. So far the little ones are content to just go along for the ride to Katie's lessons and havent asked about doing other activities. Katie wants to be a famous ice skater when she grows up LOL :)
 
We are completing our first year in competitive sports. My oldest Geary (he'll be 10 in a couple weeks) is on a competitive swim team. He swims 4 nights a week yearound. In the fall he'll move up a level and will swim 5 nights a week. My youngest Adam (8) is on a competitive boys gymnastics team. He practices twice a week for 2 hours each time. One is on a school night, the other is Saturday morning. Once school gets out, he'll go to practicing 3 days a week. They will both be competitng in our neighborhood summer swim league which runs from the end of April to the end of June (don't ask! It's Texas!). That is it. No, multiple activites. Each boy gets one (and only one) after school activity.

Both boys were in Cub Scouts, but when they wanted to do sports, we told them they had to make a choice: Scouts or Sports. Both chose sports. I work full-time and my husband is a full-time Graduate Student. We knew that we could only let the boys do one thing and still have time for homework. We also have a rule with our boys: Bring home anything below a B and he is suspended from his sport for the next 6 week period. Bring it home like that a second straight time and it's permanently out of sports. Grades are THE most important thing in our house.
 
My 5yo does competitive gymnastics. Right now she's on a developmental team (level 2). When she reaches level 4 in a few years, she'll compete at meets.

Since gymnastics is yearound with practices twice a week, we do limit other things she does. She'll do swimming lessons this summer, but that's all. Right now it's working for her since she loves gymnastics, but if it ever gets to the point where she wants to do something else, we'll re-evaluate the gymnastics situation then.
 
my kids are in sports because they want to be. Abby takes dance during the "school" year on Saturday mornings. Dance classes run from August until May. She takes the summer off from dance. This year, she starts tball June 1st. She's very excited about tball, and she also wants to play soccer but I told her she needed to choose either tball or soccer, and Jeff plays softball so she went with tball to be like daddy. :D

JJ took a gymnastics class last year and he BADLY wants to do something again now. I'm trying to find something to put him in in August when Abby starts dance again.
 
Wes (5 yrs) is in T-ball and only has a couple more weeks of practices and games. We'll probably also try to do soccer at some point. Claire (4 yrs) is in ballet and will have her Spring recital next month. I'd like Claire to try soccer at some point as well, as she seems to be pretty athletic (moreso at this point then Wes is).

We have agreed to have the kids in just one thing at a time. It can get to be too much even with just each of them only going to one thing. But it's been fun!

I'll probably also start teaching them to play piano (my degree in is music w/ piano as primary instrument) this summer. So that will be something for them to learn, but nowhere to go to do it. And I definitely want them in swimming lessons, but am hoping that will be soon -- as in during Spring before Summer 'cause we already boating and swimming at the Yacht Club pool a lot at the beginning of the Summer.

As kids, hubby played baseball and soccer and I took dance for a very short time and then took piano for the rest of my childhood. I think you just have to find the one thing (or maybe a couple) that they're really into and do that. Just don't overdo it.
 
I played softball for one summer...decided I didn't like it...but parents were fine with that as long as I finished that season. I have been the same way with my kids...I don't DECIDE they will play...they have to come ask me...and in return they are committing to the team for a season.

Although this may come as a surprise to some...but I didn't start out to be a sports mom!

My oldest enrolled in 1st grade and 2nd grade learning softball...it was 9-11am and I think it was 4 times a week. Just fun and learning the game. They played ONE real game. After that second season, he decided he didn't want to play.

In middle school I think it was...he decided he would like to try basketball camp with our church...one week...played 2-3 hours a day. When that ended he didn't want to play. That was fine. Then nothing for several years...

My middle one decided he wanted to try Hapkido (korean form of karate). He stuck to that for several years.

