June 2013
3
TheSportsDept.com - Print Edition
It’s okay for kids to take the summer off from youth sports The other night my neighbor had his 9-year-old son in the backyard taking swings in a make-shift batting cage. The boy’s baseball season had just ended the night before. And while I’m not sure whose idea it was to head outside and hit balls, I can only guess based on the father’s barking voice and the sweating scowl on the batter’s face as he longingly gazed at my boys and me biking by, that it was not the boy’s suggestion. Kids enjoy the summer months because they get a break from the stresses of school. Other than a few summer reading assignments, which, let’s face it, usually get completed under duress the weekend before the first day of school, kids can just be kids. And for many, this means not having the pressure and stress that is often involved with being on a youth sports team. That boy across the street was out hitting balls every night during the season. My guess is, he wanted to be in order to improve and keep his name on the lineup card. Or at least was more
willing to be out there. But now that the season is over, I can’t help but think he’d rather be in a pool somewhere, romping around the local jungle gym, playing kickball, or maybe coming along for a bike ride. As parents, we need to keep that in mind. While there’s nothing wrong with kids being outside during the summer months playing baseball or basketball or maybe even a sport they never play in an organized league, they should do so on their own terms. It shouldn’t be because we parents are making threats about how the other players are all practicing on their own or playing on travel teams or in summer leagues. Or how about this one: “If you don’t practice, you’ll be left off the team next year.� Yes, that’s one of my originals, thus this column. If your son (or daughter) does ask you to shoot hoops in the driveway or head to the batting cages, that’s great. But try not to offer advice unless asked. Just observe. Think of it as if your child chose to read a book just for fun that wasn’t on
his summer reading list. My guess is you wouldn’t be looking over his shoulder trying to hone his reading skills. In fact, you probably wouldn’t even be in the same room. During the summer, don’t to fine-tune his swing ‌ unless he asks. During the summer months, I try to remember this simple rule: The best way for a kid to spend his time during
the summer when it involves sports, is simply, however he chooses. Much like we did, or wish we had been allowed to, when we were kids. Contact Jon Buzby at JonBuzby@ hotmail.com and follow him @YouthSportsBuzz on Twitter.
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