Ages for sports teams

Discussion in 'Other Conversation' started by becky, Jan 15, 2005.

  1. becky

    becky New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 24, 2004
    Messages:
    7,312
    Likes Received:
    0
    I nearly signed Jeannie up for softball today.
    It was for ages 4-14.
    I changed my mind after I thought about it, because I think four years old is too little for team sports.

    My other issue is some of these coaches and teachers.
    I had her in ballet last summer, and the teacher behaved like she was training professional ballerinas.
    I think some of them are reliving their youth through the kids they teach.

    Pity the coach that yells at my girl!
     
  2.  
  3. Brenda

    Brenda Active Member

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2004
    Messages:
    5,129
    Likes Received:
    0
    I have been reluctant to enroll the boys in sports again because when we had Christian in baseball a couple summers ago it was a total disaster - team parents YELLING at the kids on the team, lack of organization, etc. A joke and a waste of time.

    The other thing that I consider is that in many ways, it teachers values that oppose what I try to teach - I want my boys to play a game for the fun of it not because they're bent on winning all the time (which seems to be the focus of so many team sports). After all, it's not winning the game that counts, it's how you played the game (at least that's what I think).

    Guess maybe it's differet backgrounds that we come from. For some, yelling and making a scene is acceptable - not for me and don't dare to it to any of my boys - ya might see another (not so nice) side of me... :wink:

    Brenda
     
  4. becky

    becky New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 24, 2004
    Messages:
    7,312
    Likes Received:
    0
    Yeah, that's what I was referring to with the coaches.

    But age wise, isn't 4 still too young for a team?
    Aren't they still into individual things?
     
  5. Jackie

    Jackie Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 20, 2004
    Messages:
    24,128
    Likes Received:
    6
    No, I don't think it is IF the people running it are geared toward the younger kids. I signed Rachael up for soccer when she was four; at ten, she's still playing, and this past fall helped coach Phillip's 4YO team! Faythe also played when she was four, but it was apparent soccer wasn't for her, so she never played more than one season. We played through our local rec center. They were very particular about stressing with the coaches and parents that the primary reason for being there was for the kids to have fun and to teach them a little about working together. We would laugh about kids running toward the wrong goal; many teams for children that age won't even keep score because they don't want to stress the competition aspect that much. Our coaches have all been parents that just want the kids to have a good time. All the kids play equally as far as time goes, regardless of ability, so there won't be one or two kids that are constantly in, while others sit out the whole game.

    Of course, you wouldn't want her on a team that has too high expectations of young chldren., or belittled them when they didn't perform perfectly, or yelled at them when they "missed". But I would reccomend the program my chldren was in to anyone, and I would assume that the other sports through them would be similar.
     
  6. Brenda

    Brenda Active Member

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2004
    Messages:
    5,129
    Likes Received:
    0
    You know, as I think about it, if there was a team spport a child at the age of four could be in, AS LONG AS it was developmentally appropriate and age appropriate and taught skills that I would want my child to learn, I think I might actually go for it. (I can't judge other activities on one bad experience - if I did, I would live a very sheltered life...)

    Brenda
     

Share This Page

Members Online Now

Total: 63 (members: 0, guests: 63, robots: 0)