When did you guys let your kids start playing for 'select' teams?

[Tre]

My kid is a kick-ass soccer player.  In addition to having great size and speed, she's got incredible ball skills and unbelievable offensive instincts...but she doesn't exactly enjoy playing defense. lol 

She's a really good player (not just being a proud dad here) and has been invited to try out for a select team, but I don't think she's ready yet. 

Here's the real issue, though - she's only 7-1/2 years old.  Development-wise, there's no denying that she'd progress quickly in that type of environment (if chosen), but isn't that a little young to be designating your young athlete as a soccer player?  She's got softball starting next month, too, and wants to continue taking 2-3 hours of futsal classes each week.  If she ends up opting for club level soccer, she would most likely have to pass on basketball next year and would also stop playing rec soccer, which she has a lot of fun with (she loves her team). 

The parents in my area are hyper-competitive when it comes to kids' soccer, so naturally, I do have some concern about mine keeping pace.  I don't want her to look back in 10 years and be mad at me for keeping her down.  To put it in perspective, I made her play 3 years of t-ball and she won't forgive me for that - she hated that season, because she was bored to death.

She's welcoming the challenge, but I'm afraid to put her in a position where she might miss out on other sports opportunities.  My thinking is that I should keep her in rec soccer (they're having a good indoor season), plus the futsal classes, for another couple of years and then see whether she wants to move up. 

Have any of you been through similar situations?  How did you handle it?  Thanks, guys.

[timfogarty]

let her decide:  club soccer or rec soccer with other activities

[Parker]

My kid is a kick-ass soccer player.  In addition to having great size and speed, she's got incredible ball skills and unbelievable offensive instincts...but she doesn't exactly enjoy playing defense. lol 

She's a really good player (not just being a proud dad here) and has been invited to try out for a select team, but I don't think she's ready yet. 

Here's the real issue, though - she's only 7-1/2 years old.  Development-wise, there's no denying that she'd progress quickly in that type of environment (if chosen), but isn't that a little young to be designating your young athlete as a soccer player?  She's got softball starting next month, too, and wants to continue taking 2-3 hours of futsal classes each week.  If she ends up opting for club level soccer, she would most likely have to pass on basketball next year and would also stop playing rec soccer, which she has a lot of fun with (she loves her team). 

The parents in my area are hyper-competitive when it comes to kids' soccer, so naturally, I do have some concern about mine keeping pace.  I don't want her to look back in 10 years and be mad at me for keeping her down.  To put it in perspective, I made her play 3 years of t-ball and she won't forgive me for that - she hated that season, because she was bored to death.

She's welcoming the challenge, but I'm afraid to put her in a position where she might miss out on other sports opportunities.  My thinking is that I should keep her in rec soccer (they're having a good indoor season), plus the futsal classes, for another couple of years and then see whether she wants to move up. 

Have any of you been through similar situations?  How did you handle it?  Thanks, guys.

Hoepfully by the time she is 11, you won't have her in so many programs...that is the one of the many things that have broken down the family, and programs have replaced or usurped school's importance. And chicks who are in soccer, field hockey, track and field, lacrosse are popular, and somewhat softball, girls who do basketball and the other sports (somewhat softball, again) aren't.

A well rounded chick (or guy) in highschool will do a fall sport and a spring summer, usually useing the fall sport as primer for spring.

[Tre]

Hoepfully by the time she is 11, you won't have her in so many programs...that is the one of the many things that have broken down the family, and programs have replaced or usurped school's importance. And chicks who are in soccer, field hockey, track and field, lacrosse are popular, and somewhat softball, girls who do basketball and the other sports (somewhat softball, again) aren't.

A well rounded chick (or guy) in highschool will do a fall sport and a spring summer, usually using the fall sport as primer for spring.

The youth sports landscape has changed so much over the past 20 years in large part because of the cost of college.  The fact that you've got high school kids holding press conferences to announce where they're going to school is evidence of this new reality. 

