Traveling Sports Teams.....Your thoughts.

[United_Caps_Skins_Fan]

Originally Posted by TN Lily

Saganista, it's not always true for ice hockey. I know parents who spent lots of money on a hockey travel team only to see their kid on the ice for a few minutes.

Generally speaking, even those who are less talented and play fewer minutes, still play a substantial portion of the game in ice hockey. Quite a bit different than other sports where they literally may play only a few minutes. I played Ice Hockey all my life, and especially at the younger ages, the playing times are more even. Even when I played bantam and midget (high school level) the kids that were not as good still saw a good 10 minutes a game at least. As you move into the older ranks, where talent matters more, of course there is going to be more time for the more talented and less time for the less talented. That's just really a natural progression of sports teams as one gets older.

If the kids are not going to get as much playing time, what should happen, and often does is that they either wont make that level team, or the coach might suggest they play the next level down that suits their skill level better, and they will thus get more playing time. I was often the first or second line center, so I always played alot of minutes, but even the 4th line guys on our club still got a good 10 mins of playing time in. Again, I think its a personal choice based on the individual circumstance. What's it worth to the kid and to their parents type thing. That said, I'm definitely NOT for pushing a kid to play so far above their heads that they are not enjoying their playing time. Some parents push and push too hard to the point where the kid doesnt enjoy it anymore I think. To me, its a SPORT, and above all else, we play sports because we love them, and have fun playing them. If it got to the point of being no longer fun, well, I just think that's probably bad for everyone involved from the team, on down to the parents and their kid. On the flip side of that I have seen where parents try to force their kid to play the next level down so their kid is THE BEST on the team. I think this does the kid a disservice, and is not exactly the most fair practice. Most of the time though there are things in place that should prevent things like that from happening though. While one might think its great for their kids to feel the best, when the reality does hit that they arent, it is probably worse than it would have been, if you get what I'm saying.

I suppose if my kid played soccer on a travel team, and we spent substantial money on it, and he was only playing a few minutes per match, well then I would probably re think the level they were placed on. Maybe I would move them down to make it more worthwhile, and for them to get more playing time. *sigh*. This thread brings back all kinds of great memories of my youth hockey days.

Really hope you have found some value here. Good luck with it!

[saganista]

Originally Posted by TN Lily

Saganista, it's not always true for ice hockey. I know parents who spent lots of money on a hockey travel team only to see their kid on the ice for a few minutes.

No, it's the same in any sport. Try a house league if what you're interested in is equal ice or court time or the like. If the kid is playing up but still enjoying the ride and learning the game, then the parents just need to chill out. It isn't about them.

[vermonter16]

I have friends that have one of their son's on a travel team. They think he's wonderful, ahhh, I don't think he'll ever make the major leagues. At any rate - this father and son duo or gone every single weekend out to games. The other son stays at home and just hangs around. I'm thinking - what about the other child? His mother is there the majority of the time but when father and son arrive home - the talk is all about the game, how well the child did or didn't do, etc. Again - what about the other child?

And I agree that what is right for one may not be right for all. I think this family is trying to handle it well by having one parent stay home....but the attention is always focused on the child who plays and...when will the dad ever spend time with the other child? Probably very little time will be spent considering that the other child is 15 now and this has been going on for 2 or 3 years.

[Carlingtonian]

When I first saw this subject line, I thought it was about teams like the Harlem Globetrotters.

[TN Lily]

The expectation is that if your kid makes a travel team that they will play in the game. Maybe not "equal time" for all the players. But you don't pay all that money and invest all that time to see your kid sitting on the bench for 99% of the time.

I agree that a kid who plays only a few minutes per game ought not to be on the travel team. That's what house leagues are for. My child plays on a house league and is happy with that. That is where she belongs, not on a travel team.

BUT there are instances where a travel team will take a kid who is not playing well enough to be a on a travel team in order to keep the costs down for the other players who will get lots of time on the ice/field/whatever. This may not happen in an area with plenty of kids trying out for a travel team where the team can be selective. But it happens.

I agree with the other posters. When the family has other children, the siblings are often abandoned in a sense as the spotlight shines on the travel team superstar.

[5stones]

We choose not too for our kids.
With a family of 5, travel sports cost alot, our middle daughter was recruited for soccer $2800.00 for the year plus travel expenses.
That means either the whole family spends at least 1 weekend a month completely centered around that one child at a hotel and games all weekend (not fun for the younger or older sibs)
OR... you split the family and one parent goes with the travel kid. But then you are not spending time with the others.
Then teenagers start driving and dances and fottball games etc... the money and time goes to the one kid.
Vacations.. pretty hard to do.

We choose to find a local "select A team" they travel at most 2 hours away, tounaments etc... are with in a reasonable drive etc... Cost $300/ year.

We did this same type of mentality with our oldest and tennis... no flying to tounaments etc...
She was a varisty player at HS her soph year. She got burned out by junior year...

I have seen SOOO many families lay out sooo much money for the pre-teen and early teen kids (private lessons, trainers, travel teams, Olympic development teams etc... Only to see the kid dump it all by junior year of HS (esp girls) SO many other things become important and training just doesn't anymore.

So if you have the $$$$ and aren't putting EVERYTHING toward 1 kid (only child works great!) Then yes it can be a great expirence for them. BUT, if your other kids feel slighted etc... it will come back to bite you in years to come!