I didn’t grow up playing youth sports. I never even heard of travel sport. My friends did not play on travel teams, so it wasn’t something I knew about. I joined teams when I reached middle and high school.
My husband participated in all kinds of youth sports. It was a part of his childhood. So many of his memories are infused with days and weekends spent on a field, in a gym, outside, competing.
As a parent, he loves every part of youth sports: the camaraderie, the discipline, the hard work, the rewards.
Hubs believes sports teach kids great lessons. He’s not wrong, but that’s not the whole story. We can learn camaraderie, discipline and hard work in a multitude of ways. Our kids learn life’s lessons from chores, friends, and homework. They learn through play dates and afternoons of hiking, books, and playgrounds.
As a parent with a new perspective, I’m wrapping my head around this sports thing.
Some kids love it, while others don’t. When we got into this sports stuff, I thought we needed to decide, as a couple, what works for our family. Are we a sports family? If so, to what degree?
LM1 is into baseball and enjoys the rigor of that schedule. He’s a dude who can’t sit still, so the organized schedule is welcomed. LM2 is wrestling, but feels less enthusiastic about it. Sometimes he loves it, and sometimes he hates it. LM3 likes soccer and piano, but she also likes play dates and time on the playground. She loves to draw at the kitchen table.
This fall, LM3 has befriended other siblings on the field and in the wrestling room. I was not surprised at all when, at our last practice, she and another sibling found a free wrestling mat where they practiced cartwheels for nearly an hour. The freedom of their spontaneous play was magical to watch. I found myself thinking, “YES! This is what our kids need! They need more time to explore freely, get creative, and live in the moment.”
Noticing her spark of magic set me off thinking: we less sports and more free time.
But, it’s possible that isn’t the solution, either.
Hubs and I make some decisions for our kids. Other decisions we encourage the kids to help make. We’re seeing that what’s right for one kid isn’t always right for the other. We’re learning there’s more stretch, more flexibility, more freedom in our parenting style, too.
There isn’t a “what’s right for our family” so much as “what’s right for you” approach unraveling.
I’m finding peace in the kids’ different choices. I’m finding peace in their different personalities. And I’m finding peace in how they learn their lessons.
What brought you peace this week? Share the peace!
4 the Love of Peace 