John-totally on board with the gist of your article. However, as a slight departure from you message, I'd like to express my concerns about the whole "pay to play" situation that parents seem to be confronted with these days. Actually, that issue may indeed be connected to the one you addressed. Could it be that since parents started put…
John-totally on board with the gist of your article. However, as a slight departure from you message, I'd like to express my concerns about the whole "pay to play" situation that parents seem to be confronted with these days. Actually, that issue may indeed be connected to the one you addressed. Could it be that since parents started putting up tons of money so their kids could have a shot a earning a living in a chosen sport, maybe those expenses related in some way to parents going overboard and thinking that everyone associated with whatever team their kid is on actually work for them and can thus be treated (poorly) like their employees? Personally, I miss the days when I could play Little League or Babe Ruth baseball for little to no cost.
100% agree. The youth-sports-industrial-complex is more about monetizing the kids. Should they happen to be good a sport or fall in love with a sport? Added benefit.
John hit upon a number of the issues, pay-for-play, additional training session (paid for), the cost of traveling to tournaments every weekend, etc.
A friend of ours has a 12 year old who plays baseball. His parents had to figure out a way for him to travel with his team to Arizona this winter. Arizona for a 12 year old? Ridiculous!
A study out of a national soccer coaches association (can't remember which) calculated that it costs parents $10,000/ kid/ year to play club soccer in the Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia (DMV) area. Totally nuts.
John-totally on board with the gist of your article. However, as a slight departure from you message, I'd like to express my concerns about the whole "pay to play" situation that parents seem to be confronted with these days. Actually, that issue may indeed be connected to the one you addressed. Could it be that since parents started putting up tons of money so their kids could have a shot a earning a living in a chosen sport, maybe those expenses related in some way to parents going overboard and thinking that everyone associated with whatever team their kid is on actually work for them and can thus be treated (poorly) like their employees? Personally, I miss the days when I could play Little League or Babe Ruth baseball for little to no cost.
That pay-to-play mentality very well could play a role. That's a great point. Do parents feel ownership of the team?
100% agree. The youth-sports-industrial-complex is more about monetizing the kids. Should they happen to be good a sport or fall in love with a sport? Added benefit.
John hit upon a number of the issues, pay-for-play, additional training session (paid for), the cost of traveling to tournaments every weekend, etc.
A friend of ours has a 12 year old who plays baseball. His parents had to figure out a way for him to travel with his team to Arizona this winter. Arizona for a 12 year old? Ridiculous!
Ding! Ding! Ding!
A study out of a national soccer coaches association (can't remember which) calculated that it costs parents $10,000/ kid/ year to play club soccer in the Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia (DMV) area. Totally nuts.