Are we taking away this generation of kids childhood?

Jun 23, 2017, 4:56 AM

With offers going out to 7th graders and the latest offer by Illinois being extended to a 10 year old kid, are we letting sports dominate the very fabric of our society??

When I was 10 I had dreams on playing MLB. But I did not have a personal coach or trainer. I did not even play baseball everyday. I played kick the can, hide and go seek, kick ball, went camping and just enjoyed growing up. We were a close family cooking out with our neighbors, going on vacation together and did things most kids use to do. Ride bikes, went fishing playing in the woods. We were always playing outside begging our mom's for just 30 more minutes of outside play time.

Fast forward to 2000's. My cousin has a former Brave's pitching coach working with his 11 year old son. The kid can throw a curve ball with a 4" drop. My nephew has a baseball trainer working with his son too. These kids are practicing baseball the entire off season. Wether they are talented or not is not the point I am trying to make. These kids lives are so structured and as parents we are running our kids from one place to another.

Couples invest so much time into their kids that they unintentionally neglect their relationship. It's no wonder divorce rate is so high. I had one of the best childhood/ teenage years ever but my dad never neglected my mom. They are going on 61 years of marriage and are showed me what marriage and family were about.

We have 10 year old football teams sponsored by local high schools with the help from HS coaches. They have better uniforms and equipment than some of the very small HS's

The same thing is happening in basketball, soccer, golf etc...

These kids are missing out on their adolescent years because they don't seem to have any down time. I spoke with a college football strength coach who said this is one of the main reasons we are seeing so many injuries with HS kids and freshmen kids in college athletics. Tommy John surgery in young athletes is on the rise.

The point I am trying to make is that we are so wrapped up in sports that we have rearranged our priorities and we are letting the best parts of life pass us by. I love Clemson sports with a passion but my mom and dad taught me that my relationship with Jesus Christ should always come first, family should always come 2nd and the rest depends on your family interest and goals. Usually work comes 3rd.

Somehow we have lost our way and our priorities are o longer where they should be. Especially priorities #1and #2. Sports seems to overcome the most important priorities in life. They have been shuffled down the list in favor of sports and pleasure. Then we wonder why we have so many problems in society and in our personal lives.

I am not trying to sound preachy, I just felt the subject needed be brought up. IMO I have seen this coming for the last several years. I wonder when the bubble will bust. Saban will make over $11 million dollars this year. Jim Harbaugh will make somewhere around $9 million this year. If the cash cow ESPN is in financial trouble where will the money come from.

Would like some honest sincere responses and opinions about my post.

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I see some of your points here, and this is obviously a very well thought out post. You couldn't be any more right about the priority #1 lacking in our society, but I think you're missing on the taking the childhood away with sports though. I feel like a structured upbringing with kids (such as a sport & the work/effort that needs to go into it) is the best thing for them. It teaches respect for authority (coaches), working with others (teammates) & and the value of doing your own part to help toward success for a common goal. For some kids this is really the only real structure they have. Also, being involved in sports as a kid myself, I feel like it keeps most kids focused & out of trouble. Sure there are athletes out there that are trouble, but that's true in anything. We hear about the few ona team that are bad apples, but seldom hear about the other 90% that keep their noses clean & go on to be productive members of our society. As far as kids' sporting activities causing parents to neglect one another, see priority #1 again. The injuries in HS sports is something you may or may not have a point on though. Now days athletes are bigger, stronger & faster. With nutrition knowledge & strength training more developed than ever, I feel that in itself could be a factor in injuries. If you look, we have more ACL tears than ever. I think that's the downfall of stronger muscles because tendons & ligaments don't get stronger as the muscles they're attached to do so it stresses them more. Just a fee of my own thoughts on the subject. You make several good points & I very much respect your opinion here, but, respectfully, don't agree with all of it.

Are we taking away this generation of kids childhood?

Re: Are we taking away this generation of kids childhood?

Do you have kids? Do they play sports?

Wasn't the Hawaii offer to a fifth grader?***

Yesterday, Illinois offered a 10 year old.***

Re: Are we taking away this generation of kids childhood?

Re: Are we taking away this generation of kids childhood?

Imo,...

Re: I could make the opposite argument that a lot of kids

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