My youngest was the surprising one. As a toddler he couldn't walk across the living room floor without falling. He'd play outside on the driveway and we'd put knee pads on him, elbow pads (or a thick coat), helmet...the works...we called them his "bumpers". lol

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One year he decided he wanted to try basketball. I thought ok...let's see how MUCH he wants to play...I enrolled him at the community college with other kids his age...it was for one week 8:30 to 4:30 every day! He came home dog tired...but up raring to go the next morning. After the week was over I fully expected him to say "I've had enough"...but he said "so when can I join a team?". So 5 years later...he is still playing...although I think we have hit the end with this team because YMCA does not do full school year basketball when they get into their teens because the schools start having teams. His teammates were all from different schools. Since he is home schooled he cannot play on a public school team.

....last year he decided to TRY baseball and seemed to be a natural at it...although he hasn't asked to play this year (he seems to only want to play on a team where he knows at least a few players)...and he started bowling last summer...and actually got the high handicap in the homeschool bowling league and went to the Pepsi Challenge in Topeka last weekend!

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...no I never thought I would be a sports mom...but now...this is our new sport and everyone in the family can play...
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From one non-sports mom (insert laugh here) to another...give it a try...but let the child decide what they want to play...in return ask for a commitment to the team for a season... and be supportive! You might find out you have a great time...plus you end up with more things to scrap! lol

P.S. Junior LEGO League starts at age 5 I believe! (LEGO Mindstorms Robots!)
 
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Tyler played 3 six week sessions of basketball at the YMCA (2 consecutively) last year when he was 5. He did 2 non-consecutive sessions this year. He thinks it's fun to go someplace and hang out with other kids his age, but he doesn't have the drive or attention span to focus on really becoming better or any interest in playing/practicing outside of those games. He usually avoids trying to get the rebound and runs from one end to the other until he gets bored. We have a hard time keeping him focused for an hour and 15 minute session especially when it is around lunchtime and he has not eaten enough and/or properly.

He also played a six week session of tball last summer. Jeff was roped into being head coach which was bad on multiple levels: Jeff not really having time to commit to head coaching when he had class two nights a week at that time of year, Tyler not listening to the coaching because it's 'just Dad,' and the 'practice field' (church lawn) was 30+ minutes from the house.

Jeff played a lot of sports growing up and will encourage Tyler to participate in anything he chooses... except football. To make a long story short, Jeff's brother became a quadriplegic at age 14 from an injury he sustained during a high school football game (and has since passed). Jeff's ex doesn't see what the big deal is, arguing that the odds of Tyler being hurt like or in the same way as his uncle are nil, and has talked off and on with Tyler in the last year abt playing flag football. I'm sure there will be a court battle when Tyler hits middle school re: football. Jeff has not explained the details, but has told Tyler that Uncle Bill had to be in a wheelchair because he played football and has said he and his parents will not come to any of Tyler's games if he plays.

Tyler's mom and stepdad are watching TV and playing video games kind of people, so they don't care whether he is in sports or not.
 
Both my girls are in soccer and have both tried other sports. Regan wants to start riding lessons... yikes, pricey. And Riley wants to take Tae Kwan Do. I'm not sure I'm ready to be Mom's Taxi Service though so we'll see. lol
 
I have 4 sons, so I'm a huge sports mom! Over the years my boys have played soccer (a great first sport), t-ball/baseball, flag football, tackle football, track, cross country, and basketball.

We didn't really make them, but suggested soccer at about Kindergarten age and it just took off from there.

Sports is a GREAT way to learn many life lessons. It builds character, teaches them to get along with all kinds of people and that life is not always fair, teaches them commitment, sportsmanship, and about not giving up/quitting (I'm about ready to do a layout about that) and many more things. It also gives them goals to work towards.

We've done more than one sport at a time for one of the boys, but the other 3 were also in sports and it just about killed us. My husband and I were not able to, just the 2 of us, get the boys to all the games/practices, and had to enlist the help of friends. So I said never again, just one sport at a time for each boy.

Over the years, the boys have gravitated to their favorite sports and stuck with those. It helps when they get old enough to do school sports because practice is right after or before school.

