Attorney Michael de Broglio on: South Africa, Law, Politics, Attorneys, Sport, Photography, Technology, Gadgets, Media, Crime, Road Accidents Fund,
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The recent cover of Time Magazine got me thinking about the obsession that many parents have with their kids’ sporting careers. I was astounded to read how many families are investing in their kids to play sport in America with families spending on average $1,472 per year for a child to play soccer and $4,044 for a child to play baseball. That covers travelling, private coaches at home for $100 an hour, etc, and so on and so forth while targeting a specific sport from a young age. The theme of the article was how there is now a hyper-charged sport scene going on and I guess it has been replicated in South Africa, particularly in sports like rugby and cricket.
I think these parents are overdoing it and I take comfort from the research done on top division athletes that found that 88% of them have played an average of two or three sports as children and didn’t focus on just one sport. In other words, these parents who are driving their kids around, hoping to turn them into future baseball or soccer stars, are making the mistake in focusing on one sport only. Of course, you can throw Tiger Woods’ name back at me straightaway as the exception, but I am talking about the vast majority who are playing numerous sports.
They have also found that young athletes who participate in their primary sport only for more than 8 months in a year are also the children most likely to suffer injuries relating to the overuse of those particular muscles, tendons, etc. The article includes interviews with officials of a small town who built huge sports facilities to attract regional tournaments in their town. They built 31 fields for soccer in synthetic grass, for example and are hoping that the money they have spent is going to lead to more nearby hotels, etc. They basically say that their big money-maker is sports tournaments for children under 16 years of age because, once the children are involved, they end up having to bring mom, dad, brothers, sisters and their grandparents on holiday to the town. What are your thoughts on this and do you have any children who you are driving around the country to participate in events at different towns or is this something that has not really taken off in South Africa yet?
Posted by Michael de Broglio on Monday 04-Sep-17
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Comments
Alexis said:
on Monday 02-Oct-17 02:35 PM
With all of this, what is your kid doesnt even want to have sport as a career!!! And then, What - are you going to make your kids feel guilty for all the effort you put in as a parent forcing your kids to do something they may not want
Tamaryn said:
on Monday 02-Oct-17 10:09 AM
Sports is a social and family thing - I think more so in USA than anywhere else, so it doesn't surprise me that small towns have capitalized on it to increase the flow of tourists in and out of their towns. When it comes to which sports and how many sports a child should play- I think it's best determined by the child him/herself and then obviously the financial means of the parents. Let the children decide which sport they enjoy the most without being pushed toward any particular one of them at the parents insistence.
Thabitha said:
on Tuesday 26-Sep-17 10:22 AM
My son was participating in athletes while he was in primary and we used to accompany him on weekends and now he is playing soccer until he finds what he wants or good at he must keep on playing.
Jessica M said:
on Friday 22-Sep-17 11:09 AM
I must say, I will let my children play whatever sport they would like to play, however if their studies drop so will their sport. They need to have back up plans in life because you never going to be 100% sure how far you will go with anything. My hope is my boys will rather prefer their studies than their sports. Every parents dream I guess lol.
Jessica Apfel said:
on Thursday 21-Sep-17 04:43 PM
If the child has a talent and it is identified early on - I don't see why you shouldn't harness that talent? That being said, it should be a choice of the child and parents should merely be supportive! At a young age though, we should be encourage to participate in as many sports as possible - you never know where your talents lie?
Celeste said:
on Thursday 21-Sep-17 10:36 AM
My personal opinion is that I've got a friend that's son does so many types of sports you can't even keep up with him. 1 season his playing soccer and next his playing rugby then now he wants to do boxing , and his mom says of course try a 30 minute session and if you like it , we'll pay for the season. if you like a sport stick to 1 sport.
Ashleigh said:
on Tuesday 19-Sep-17 08:47 AM
Sports are becoming so rare in schools unless you have your child in a private school. The sport in a public school is more a play play sport then actually involved with other schools like it used to be. I believe that your child should have a passion for a specific sport and its their choice whether they want to proceed with it. Not be forced into something they do not want to do. Some parents like to just determine their children's future without even asking their kids what they really want. I think there is a smaller chance of your child becoming a soccer star than becoming a doctor.
Johannesburg based attorney specializing in personal injury matters including Road Accident Fund claims and medical negligence matters. My interests include golf, reading and the internet and the way it is constantly developing. I have a passion for life and a desire for less stress!
