We have really lovely springs in North Carolina, and I had a rough work day on Tuesday. My 9yo and I were on the way to his game, and I said "I know I have a bad attitude about baseball, but I want you to know that I like watching you play. I have met some nice people and I am happy to be away from my computer and sitting outside tonight. Also, I am proud of you." And I think we both felt less terrible about how much I am not a sports mom. Also, as I have firmly established myself as the baseball mom with the worst attitude, only the fun parents come to sit by me.
I am really fun! "What just happened? Did I just miss my kid bat? Why is that kid out? Let's move further away from the people with the SERIOUS baseball chairs."
Thanks - it sucks to feel guilty for hoping they are just pretty good at sports so I don't ever have to contemplate travel teams. ;) Also, my younger sister was totally the jock in high school and I was the nerd! I was always glad we had separate things to focus on. The school play sounds much more fun!
So this same sister (an award winning high school track coach who no longer coaches anything) is actually very very anti traveling sports teams. Unless thats what you want to spend your money and family time on. It doesn’t give your kid a better chance at scholarships (mostly because they are all in the sports where the shots at scholarships are low anyway due to all the organized teams kids can play in). The odds your kids will make a scholarship are make the majors are very very low (unless you or your spouse made that level and then they are a little higher) especially in the sports with the travelling teams. And the wear and tear on the bodies of kids who play the same sport and the same position for most of their little growing lives is extreme. She believes your kid is better served playing lots of different sports or taking a dance class or being in a play once in a while. Plus this also makes your good at sports kids more appealing to things that aren’t widely played until college (she was recruited for a full tuition scholarship in crew at a college where she was offered almost nothing to throw shot/jav/disc which is what she got her actual full ride and recruitment visits for). Playing multiple sports makes your kid a better rounded athlete, exposes them to more teammates and more coaching styles, also exposes them to not always being the very best at something which is important if they go on to do sports in college or beyond. It also gives them time and space to develop who they might be if they don’t have competitive sports participation to define them which will almost certainly be the bulk of their lives! So for parents who want an out from travel teams, there you go!!
As an older sister who is not very athletic but very competitive (so fun in sports growing up) but with a younger sister who was both outstanding at sports and very tall, I send my deepest sympathies to your oldest son. For a note on how good my sister was at sports, at the end of her senior year she and another local girl who were both 3 sport varsity athletes were tied for best local female athlete and that other girl was Hope Solo (yes that Hope Solo and my sister was good enough they couldn’t give future however many time olympian the best female high school athlete over her and no you have never heard of my sister).
It is so weird to hold in my adult brain the fact that none of this will ever matter, and yet I have spent so much time worrying about it too. Also, I am right handed, but my dad taught me to bat lefty to give me an advantage in baseball. I never played beyond middle school.
I was cut from the no cut freshman softball team which was a feat!!! (But it worked out because I got cast as a lead in the spring play and everyone was happier with me quitting sports). Although my parents were happy to have my sister get a full ride to college for track and field. But kids sports don’t matter at all and yet I practiced free throws outside in winter in middle school!!
I loved this whole piece! And, my, your kiddo has nice penmanship.
We have really lovely springs in North Carolina, and I had a rough work day on Tuesday. My 9yo and I were on the way to his game, and I said "I know I have a bad attitude about baseball, but I want you to know that I like watching you play. I have met some nice people and I am happy to be away from my computer and sitting outside tonight. Also, I am proud of you." And I think we both felt less terrible about how much I am not a sports mom. Also, as I have firmly established myself as the baseball mom with the worst attitude, only the fun parents come to sit by me.
I wish I could sit by you! And you said exactly the right thing. A+
I am really fun! "What just happened? Did I just miss my kid bat? Why is that kid out? Let's move further away from the people with the SERIOUS baseball chairs."
That sounds like great sports mom’ing to me!!!
Thanks - it sucks to feel guilty for hoping they are just pretty good at sports so I don't ever have to contemplate travel teams. ;) Also, my younger sister was totally the jock in high school and I was the nerd! I was always glad we had separate things to focus on. The school play sounds much more fun!
So this same sister (an award winning high school track coach who no longer coaches anything) is actually very very anti traveling sports teams. Unless thats what you want to spend your money and family time on. It doesn’t give your kid a better chance at scholarships (mostly because they are all in the sports where the shots at scholarships are low anyway due to all the organized teams kids can play in). The odds your kids will make a scholarship are make the majors are very very low (unless you or your spouse made that level and then they are a little higher) especially in the sports with the travelling teams. And the wear and tear on the bodies of kids who play the same sport and the same position for most of their little growing lives is extreme. She believes your kid is better served playing lots of different sports or taking a dance class or being in a play once in a while. Plus this also makes your good at sports kids more appealing to things that aren’t widely played until college (she was recruited for a full tuition scholarship in crew at a college where she was offered almost nothing to throw shot/jav/disc which is what she got her actual full ride and recruitment visits for). Playing multiple sports makes your kid a better rounded athlete, exposes them to more teammates and more coaching styles, also exposes them to not always being the very best at something which is important if they go on to do sports in college or beyond. It also gives them time and space to develop who they might be if they don’t have competitive sports participation to define them which will almost certainly be the bulk of their lives! So for parents who want an out from travel teams, there you go!!
I agree with all of this and said as much to my son. This does help!
As an older sister who is not very athletic but very competitive (so fun in sports growing up) but with a younger sister who was both outstanding at sports and very tall, I send my deepest sympathies to your oldest son. For a note on how good my sister was at sports, at the end of her senior year she and another local girl who were both 3 sport varsity athletes were tied for best local female athlete and that other girl was Hope Solo (yes that Hope Solo and my sister was good enough they couldn’t give future however many time olympian the best female high school athlete over her and no you have never heard of my sister).
It is so weird to hold in my adult brain the fact that none of this will ever matter, and yet I have spent so much time worrying about it too. Also, I am right handed, but my dad taught me to bat lefty to give me an advantage in baseball. I never played beyond middle school.
I was cut from the no cut freshman softball team which was a feat!!! (But it worked out because I got cast as a lead in the spring play and everyone was happier with me quitting sports). Although my parents were happy to have my sister get a full ride to college for track and field. But kids sports don’t matter at all and yet I practiced free throws outside in winter in middle school!!
You hit this one out of the park, Claire!!