As I write this blog (I write them in advance of them coming out), I’m waiting for yet another cancellation notice for my sons’ games this weekend due to weather. We will be playing spring sports make-up games until August at this rate.
It’s not so disruptive to my schedule because I am a very relaxed mom when it comes to kids’ sports. I don’t care if their teams win or lose.
My main concerns about my children’s athletics are these:
- Are practices and games convenient to my home? Walking distance is preferred.
- Is the time commitment reasonable? No more than 6 hours per week is ideal. Tournament avoidance is desired. Overnight travel is not tolerated.
- Are the coaches competent but not abusive?
- Are the other parents people I like to hang out with? If so, I will provide the drinks and snacks!
- Is the registration cost reasonable?
Of course, you can always find something on the internet to support your way of thinking. And so I did:
- Travis Dorsch (former kicker for Purdue and the Cincinnati Bengals) conducted a study that found spending on youth sports has grown to up to 10.5% of family gross income.
- The percentage of kids who get college scholarships to play sports is low – 3% – 5%, so putting a ton of money to sports hoping for a payoff later is not a great investment.
- Putting too much pressure on kids for something that is supposed to be fun is emotionally damaging. The best memories of professional athletes of playing sports as kids are often of unstructured games with friends.
The source for these juicy tidbits is a New York Times article by Paul Sullivan (no relation!), “The Rising Cost of Youth Sports, In Money and Emotion,” published January 16, 2015. Check it out for the full quotes and sources. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/17/your-money/rising-costs-of-youth-sports.html?_r=0
If these topics sound like they would be of interest to your employees, sales conference, or professional organization, contact me at 303-324-0014 or kristi@