Not every kid is cut out for sports, but it's not a bad idea to give them a chance to find that out for themselves. Just don't let them quit!

LeeAndra - OMGosh, that is so sad!! My older 2 play tackle, but it's so scary. I'm actually thankful when the older one doesn't get to play much in a game - no play, no injury. I don't blame you for one minute for not wanting Tyler to play.
 
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Benjamin isn't particularly sports oriented. He played soccer for two years, and he has been in figure skating for four years. but he's very uncoordinated, and isn't really into it much. He'd rather go outside and jump on the trampoline. He won't be going back to skating, even though he says he wants to, because he wastes too much time on the ice, wasting my money. If he put his heart into it, that's different, but he doesn't.

Amelia is in ballet and figure skating, which are great companions for each other. She dearly loves them both, that takes up 3 days a week total. I'm planning to put her in soccer, because I know she'll love it. She will be skating somewhat during the summer, she'll skate 3 days a week for 4 weeks.

Rae is in figure skating and that's it. There was nothing else available for kids her age in town, she may be eligible to play soccer this summer, and I'll probably put her in to see how she likes it.

I won't limit them, everything is on a case by case basis. Just because one kid can handle and WANT to do a ton of things, doesn't mean the other will. Rae would LOVE gymnastics, but they don't have it here. She's almost 5, and only 33 pounds, so very tiny, and I think with her lack of fear, she'd be really good at it. When we move closer to the city this summer, I'll try her in that in the Fall. Benjamin wants to play baseball, again, same problem, there is none here. I want them to be in something that encourages exercise, particularly in the winters, because it is SO cold here, they get stuck inside, with nowhere to burn off energy, for days! Arg! LOL
 
Lily has been in sports - just whenever she wants to try something. She was in soccer for 2 years but this year we didn't put her in - she'll do swimming in the summer i'm sure. Was in skating and we are currently unsure if she'll be going back in. She enjoys skating and loves doing the ice show but not really the lessons. With her in 1st grade next year I think it will be an adjustment going to school for the full day and not sure she'd do well with having 2 practices a week. She'll be in sparks though still which is one night a week. She has talked about tae-kwan-do so we'll see.

I just believe in letting them try new things - gets them used to playing with other people and sportsmanship.

I'm praying lucas doesn't ever want to play hockey cause I can't see myself as a hockey mom.. I hate seeing kids sports getting soo competitive so early - I saw it with some of the little girls in figure skating this year and it makes me so sad :( I just believe in them playing to have fun, nothing more than that :)
 
My oldest is in football, and his school is a top school in the state for football, so it is an all-year sport basically. They only play games Sept-Nov, but they do weightlifting all year before school, and they have practices starting soon actually. He will also go to a football camp in June for a week. This will be his last year though :( He'll be a senior and on varsity this next season, but won't be playing in college. We all LOVE football around our house, so it's gonna be an exciting time this fall for us!

Logan, my kindergartener, use to take swimming lessons but we had an 'incident' where the teacher was being really neglient. I took him out of lessons so I'm not sure if he'll go back. I want to have him in soccer this fall, but with Jacob's football sucking up SO much time, I don't think we'll be able to do it. :(

edited to add-- here is a pic of Jacob in football last season
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just wanted to add the most demanding "sport" at my son and daughters school is band. Seriously those kids are there every night after school and during weekends most weekends, have band camp over the summer and start practicing several weeks before school starts. I call this a sport because they march and carry heavy instruments so it is almost if not more demanding then some sports are. My daughter said they practice every single morning before school and every evening after school.
 
