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Youth Sports - How much is too much

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  • #1

    Youth Sports - How much is too much

    Starting a new thread because, well, this really didn't fit anywhere else (unless someone wanted to start a 2024-25 recruiting thread).

    The Star Tribune in Minneapolis posted a lengthy article -- 7-year-old Sara Woll: A life (already) committed to hockey. The preview tag reads:
    As in many households throughout Minnesota, the debate over how-much-is-too-much with youth sports goes on almost daily in the Woll home, a modest, two-story in south Minneapolis with an aging Ford Taurus parked out front.
    I haven't taken the time to formulate my own opinion on this yet. I just wanted to put it out as a discussion (civilized, preferably) starter.
    Give blood... Play Gopher Hockey!
    Men's National Championships: 1974, 1976, 1979, 2002, 2003
    Women's National Championships: 2000, 2004, 2005, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016
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  • #2
    Re: Youth Sports - How much is too much

    The Gophers' Twitter feed also caught a picture of the hard-copy from the Strib that included a quote from Bethany Brausen.

    http://t.co/mlDGd9u7mM
    Give blood... Play Gopher Hockey!
    Men's National Championships: 1974, 1976, 1979, 2002, 2003
    Women's National Championships: 2000, 2004, 2005, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016

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    • #3
      Re: Youth Sports - How much is too much

      Ugghh. Skating lessons are one thing. But at this age anything more is overkill, and the kid, no matter how much she loves the game, is likely to burn out.

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      • #4
        Re: Youth Sports - How much is too much

        One can claim that you're doing it for daughter, but when you want to start your 7 year old lifting weights and thinking about where to attend college, it's time to back away. Let kids be kids.
        "... And lose, and start again at your beginnings
        And never breathe a word about your loss;" -- Rudyard Kipling

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        • #5
          Re: Youth Sports - How much is too much

          Wow! To each their own I guess. Hopefully they will be able to look back with no regrets and whatever expectations the parents have for her are not too high.

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          • #6
            Re: Youth Sports - How much is too much

            So I agree with the other posters... not good. But here are some further thoughts:

            1. All of this training will probably work (unfortunately). She'll likely be a good hockey player and coaches will fall over themselves recruiting her at all levels.
            2. Reminds me of East German athletes in the 70's and 80's. I don't think that turned out well.
            3. These parents are putting a lot of eggs in one basket. She'll always be an injury away from not having anything to fall back on for her future.
            4. The long-term risk here is that this girl will not have experiences and skills (outside of hockey) to deal with life after the sport.
            5. I wonder how many other parents are doing this with their daughters (and sons).
            6. If these kids get results, there will be a rush of parents sending kids to these training facilities at a too-young-age.

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            • #7
              Re: Youth Sports - How much is too much

              Originally posted by PuckRush View Post
              So I agree with the other posters... not good. But here are some further thoughts:

              1. All of this training will probably work (unfortunately). She'll likely be a good hockey player and coaches will fall over themselves recruiting her at all levels.
              2. Reminds me of East German athletes in the 70's and 80's. I don't think that turned out well.
              3. These parents are putting a lot of eggs in one basket. She'll always be an injury away from not having anything to fall back on for her future.
              4. The long-term risk here is that this girl will not have experiences and skills (outside of hockey) to deal with life after the sport.
              5. I wonder how many other parents are doing this with their daughters (and sons).
              6. If these kids get results, there will be a rush of parents sending kids to these training facilities at a too-young-age.
              It's done now with gymnastics and tennis at ridiculously young ages. Is it just a matter of time? (That being said, I wholeheartedly do NOT agree with the concept)
              ...and whadaya know, it's another freshman...

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              • #8
                Re: Youth Sports - How much is too much

                I agree with all of the above but I'll add that it's not just the kid. Even aside from those concerns, the parents seem far too invested in this. What are they going to do when their daughter's hockey comes to an end? There's a difference between supporting your children and making their lives your own. In most cases it isn't going to end up healthy for any of those involved. Join a bowling league, for god's sake, and spend time with your own friends.

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                • #9
                  Re: Youth Sports - How much is too much

                  Originally posted by ARM View Post
                  One can claim that you're doing it for daughter, but when you want to start your 7 year old lifting weights and thinking about where to attend college, it's time to back away. Let kids be kids.