Family time is still important, but my daughter's mother and I are already divorced and since there's no 'daily play' among the neighborhood kids, I have to keep her busy with activities.  If her mother had her way (which she does most of the time), she'd have the kid with Mormon kids every day talking Mormon shit and playing dolls, although baby mama does somewhat understand the importance of team sports now.   

I don't want her burned out on everything by the time she's 13, but she should be in the habit of having intense exercise/training several days a week.  Kids who have stuff to do tend to stay out of trouble and do better in school.  I'm choosing sports over more church shit.  She gets more than enough of that.

 
 

[Parker]

The youth sports landscape has changed so much over the past 20 years in large part because of the cost of college.  The fact that you've got high school kids holding press conferences to announce where they're going to school is evidence of this new reality. 

Family time is still important, but my daughter's mother and I are already divorced and since there's no 'daily play' among the neighborhood kids, I have to keep her busy with activities.  If her mother had her way (which she does most of the time), she'd have the kid with Mormon kids every day talking Mormon shit and playing dolls, although baby mama does somewhat understand the importance of team sports now.   

I don't want her burned out on everything by the time she's 13, but she should be in the habit of having intense exercise/training several days a week.  Kids who have stuff to do tend to stay out of trouble and do better in school.  I'm choosing sports over more church shit.  She gets more than enough of that.

 
 

Yeah, true, but the money is made in men's sports. And they typically get shortchanged in the long run...parents, highschool coaches, colleges, they all pimp the kids.

But, think of the positive, a tired, busy girl, has a smaller chance of getting pregnant

I saw something on TV once, I think it was NBC or ABC, it showed this mom taking her kid (mostly her son) to different things everyday of the week. And chances are he never got to do his homework. In schools today, even in middle school, parents will write notes saying that the children couldn't do their homework due to sports practice. Which one, takes priority. Most suburban kids in Maryland do soccer, lacrosse (a given), basketball or football. Most don't go on to the pros, and in lacrosse, if they are good go onto U of Maryland, Duke, UNC, NC St, or a Ivy league college up North.

[Tre]

Yeah, true, but the money is made in men's sports. And they typically get shortchanged in the long run...parents, highschool coaches, colleges, they all pimp the kids.

But, think of the positive, a tired, busy girl, has a smaller chance of getting pregnant

I saw something on TV once, I think it was NBC or ABC, it showed this mom taking her kid (mostly her son) to different things everyday of the week. And chances are he never got to do his homework. In schools today, even in middle school, parents will write notes saying that the children couldn't do their homework due to sports practice. Which one, takes priority. Most suburban kids in Maryland do soccer, lacrosse (a given), basketball or football. Most don't go on to the pros, and in lacrosse, if they are good go onto U of Maryland, Duke, UNC, NC St, or a Ivy league college up North.

EXACTLY on the pregnancy thing.  Rarely did any female athlete have to 'move away for a while' where I was from.  I think I remember one and she played basketball, as I recall. 

The principle has instituted a homework policy out here that limits kids in 4th and 5th grades to no more than 1 hour of homework per night.  My kid is in 2nd grade, so she should have no more than 20-30 minutes per night.  I was never a big homework proponent anyway (hated that crap and never felt it had any value), so I'm fine with that. 

As for the money, it's not about going pro or appearing in a Gatorade commercial.  It's about saving $300-400,000 on a college education.    Tucked away, that can provide a nice little retirement bonus for most people...or can even help the kiddo purchase a home someday.

Sure, not every kid playing club soccer is going to go on to play for a major college program, but there's so much money at stake that it makes sense for the parents to work to help carve a slice of it for their kids. 

That said, the advanced training isn't free, nor does it come cheap.  I don't have an estimate on what it might cost to spend the next 10 years in the program, but by the time you add up all the fees and travel costs, hell, we could easily be looking at $125,000 conservatively.  Hmm, she'd better get that commercial. lol

[Method101]

If i had a daughter she would be forced to do gymnastics/jogging, if i had a son weightlifting.
end of discussion no arguements.
 

