By: olepoppy

olepoppy — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 19:39:04 +0000

i think 4 is too early too much chance of burning out and not wanting to play at older age yes i agree that some kids will be behind those that started at a young age but they soon catch up if they can play ive seen too many parents think that they had to get kids ready for highschool sports and the fact is that only a small percent of the kids at any one age play highschool sports in baseball for instance say 5 kids out of any one class will make the varsity . 5×3 classes equal 15 kids on a team. so i think that sports should be run for the majority of the kids playing that year football players i think 7 gradew is plenty early to start

By: Alan

Alan — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 16:00:13 +0000

My son started soccer at 4. I don’t think that was too young. I think that was the right age. I’ve been coaching his teams, and kids who are just beginning to play at age 8 are so far behind the ones that started at 4 or 5 – it makes a big difference. At 4 and 5,The trick is how serious you take it. I’ve seen too many parents and coaches taking winning and competition too seriously too young. I don’t think we should be making parenting and coaching decisions with winning in mind until age 9 or 10. Bottom line – it’s part of our job to give them opportunities and offer things they might be interested in and can make them better people. We lean toward things that helped us grow. I’m a big believer in team sports to build character – that’s what I grew up on. Others enjoy individual skill development — equally valuable. Anything that pushes and challenges them in a positive way is good parenting, I think. The key phrase is “in a positive way.”

Comments on: How early is too early?

By: olepoppy

By: Alan