How much is too much?

[Old LB]

I have a daughter in 7th grade, one in 9th grade, and another who is 20. We have had all the kids in one sport or another for the last 15 or so years. I have noticed in the last couple of years that the younger two seem to be on the go constantly. Several days a week we rise at 5 AM and one kid or the other is coming in at 10 or 11 at night. Now I enjoy sports but expecting these kids to go 18 hours 2 days a week and be good students is crazy.

I have actually thought about pulling them out of athletics so they can focus more on academics and their futures but I haven't suggested that to my wife, her head would snap off. :) I played football, basketball, and ran track but our schedules were not like these kids have these days. They have before school practice and after school practice and 2 games a week. Now my wife tells me my daughter is going to Saturday school for help in math. She has an 80 in that class, hell my parents would of thrown a party if I would of had an 80 in math!

I don't know maybe I am getting old but it just seems we take the whole athletics thing too far these days, thoughts?

[Trashman]

I agree completely, It is getting way out of hand.

[bigwood33]

Gym time is usually the issue. Volleyball and basketball both can really stretch girls because of how many teams schools field and how few gyms there are. I had 1 daughter who played both and boys who play(ed) everything. It sure seemed to me that my daughter had the tougher schedule.

Put them in softball and have them run track...they will have a lot more time.

[GrTigers6]

I know what you mean, I thought when we got down to just one senior things would slow down but it didnt much, of course it didnt help that I started officiating 3-4 days a week but still we have very little spare time.

[regaleagle]

The entire world is a busier place to live in today. The demands are greater do perform the smallest of tasks. Too much litigious "protections" getting in the way. Same with school. The demands to participate, the time allocated for those acitivities is overbearing, and the resulting benefits derived can be questionable, at best. Weighing time invested vs. benefits derived is the equation. Can you solve the equation for you personally?

[BwdLion73]

Nope.....I think your getting old. :cheerl:

[Old LB]

The entire world is a busier place to live in today. The demands are greater do perform the smallest of tasks. Too much litigious "protections" getting in the way. Same with school. The demands to participate, the time allocated for those acitivities is overbearing, and the resulting benefits derived can be questionable, at best. Weighing time invested vs. benefits derived is the equation. Can you solve the equation for you personally?

I tend to take a little slower pace than most but I agree with what you are saying. Personally I think we should push harder in education or at least as hard as we do athletically. I am not complaining about the kide being involved, there are a lot worse things. Just think it is a little excessive for kids to maintain the schedule of an adult. Plenty of time for 18 hour days when you have no other choice.

I work for the railroad and I have worked derailments for up to 36 hours straight with no rest but I am supporting a family. When I have the chance it is hard to get me off the porch anymore. :)

[Phil C]

As long as their grades are good and their health is good it is good.

[JustAFan]

[QUOTE=Old LB;1611688] They have before school practice and after school practice and 2 games a week. [QUOTE]

Not sure how they can have practice before and after school (for high school athletics, not select teams). TEC states that they can only practice 8 hours outside of class between Monday morning and Friday afternoon. Unless they only practice 1 hour each time, then it would not make sense that they aren't getting home until 10 or 11.

[Old LB]

[QUOTE=Old LB;1611688] They have before school practice and after school practice and 2 games a week. [QUOTE]

Not sure how they can have practice before and after school (for high school athletics, not select teams). TEC states that they can only practice 8 hours outside of class between Monday morning and Friday afternoon. Unless they only practice 1 hour each time, then it would not make sense that they aren't getting home until 10 or 11.

When they have out of town games they get home late, our closest district game is a hour and 15 min drive one way. I do not know the UIL rules about practice but they practice twice a day a lot of the time.

[WildTexan972]

I would bet very few good football teams only practice 8 hours a week....they may only be on the field 8 hours but they also lift weights and that also affects the time spent by students to the team....but I don't care....keeps em out of trouble to be busy....just no choir or dancin lessons or music or other useless waste of time needs to be added to the equation....




[QUOTE=Old LB;1611688] They have before school practice and after school practice and 2 games a week. [QUOTE]

Not sure how they can have practice before and after school (for high school athletics, not select teams). TEC states that they can only practice 8 hours outside of class between Monday morning and Friday afternoon. Unless they only practice 1 hour each time, then it would not make sense that they aren't getting home until 10 or 11.

[Leopard4Life]

Gym time is usually the issue. Volleyball and basketball both can really stretch girls because of how many teams schools field and how few gyms there are. I had 1 daughter who played both and boys who play(ed) everything. It sure seemed to me that my daughter had the tougher schedule.

Put them in softball and have them run track...they will have a lot more time.

Track sounds great, unfortunately we live in Lovejoy and if you have a tall daughter you feel the Volleyball pressure. My oldest is tall for her age and just entered middle school. About the 3rd week or school this year she came home with the "Dad, why does everyone keep asking me if I play volleyball". I'm going to take her to her first Varsity game on Friday. I don't expect her to stop the world and watch volleyball, but at least she will get an idea that the volleyball team at Lovejoy is the real deal and for a girl's sport gets a ton of support.


Go Leopards!!!

[Cam]

I know Burnet coaches try to get the football boys off the practice field by 6pm or so....however, I do tend to agree most kids in athletics don't have much spare time on their hands...which could be a good thing or bad....depending on your kid!
What I also find kinda funny. I always ask my 6th grader what he did in "Pre-athletics". Most of the time it's some sort of football drill or football related game. And they even have them running plays....my kid is like, "man dad, I don't even know if I'm gonna play football next year, wish we did some baseball drills every once in a while!"......So, I had to tell him, "son, in this state, it's all about football!...wanna move to Colorado?".....of course he answered with a very blunt "NO"!