Kids Playing Team Sports Sans Hype

Study says the obvious: Kids who play team sports tend to have better mental health. Still, don’t be surprised if you see “travel team” Johnny’s dad flip out over tenth b-ball game in three days & nights …

I fully agreed when reading Plos One’s article on research arguing children who participated in team sports “show fewer signs of anxiety, depression, withdrawal, social or attention problems.” As a kid jock when young and father of 4 jock sons & daughters, I can attest to the invaluable lessons we all learned about teamwork, ability to handle success as well as failure and, as Kevin Costner might add, knowing the joy of playing for “love of the game.” Still, let’s not forget the potential “dark side” to TOO MUCH team sports aka “The Rise of Travel Team Mania.” In retrospect, I would have toned down my kids’ playing on travel baseball, football, basketball, soccer, competitive dance & gymnastics … for their as well as my own sanity. The hours, pressure to “win” & psycho adults who coach are NOT always worth it. At some point, enough is enough.

Case in point was my sons’ playing on a travel basketball team whose coach was almost maniacal in scheduling game after game, at all hours of the day or night, and on a minutes notice. Can’t also forget the baseball coach who acted like G. Gordon Liddy & really though like Patton that my kid should “spill THEIR blood” on the battlefield. Then, there was the Russian gymnastics coach who taught my state champion daughter how to “train” for hours 365 days out of the year until so exhausted she tore an ACL trying to do one of his impossible “tricks.” You live and learn the hard way.

Davd Soul