Selecting A Sport, Part 7

SHOULD MY CHILD JOIN A SELECT TEAM?

Our three boys played on select soccer teams. I coached our youngest son’s team for six years. Though it was a mostly positive experience for us, I’m not sure it would be in today’s select system. My primary concern is that these teams have amped up the time and commitment required. As a result, many youth sports have become serious business. If your child wants to play for one of these teams, consider:

1. Watch Over Your Child’s Whole Development: Just because a child has talent does not mean that you are obliged to enroll her in a select program. As I stated earlier, look at all of your child’s needs and see how that particular commitment fits into her whole development.
2. Watch Out for Specialization: If your child plays one sport nearly all year, it will greatly increase his odds of developing an overuse injury. Even professional baseball pitchers rest their arms during the winter. Furthermore, narrowly focusing on one sport may not even produce the best athletes. A Division I college soccer coach commented: “Hands down, the best kids in our program, ... have been kids who have played three sports, who have had balance, who maybe started late in soccer but they’re really enjoying it and they can develop.”
3. Watch What Develops: Though it may be painful to extricate your child from her commitment to a team, have the courage to live out your convictions. Is the coach too harsh? the schedule too demanding? your child’s academics faltering? Your child may initially object to being withdrawn, but later, when she has her life back, she will probably thank you.
4. Watch Your Motives: Don’t let your child become a surrogate for your dreams. This is his life, not yours!
5. Watch Your Expectations: Parents may view the time and money they spend on their child’s sport as an investment—and investors want returns! After one top athlete in our city underperformed to dad’s expectations, he told her: “If we're going to spend all this money and travel to tournaments, you better work more on your game.” The return that many parents of select athletes are hoping for is a college scholarship. Though NCAA schools award about $1 billion for athletic scholarships they offer over $30 billion dollars for academic scholarships! These statistics led one sports leader to wisely advise: “If you want to get money from a scholarship, go home and read to your children every night!”