                  Agreed. At that age it should be all about play and fun, not muscle specific training. Until at least age 10 but more like age 12, kids should play various sports, take time away from one sport to play another. No issue with doing weekly skates parts of the off season, but most of the off season should be about other sports. Soccer kids play hockey/Basketball in winter and Hockey kids play Ball/Soccer/Lacrosse in summer.

                  As long as they are active, they will develop in all around athletes, and that will serve them better in the long run. If they do have the talent and the drive, once they get into the 13-14 year age group start focusing on the sport of choice, but even then there should be some "Off periods".

                  When our kids where younger all they wanted to do was play games, so we let them.
                  Last edited by OnMAA; 11-05-2013, 01:36 PM.

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                  • #10
                    Re: Youth Sports - How much is too much

                    Originally posted by Eeyore View Post
                    I agree with all of the above but I'll add that it's not just the kid. Even aside from those concerns, the parents seem far too invested in this. What are they going to do when their daughter's hockey comes to an end? There's a difference between supporting your children and making their lives your own. In most cases it isn't going to end up healthy for any of those involved. Join a bowling league, for god's sake, and spend time with your own friends.
                    Agree. "An attorney taking an extra job to pay for it all". Wow.

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                    • #11
                      Re: Youth Sports - How much is too much

                      Hmmm, in Minnesota? Whatever happened to hours and hours and hours of good old pond hockey every week?
                      Minnesota Hockey

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                      • #12
                        Re: Youth Sports - How much is too much

                        Sadly this is the way things are moving in youth hockey in Minnesota and Canada: Huge topic of discussion and problem... Its good to see common sense on a hockey board so I'll throw my 2cents into the hat. I really doubt that there is a magic amount of hockey that is too little or too much for sure - each kid probably has a different hockey threshold. Face it, even if you have four kids in hockey I would suspect that there are six hockey dreams in the ol' ford - parents guide their children. Can a parent actually get the amount of hockey right and still give their kid a fighting chance towards fulfilling 'the dream'? Its awfully hard - especially when your trying to keep up with the 'Woll's' out there. Many a time have I had to weigh the hockey pros and cons. Face it, there are a lot of people making a lot of money from the sport of hockey so stay on your toes and learn to say no thanks. Hockey is an expensive sport and can be stupid expensive if you let it be. I do suspect that there are a few key ingredients - skating and puck skills - in helping make good hockey players while not crossing the 'too much' line. It's hard to argue that starting hockey on a backyard rink (or pond) at an early age provides a good base for success in the sport. From there on out, drawing from experience, I recommend nothing more than doing what is necessary to keep it (hockey) fun along the way (with an emphasis on being a great teammate). Recognizing when your kid isn't enjoying the whole hockey thing and being creative in dealing with it is tricky. Variety in activity helps this 'growing' problem immensely - lots of other sports and activities translate well with hockey, and can help your child become a better player. Bobby Orr played a lot of sports besides hockey. Not necessarily at an elite level but my kids have played or still play baseball, basketball, golf, and hockey. A game of catch can go a long way. Further, confidence and enjoyment are usually two key factors in having success in most things so I try to lean towards finding a team for my kids with a coach that #1 believes in my kid and motivates through positive reinforcement - I'd take the right coach on the B team vs. the wrong coach on the A team any day (the end justifies the means). So many goods can come out of hockey...friends, close families, adventure, values. Hopefully at the end of the day my kids are playing hockey for the love of the game. I just hope I can still build an outdoor rink in 2024 - for my grandchildren - its getting harder to build one every year. For some reason hockey parents instinctively want to choose to keep up with the pack of 'wolls' for fear of being left behind. Fortunately my wife is a lady of tremendous faith... when my hockey parent frustrations set in she reminds me that 'What is meant to be will be - no need to force things'. Looking forward to this thread and picking up some ideas that will 'assist' in making my hockey parent journey a good one.

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                        • #13
                          Re: Youth Sports - How much is too much

                          I'll bet Jack Blatherwick will weigh in on this in the next Let's Play Hockey.

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                          • #14
                            Re: Youth Sports - How much is too much

                            Originally posted by Cali View Post
                            It's done now with gymnastics and tennis at ridiculously young ages.
                            And Dance...and piano, and .....

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                            • #15
                              Re: Youth Sports - How much is too much

                              There is a simple answer for this kind of foolishness....Parents are idiots...[opps, there I said it...I am a bad person]

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