I played Rugby for 10 years from a very young age, i was lucky never to get a serious injury other than light concussion.
Somone on the same team as me, shortly after i stopped playing he took a hard bump(tackle lol) and now hes blind in one eye, others broke bones etc. it's just not worth it.

Even in soccer iv heard of people getting kicked in the head and having brain damage/dying. In rugby some assholes try to stamp on your head when you on the ground, i saw one fat fuck do that to my teammate once so i grabbed him and it started a riot, even the parents on the sideline were fighting.

[Parker]

If i had a daughter she would be forced to do gymnastics/jogging, if i had a son weightlifting.
end of discussion no arguements.
 

Depends. Starting a girl easy in gymnastics will stunt her growth. Start late, and if she is busty, it will throw off her balance. Jogging, eh, is good. But women have more injuries in in running sports than men, because women's legs are canted in more than men's are. So they have more leg, ankle and foot related injuries in terms of track and field sports. Again, if she is busty, she might be self conscious of her boobs bounding around. When I was in high school a girl I knew had that problem... She was fast as hell, but her D cup breasts were faster.   

I suggest you starting them off, but let them decide after a while. I did track and field, but I wanted to do lift weights more than I wanted to run.

[Sherief Shalaby]

my son has already chosen iron

[Parker]

my son has already chosen iron

What would happen if you had a daughter, that is the real question. Does Egypt have female Olympic competitors, in any sport?

[Tre]

My daughter loves the gym, but I won't let her lift, of course.  She likes being there in the kids area and wants to go as often as she can, because she looks forward to being able to lift someday. 

She drinks Muscle Milk and I think she even posts on GetBig from time-to-time.   

[Parker]

My daughter loves the gym, but I won't let her lift, of course.  She likes being there in the kids area and wants to go as often as she can, because she looks forward to being able to lift someday. 

Your daughter may turn out like that lil Brazilian chick in the thread below, or like Cara Heads-Lane. Not too thick, but a dime.

[Sherief Shalaby]

What would happen if you had a daughter, that is the real question. Does Egypt have female Olympic competitors, in any sport?

sure and why not??!!.. even in weightlifting some egyptian girls won the world championship (under 21 years old).. but if i had a daughter i would never encourage her to be a weightlifter because i believe iron games are against the delicate nature of females!!..

[Parker]

sure and why not??!!.. even in weightlifting some egyptian girls won the world championship (under 21 years old).. but if i had a daughter i would never encourage her to be a weightlifter because i believe iron games are against the delicate nature of females!!..

Have you seen that Brazilian chick in the thread below? She lifts weights, mostly squats, and she is hot as hell.

[Special Ed]

Soccer and field hockey are both great sports for girls. I would encourage her to pursue whichever sport she enjoys more. If she has natural soccer talent and really likes to practice and play, I would suggest you have her play select. If she would rather be playing another sport, she's never going to want to work hard enough to be the best, so may as well let her play what she wants.

Btw Tre, they also have these things called academic scholarships and they give them out much easier to black A students than they do to black varsity students. Look into that!

[Sherief Shalaby]

Have you seen that Brazilian chick in the thread below? She lifts weights, mostly squats, and she is hot as hell.

cory everson was ms. olympia and she was hot as hell but still for me iron is not for women.. this is why her offseason pics. are hotter than he contests pics.,.. right??..
 
my wife sometimes does use 1 kg dumbbells in her fitness workouts but just to keep he muscles fit and not to build more size!!..

[Parker]

Soccer and field hockey are both great sports for girls. I would encourage her to pursue whichever sport she enjoys more. If she has natural soccer talent and really likes to practice and play, I would suggest you have her play select. If she would rather be playing another sport, she's never going to want to work hard enough to be the best, so may as well let her play what she wants.

Btw Tre, they also have these things called academic scholarships and they give them out much easier to black A students than they do to black varsity students. Look into that!

Now, a Scholar Athlete they get even more recognition!

Sherief, this is what I'm talking about. Brazilian chick with thighs from sqautting, and the typical Brazilian booty
http://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?topic=313408.0

[Azn Muscle]

OP I don't doubt your kid would have "incredible ball skills". 

