Kids & Sports...Where to Draw the Line?

There is no secret that sports are a part of my family's life - and in a big way. Sports have helped my son in ways that I can't even count. But, even I know that it can get away from us easily. Days are filled with hockey, nights are filled with hockey. Bank accounts are emptied from...you guessed it - hockey. We have to find a way to balance it.

Many parents are having this same challenge. Sports bring balance to so many kids lives. Sports can help increase productivity and focus in school, decrease obesity and help with focus, discipline and responsibility. The problem that can happen is that the sport can overtake a child's life...therefore it overtakes a family's life.

So where do you draw the line? How do you know when to draw it? What if YOUR KID could be the next GREAT ONE? The Wall Street Journal recently published a great article on this exact subject with some great examples of how some families across the country are cutting back, and balancing out - while still keeping their kids doing what they love to do. Drawing the Line on Youth Sports will definitely give you more to think about - and maybe more to talk about with your own players...and coaches.

As our hockey coach says, at the end of the season, whether travel or house league, no matter HOW many games you played or how much time you logged, it should be about:
1. Did your player learn something this season?
2. Did your player have fun this season?
3. Did your player increase in at least 1 skill this season?
That's what it should be about. Well, that and making sure your family was right there with you, cheering you on.

Try hard. Have fun. And always...have a pizza party after wards! You're never too old for that.