To
many Americans, baseball, even and perhaps especially youth baseball, is about
more than fun and games. It’s a sport that they take seriously and play to win.
Many parents are so into the game that they encourage their children to play on
highly competitive, serious-minded teams. These parents often believe that
playing on such a team will give their children a competitive edge and will be
good for them overall. There are a select few, though, who realize that
over-competitiveness at such a young age might not be such a good thing after
all.
First
of all, being a super competitive parent takes a major toll on the bank
account. Parents often invest in the basics, like uniforms and baseball
equipment, but there are other expenses to compound those for the serious.
Serious sports parents will often shell out the big bucks for private coaching
sessions, travel to and from games, hefty team fees, and more. Not only is a
empty wallet painful to the parent but it can also limit the child’s other
opportunities for success and growth. If all a parent’s money is being spent on
sports, there is no money left over for other enriching activities and
opportunities.
Having
a child on a highly competitive sports team isn’t just financially costly
either. No, all those games and practices can take a real toll on family life.
Children have less time to spend with parents and other siblings. They also
tend to have very little “down time” to just relax and be kids and can easily
become stressed and physically exhausted. Youth athletes who train excessively
also run a greater risk of injury than those just playing for fun.
With so many potential drawbacks to playing a sport
seriously, parents are encouraged to “step back” for a minute and to give some
real thought as to whether or not they should sign their child up for that
elite team. A lot of times, the answer is no.
Sometimes, the answer will be yes though. If the child
seriously wants the opportunity of being part of the team- and notice the
emphasis on “the child”- then he or she should be given that opportunity.
Parents should never force a non-committed or non-interested child into playing
super competitively. Not only is that morally wrong, but it also won’t work.
Kids who are being forced to play are not going to put in
the hours of serious dedication and practice it takes to be a success on such
teams. And, if they are forced to, they will hate every minute of it, possibly
causing them to tire of baseball altogether and to get “burnt out” at a young
age. These children are also not likely to become star players or to reach
great achievements on a competitive,
serious team, leading to wasted money and time for Mom and Dad. The bottom line
is that highly competitive teams aren’t for everyone. They should be reserved
for those gifted young athletes who are willing to put in a lot of extra work
and time of their own accord, not because they’re striving to please the
parents.
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