Social event or practice

[cs]

Okay say you have kids that participate in sports. When they go to practice should they be allowed to treat it as a social event or should the practice?

Not wanting to take away from the pleasure that they get from their choosen sport, but in my opinion they should give 100% at practice. Keep in mind that championships are won in practice.

Chad

edited to add: Don't want to come off as one of those screaming parents on the sidelines, for I am not. Just think that a little more dedication may be in order.

[P.I. Stazzer-Newt]

If it is a group activity or team sport then it will be to some extent social - or it won't last.

Long term the most important thing is likely to be the ability to thrive in a group - that skill is forever.

[Milo Christensen]

Uhhh, like, you know, we're cheerleaders. Duhh.

Take charge. Whip them girls into line, Chad, two a days, run 'em til they puke. Shape up or ship out. This is cheerleading! Drop and give me 20.

[cs]

To me it is important that the kids have fun, but standing around talking while others work at their given sport doesn't cut it with me. Sure this kid may be the best on the team at their given sport, but that is not an excuse not to work hard. In fact in my book that is a reason to work harder. Show the others that with hard work you can reach this level.

Chad

[geeman]

Chad ,you need to be very careful how you handle this issue with the kids.Having raised 4 that are now in their late 30's almost 40's I can tell you that one wrong word from you that doesnt ring true to them will at best ,cause more loss of interest thats bothering you and at worst cause a kid to walk off the field never to return to sports or a competitive situation again.Good luck on this one CS.Remember Chad ,their not in the service,dont try to use service tactics to get thru to them.

[Tar Devil]

Whether it was Matthew's karate or Lauren's dance, they made the choice to participate and it's their world. Their coach/instructors established the rules, not the parents.

There is much to be gained by a child both socially and competitively from these things. It may prove a life-long mistake were I to decide for them which was more important.

This is where they learn for themselves the value of commitment. But they must learn it by themselves.

Later,

Phil

[Figment]

This was 20 years ago, but I remember it like yesterday.
We're in the car on the way home from hockey practice, and it's clear that dad has something up his ass sideways. Eventually it comes out..
"The next time you guys get me up at 4:30 on a saturday to drive you to hockey, I expect to see a lot more action out there. HELL NO WE'RE NOT STOPPING AT MCDONALD'S ON THE WAY HOME!!!!"

This kind of thing came up a number of times over the next few years. He just didn't know anything about hockey and didn't understand that this particular practice was about disciplined position, not about kill-the-kid-with-the-puck. So of course he was right and wrong at the same time. Right, because that practice kinda was a waste of some very expensive ice time and really could have been held on a basketball or tennis court. Wrong, because he started barking before he knew what he was really barking about.

I don't think there's anything wrong with having a conversation with the kids about the intensity of the practice, as long as you're open to the fact that they might just know more about it than you do, and as long as it's a conversation not a lecture.

[geeman]

Figments experience is what I was talking about in regard to "one wrong word"

[brad9798]

I hear ya, Chad.

I coach my daughter's 10-year-old softball team ...

It definitely has to be somewhat social ... just like at any levels, including pro.

But it is sometimes like herding cats ... and I get rather upset with a couple of girls it seems like every week. I just tell them to go sit down on the bench ...

When a girl misses the batting practice portion of practice, she tends to pay attention next practice.

[huisjen]

Is winning really more important than social interaction? It's not wether you win or lose -- It's how you play the game.

Dan

[John of Phoenix]

It's how you play the game.

For cheerleaders, it's how you look while playing the game.

[htom]

Umm, the answer is yes? It's both a social event and a practice session. Priority should be given to practice, but it's a matter of concentration, not of forbidding the practice of social skills, which also have to be learned. (And which I'm very bad at!)

[Leon m]

Okay say you have kids that participate in sports. When they go to practice should they be allowed to treat it as a social event or should the practice?

.

Both.

[TomF]

Part of a kid's work, is play.

If we're honest with ourselves, it's part of an adult's work too. If your work isn't fun at least sometimes, you'll probably try to find another job.

As adults, the "play" components help us to deal with the grind - and refresh us for when we need to redouble our focus. A kids' practice needs to be a place where the kids involved can learn that.

[Tristan]

Kids will be kids. Guidance is good, but filling one's own expectations and dreams is not. My daughter pushes hard on the dance line and on the competative dance team. This is not easy and to say it is not athletic is bullsh1t to the extreme. At the beginning of practice the kids pass out one after the other. Injuries are not uncommon. I saw (actually heard) one girl pop her ACL during competition, crawled off the floor so the competition team could finish that part of the show, limped back on for the final part. Vicky (my daughter) has Osgood Schlater syndrome, often works out with very painful knees. Has the honor of being a section leader as a junior (usually a spot reserved for seniors). She pushes herself and her section. It's all her own personality, no pressure from us. Makes me proud. My son, has begun Brazilain jiu-jutsu after seven years of karate and a year of competative swimming. He could go four days a week, but chooses, usually, to go two days a week. He loves it, all the rest of the guys are grown men, the smallest weighs in at 190. Son Geoff (age 15)weighs 125. I could push him to go three or four nights a week, but that wouldn't be his thing, that would be mine. I prefer him to keep loving it. I'm proud of him. Kids are all different. Guide but don't distort their thing to your thing. Take away the socialization and the fun and you ruin it.

[brad9798]

"Is winning really more important than social interaction? It's not wether you win or lose -- It's how you play the game."

No, it is not more important than the social. I agree with you Dan- 100%

However, for some consistently troublesome girls that have no interest in the game ... well, they need to find another social outlet besides a softball practice.

[cs]

Normally the kid hits it hard at practice. She enjoys it and I encourge her. Last night I got a little upset when I saw all the other kids doing their tumbling while she talked and the only tumbling run she did was after I said something to her.

I don't mind the socializing and the goofing off, after all she is just a kid, but I do expect her to do her best.

Chad

[geeman]

YA ,it's a tough call what to do.Remember though the kids are at a tough age with many conflicting emotions that confuse them some days.They dont fully understand the world yet we expect them to act like they do.I wouldnt wish childhood on myself again ,,no way.