Do You Force Your Kids to Play Sports?

Are your kids playing sports…at school and in the community…for their enjoyment and development or for yours?

Soccer image: sxc.hu

Are you living through your kids because they have the opportunities to play a variety of sports that you never did, but wished you could? Did you enjoy playing sports and don’t give a thought that your kid(s) might not. But they do so because it’s expected of them?

I never really gave this too much thought because my daughter was more interested in the outing club at school rather than competitive sports. Her daughter played for awhile but figured she’d have more pleasure and character development in other activities. So we have never been caught up in the fierce competiveness of kids’ sports.

I began to ponder on this topic after hearing a teen remark she’d be glad when she was out of school because she wouldn’t have to play in any games again. She could do her own thing instead of following her parents’ wishes in the sports area.

Give this some thought…are your kids playing sports because they want to or because you want them to?

Comments

By yao ming

i like basketball!!! iz very nize, u knoe

By THOMAS ANDREWS

WE FORCE CHILDREN TO GO TO SCHOOL AND GET AN EDUCATION WHEN THEY DON’T WANT TO DON’T WE? I MAKE MY DAUGHTERS PLAY SPORTS, NOT BECAUSE I’M TRYING TO RELIVE MY LIFE THROUGH THEM (AS I’VE BEEN TOLD BY SEVERAL PEOPLE), BUT BECAUSE OF ALL THE BENEFITS THAT COME FROM SPORTS. FIRST, I ASKED MY DAUGHTERS WHAT THEY LIKED TO DO. THEIR RESPONE WAS “PLAY VIDEO GAMES, WATCH TV AND GET ON THE COMPUTER FOR FACE BOOK, MY SPACE, ETC. WELL, SINCE CHILD OBESITY IS SUCH A BIG PROBLEM IN THIS COUNTRY AND DIABETES IS BEING SEEN IN CHILDREN AS YOUNG AS 6 YEARS OLD, THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL MY DAUGHTERS ARE GOING TO SIT AT HOME ON THEIR BUTTS ALL DAY AND NOT GET IN ANY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. SECOND, SPORTS USES UP MOST OF THEIR FREE TIME. THIS HELPS PREVENTS THEM FROM DOING THINGS THEY SHOULDN’T BE DOING BECAUSE THEY HAVE TOO MUCH FREE TIME ON THEIR HANDS. WHEN THEY PLAY SPORTS THEY ARE AROUND RESPONSIBLE ADULTS WHO WON’T LET THEM DO THINGS THEY ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO DO. THIRD, THEY LEARN THAT HARD WORK AND PRACTICE MAKES YOU BETTER AT WHTEVER YOU DO. IT CAN BE IMPOSSIBLE SOMETIMES TO GET CHLDREN AND ESPECIALLY TEENS TO DO ANTYHING MORE THAN WHAT IS “JUST REQUIRED”. SOMETIMES IT’S A CHORE TO GET THEM TO DO THIS MUCH. FOURTH, THEY LEARN TEAMWORK AND THAT SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO SACRIFICE FOR THE GOOD OF THE TEAM. WE WOULD HAVE ALOT FEWER PROBLEMS IN THIS COUNTRY IF SO MANY PEOPLE DID NOT ALWAYS HAVE THE “WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME” ATTITUDE AND INSTEAD WERE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE EFFECT ON HUMANITY AND MANKIND. FIFTH, THEY LEARN THAT ALOT OF TIMES IN LIFE, YOU HAVE TO DO THINGS YOU DON’T LIKE. WE ALL HAVE TO GET UP EVERYDAY AND GO TO A JOB, WHEN SOMETIMES, THERE ARE OTHER THINGS WE WOULD RATHER BE DOING. SIXTH, THEY LEARN HOW TO MANAGE TIME BETTER. WHEN YOU HAVE SCHOOL, SPORTS PRACTICE, THEN HOMEWORK, YOU START THINKING ABOUT HOW TO GET EVERYTHING DONE AS EFFICENTLY AS POSSIBLE SO YOU CAN HAVE FREE TIME TO DO THINGS YOU LIKE. SEVENTH, IT MAY PROVIDE A FREE POST HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION. ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIPS ARE A MEANS FOR ALOT OF STUDENTS TO GO TO COLLEGE FOR FREE OR REDUCED COSTS. THIS CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE WHEN STARTING OUT IN LIFE AS OPPOSED TO STARTING OUT IN SEVERE DEBT WITH STUDENT LOANS. THESE ARE THE REASONS I FORCE MY DAUGHTER TO PLAY SPORTS AND WILL CONTINUE TO FORCE THEM TO PLAY UNTIL THEY GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL. THE BAD? THEY MAY END UP HATING SPORTS, BUT AT LEAST THEY WILL BE PRPARED TO EAT LIFE UP INSTEAD OF GETTING EATEN UP BY LIFE!

By Carl

you sound as knowledgeable as a pie of rocks. my mom made me play sports and i was so stressed my hair fell out