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Julie - I could have written your first paragraph, word for word, except our school didn't win state this past year. :)

Football is SUCH a huge commitment!! Next year I will also have a Freshman playing. My oldest is also very academic and is taking very difficult courses - fitting that in with football is always a big challenge. Spring football starts in a couple of weeks and he has 4 AP tests plus the SAT test all during it. Ugh. Poor guy actually handed over his Internet connection for the Xbox 360 and uninstalled his favorite computer game - all on his own accord - so he could spend the next few weeks studying.
 
those AP tests are really brutal from my understanding. My daughter takes AP classes too and took two tests last year and she said they were probably the hardest tests shes ever taken. She scored I think a 3 on both with 5 being the highest.

maryinaz said:
Julie - I could have written your first paragraph, word for word, except our school didn't win state this past year. :)

Football is SUCH a huge commitment!! Next year I will also have a Freshman playing. My oldest is also very academic and is taking very difficult courses - fitting that in with football is always a big challenge. Spring football starts in a couple of weeks and he has 4 AP tests plus the SAT test all during it. Ugh. Poor guy actually handed over his Internet connection for the Xbox 360 and uninstalled his favorite computer game - all on his own accord - so he could spend the next few weeks studying.
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We aren't doing anything outside of school this year, due to finances. In the past, Cody has done baseball (6 years ago) and Cody, Jenna and Xander all did soccer (2 years ago). It is just too hard to be in too many places at one time for me, and having to drag the little one around to everything got to be too much. On top of that, Jenna did Brownies for two years (and Sparks for a year before that) - and I was the leader for her Brownies.
During soccer season, all three at practices at the same time, on the same days. I lucked out for Jenna and Xander, they each worked on half the school field, so I could be there with both (you are not allowed to drop them off and leave). Cody practiced at another field, although thankfully he was old enough that we didn't have to stay with him. But trying to watch all the games ... it was tough! I had to chose which ones to watch, and who would miss their own. And on top of that, Mondays Jenna and I also had Brownies right after soccer, at the school they practiced at.
Next year, we will see. They will all be old enough to do either soccer or baseball ... and there is financial assistance available should we need it (activities for four kids gets costly - registration fees and gear and travelling).
 
maryinaz said:
Julie - I could have written your first paragraph, word for word, except our school didn't win state this past year. :)

Football is SUCH a huge commitment!! Next year I will also have a Freshman playing. My oldest is also very academic and is taking very difficult courses - fitting that in with football is always a big challenge. Spring football starts in a couple of weeks and he has 4 AP tests plus the SAT test all during it. Ugh. Poor guy actually handed over his Internet connection for the Xbox 360 and uninstalled his favorite computer game - all on his own accord - so he could spend the next few weeks studying.
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LOL... my son has his AP exams and 2 SATs upcoming too! He already took the SAT and did great, but we want him to up his score to qualify for some scholarships. So he will be taking it again in May and June... all while juggling spring ball. The hardest thing will be fall when he is in practice for hours and also studying like crazy.

Oh, and Jacob's school didn't win state either, but they are ALWAYS in the playoffs so November will be exciting and lots of travel all around the state. We have never missed a game!
 
Yes, he is pretty worried about them. I'm hoping he can get at least a 3 on a couple of them since that will ensure college credit. My son was telling me they grade on a curve and usually 50% brings in a top score of 5 - that's how hard they are!

To get back on topic...here's a couple of football layouts with Julie's kit! ;)

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OK Julie - our boys have lots in common!! :) Our school does really well in playoffs, but there is one amazing school that always wins state. Grant is taking the SAT for the 2nd time also and will take it again in June - all for those scholarships! LOL And yes, next year will be difficult because he has a heavy schedule and football too.
 
DS is a huge sports freak. He loves anything and everything sports related and has played everything available for his age here--soccer in fall and spring, tball in spring, and basketball in winter. He loves it, DH loves it and coaches, and it's a fun time for them.

DD will start dance/gymnastics in the fall (it's a combo class) and is begging for soccer, but we'll see.

:)
 
Great layouts!! :)

What position does he play? I'm seeing he is a low number, so I was guessing quarterback or kicker.... but then I noticed he tackled someone.

My son is a defensive end... and he loves to be the guy sacking the quarterback. LOL
 
He plays strong safety or cornerback - LOVES defense and tackling. He did play running back a couple of games last year and made a touchdown, so that was very fun for him AND for us! Something that he doesn't usually get to do.

