WHEN TO MAKE YOUR CHILD PLAY (Quitting is NOT an option): By Coach Dave

When boys and girls are little, sports should be all about fun. There’s enough things in everyday life that kids are told they have to do, but sports should not be one of them. Most of the time, children start playing sports to have fun. They don’t care so much about exercise or fitness. They just want fun and enjoyment. Sometimes the cool uniform, and time spent with friends are factors too. But mostly, it’s all about fun. If your child does not think playing sports is fun, then don’t force him or her to sign up for the team or league. If you are concerned about exercise and fitness, there’s other ways for that to happen. If you want your child to have a chance to learn teamwork, there are other ways to learn that, too. If you are looking for something to keep your child busy, the list of activities available for kids is endless. Try this - sit down with your child and make a top-five list of things they’d like to do or enjoy doing. If sports isn’t in there, don’t force it on them.

Even though your child says, “Mom, Dad I want to play!” there may still come a time during the season or program when the game becomes slow and boring and it’s not fun anymore. This is when you may have to do some forcing. One thing kids should learn is that they can’t always quit something just because they don’t feel like doing it. Your child needs to learn that there are other things to consider: their team, the money spent on uniforms, equipment and registration. Not to mention their reputation as being a dependable, unselfish player or if case be, the opposite. That reputation good or bad will most certainly stick with them throughout their budding athletic careers. Unless your child is injured or suffering from some other emotional or physical issues connected to the coach or team, it’s important that they learn to finish what they started. If your player is miserable, remind them that they chose to play because they thought it was fun and that once the season is over, they don’t have to play again.

But until then - Finish What You Started!