[Sherief Shalaby]

Now, a Scholar student, they get even more recognition!

Sherief, this is what I'm talking about. Brazilian chick with thighs from sqauttting, and the typical Brazilian booty
http://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?topic=313408.0

the girl is hot for sure but if she was doing leg extension and some light leg press only she would be hotter for me

[bigdumbbell]

post pics of the 7 year old so WillPrant has J/O material. 

[WillGrant]

post pics of the 7 year old so WillPrant has J/O material. 

Dude you are a sick pedophile  is it a surprise though being a fa66ot like you are 

[Tre]

Soccer and field hockey are both great sports for girls. I would encourage her to pursue whichever sport she enjoys more. If she has natural soccer talent and really likes to practice and play, I would suggest you have her play select. If she would rather be playing another sport, she's never going to want to work hard enough to be the best, so may as well let her play what she wants.

Btw Tre, they also have these things called academic scholarships and they give them out much easier to black A students than they do to black varsity students. Look into that!

A's are expected in this house.  Granted, I grew up in a home where school was stressed from Day One and my daughter's mom grew up in a home where church was #1, but the rules of my upbringing still apply - academics are top priority.  Church is for Sundays - I don't want to hear that shit on other days of the week.  Adam was a prophet, my ass.  Anyway...

Prior to having a child, I always said that I'd make sure my kids learned how to play tennis and golf, because I felt those two activities could open doors that might otherwise be closed.  I grew up playing basketball and football almost every day and while I was decent in basketball, I wasn't a varsity-level player.  My sport was football, but my high school didn't have a team and I was unable to make the switch to soccer.  Back to golf, she's beaten me several times in chipping competitions at the country club.  We rarely play tennis, though.

She started playing t-ball when she was 4 and the kid has a big bat and a strong arm.  I was wrong to make her play t-ball again this past season, but I thought being in a leadership role on a team of young girls would be good for her.  All it did was make her dislike t-ball, so now she wants to quit.  Her mother is demanding that she play, though, and told me that kiddo is 7, so she 'doesn't have a say'.  I strongly disagree with that way of thinking, but do agree that she should continue with softball at least one more season. 

She's just a natural athlete and could star in almost anything.  I'm proud of her and consider us lucky to have such a talented kid, but I sometimes think it would be better if she was just great at one thing that she enjoyed. 
 

[dr.chimps]

In addition to having great size and speed, she's got incredible ball skills and unbelievable offensive instincts...but she doesn't exactly enjoy playing defense.

May these words not come back and haunt you. 

[jaejonna]

I started playing on the 'Select' team when I was in 5th Grade

[uberman09]

looks like we have another "coach" father - worse, a SINGLE coach  father... Who prefers to get his daughter spend way too much time in sports activities instead of spending time with her. I bet youre quite not the very talkative guy.

Like she "decided" for anything you got her into until now. To me it seems YOU got her into all of this stuff... For personnal reasons and because of what happened in your own life. Does she do what she wants, or what you want her to do... does she know what she wants -man, she's fucking 7 y/ old...-, or does she do what she thinks you want her to do... Classical case of an adult believing his 7 y/o kid already knows what she wants when in fact she 's just conditionned by YOU to do something YOU wanted her to do.


brutal tip: talk with her and ask her what she wants / like... Dont ask us you dumbfuck. Chances are that if you didnt start communicating with her that way sooner, it's already too late.
Brutal 2nd tip: every single kid is (seems) " incredibly talented" at that age... not just yours.. Does it mean she/he will be that talented later in every aspect of her/his life? not at all. There s more to life and one's personality than just being good (or even very good) at some fucking sport. It's obvious you're overlooking a lot of things aside of sport.

The parents in my area are hyper-competitive when it comes to kids' soccer, so naturally, I do have some concern about mine keeping pace.

chrystal clear proof you raise your kid not paying attention to her thoughts and feelings but comparing, evaluating, judging her and your own parenthood/fatherhood to those of your neighbours. Sad.