He was only Varsity for playoffs this past year, so I don't know what will happen this next year - it's a very talented team so he will have lots of competition for his spots.

I'm going to have LOTS of football pics next year with 2 in tackle and 2 in flag! ;)
 
I have a question for those who have kids in high school football do you have to pay to go see the kids play and if so how much per game?
 
jessica31876 said:
I have a question for those who have kids in high school football do you have to pay to go see the kids play and if so how much per game?
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For varsity games, yes, you have to pay. I think it's $5 a person?? Can't remember. However, my son has only been junior varsity until now, so his games were always free. In my area, junior varsity games are on Thursdays around 5pm and just played on the high school's field. Varsity games are held at local community colleges (where they have super nice fields) on Fridays at 7pm... I think the money just goes to pay the college for the field use.
 
yea I think they charge for all the games here. Ive never went but I was going to go to some of my nephews games until I found out you had to pay to go and I think since they are playing at the high school it should not really be that way. They only really charge for the football games none of the other sports as far as I know
juliebee70 said:
For varsity games, yes, you have to pay. I think it's $5 a person?? Can't remember. However, my son has only been junior varsity until now, so his games were always free. In my area, junior varsity games are on Thursdays around 5pm and just played on the high school's field. Varsity games are held at local community colleges (where they have super nice fields) on Fridays at 7pm... I think the money just goes to pay the college for the field use.
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Our school charges for all games - freshman, JV, and Varsity - like $3. When we play away games, all the other schools charge too. We can buy a pass at school for all sports and all home games, but we don't go to sports our kids don't pay, so it's not worth it.

We play all our games on our own field and the away fields are always on the school fields too.

Julie JV is on Thursday and Varsity on Friday here too. :) Freshman play on Wed.
 
My kids don't do organized sports. I don't like the emphasis on winning when they are little.
But they do take "sports" and other activities through our park district.
In the fall and winter my son did floor hockey and basketball (for a few months). My 6yo daughter did gymnastics and soccer (only for a few months). And then in the winter my 6yo and 8yo daughters did a girls sports club where they played a different sport each week. The girls had a blast. The last day they played dodgeball and my son's hockey class was right after and the kids begged the coach to play dodgeball, too. It was probably the most fun the kids had all year. The coach even let all the kids not in the class (waiting for siblings) to play which included my girls and the little brothers of one of the other kids. It was hilarious.
I like the classes because they are all about learning the fundementals of the game and having fun. They keep score but it doesn't really matter and no one takes it super seriously...they're just there to have fun and keep out of trouble.
 
My boys have never been on a team when they were little where they even kept score - there was no emphasis on winning by the organization or the coach. In fact, my youngest have been playing t-ball/baseball for 4 years and this year, their 5th year, is the first year they have kept score because they will go into a tournament at the end of the season.

However, as much as the adults keep the emphasis off of keeping score, the kids DO keep score...and they always think they win. :)
 
DS will be 6 in a few weeks, last winter we did skating lessons (he did not enjoy them much, so we did not do them this past winter) soccer last spring (he LOVED it), this spring we will be trying baseball to see how he likes it. I think I will put him into indoor soccer next winter and see if he likes it better than skating.
 
both my girls play soccer. That's about all I can handle that is offered in their age range (no way I could do an "indoor" sport...dance/gymnastics...with my brood). My oldest did mention something about softball and I might consider that...but really she is very very uncoordinated...she's much more suited to brains then brawn!!

When my boys are a bit bigger they will play baseball....DH insist...so it's a given.

But no matter what my kids decide they'd like to play they will always be limited to one sport each....I mean one day that will be 5 sports......I couldn't handle it if they wanted to play more!!! :blink:

:D :D
 
One of mine plays soccer and the other plays baseball. They have both played both at once too and I said never again! They have also tried basketball and the oldest took guitar lessons. I always require them to do one activity but they pick it, not me. If they like it they continue, if not they pick something else. I just don't want them sitting around the house and I love to watch them play too!
 
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