MARK KENNEDY: My 8-year-old son is practicing with a group of boys who plan to try out for a select soccer team next month. We’ve talked to the manager of the team and it sounds like a lot of fun — and a lot of work. If my son makes the team, he will be playing soccer virtually year-round for awhile. It will make it difficult for him to play other sports. He loves competing, though, and he really wants to do this. Any thoughts, Karen? I know you’ve been there before.
KAREN NAZOR HILL: I have been there, Mark, and it won’t be long until I’m there again. My 3-year-old granddaughter is playing soccer. Deciding whether or not to play year-round soccer can sometimes be a difficult decision. Not only will your son have to make the commitment, so will you and your wife. You will pretty much have to give up your free time. And there’s a fairly hefty financial commitment, as well, especially if it involves travel, and it likely will. Is it worth it? Yes, every second.
MARK: Thanks for the advice, and the vote of confidence. We’ve pretty much decided to sign on for at least a year if my son makes the team. What nags at me a bit, though, is the thought that he will already be specializing in a sport at such a young age. He loves baseball, too, but I don’t want him to try to play both and end up having to miss a lot of baseball games. Commitment to teammates is one of the big learning lessons of youth sports. (I also worry a bit about our younger son, now 3, who will have to be an involuntary spectator at many of his brothers matches.)
KAREN: Your concerns are justified. The bottom line is that it has to be your son’s decision as to whether or not he wants to make the year-long commitment to soccer, and, perhaps, at the expense of baseball. Some coaches are somewhat understanding if a child misses practice every now and then, while others have no tolerance for absenteeism. One of my children excelled at soccer and swimming. As a freshman in high school, she played varsity soccer and was on the varsity swim team. At the end of the school year, both coaches told her she had to commit to one sport. It was a hard decision for her to make but swimming won. She had been a year-round swimmer since she was 9. Now, at 33 years old, she’s still swimming.