Conflict of Activities

[SamG]

Interested in opinions on this one...

DD (11) made her school's academic team. They had practices and meets in the fall. She also wants to try out for the school softball team. They had their first conditioning last week. Next conditioning is scheduled for Thursday. On Friday she brings home a paper from academic team saying that practice has been rescheduled for Thursday to get ready for a big competition Saturday.

We're having DD talk to both softball coach & academic team advisor to see if one will let her go to the other or split her time between them. Of course (I think because softball is just conditioning), she wants to do the academic team practice.

Thoughts?

 

[Coach JV]

Academics is always#1 as I coach, I always stress school over sports

 

[sluggers]

Your child is telling you that she values academics overs softball. Sounds like a pretty rational young lady to me. She is handling the problem appropriately by talking to the coaches.

You should be doing handsprings.

 

[SamG]

Your child is telling you that she values academics overs softball.

Sorry, the cynic side in me says she values sitting in a library for a couple hours instead of doing windsprints in a gym.

Sounds like a pretty rational young lady to me.

I agree it's rational.

She is handling the problem appropriately by talking to the coaches.

You should be doing handsprings.

I'm happy with how we're doing things. I just wondered about other folks' thoughts.

 

[Coach-n-Dad]

I completely agree with sluggers on this.

Just because your DD values academics over softball doesn't mean she doesn't want to play softball.

Remember that she is only 11 years old. What is that, 6th grade? If she is like most other kids she will want to try a lot of different activities. I suggest you let her try as many different activities as she wants to at this age and if she chooses something over softball it is HER CHOICE and not yours. Heck, she might even choose something over softball now and decide that she wants to play softball after all.

Let me give you a personal experience: During fall of 2009 (first year of high school) my DD played on a travel softball team, played school volleyball and planned to play basketball for the school in winter. There were a couple of times that two sporting events took up the same time slot and DD told me that when it comes down to it, school sports come before travel softball. At first I was concerned but decided that it is her life, let her live it (tough decision for a crazy softball daddy).

On December 9th, DD dislocated her ankle playing basketball during PE. At the ER she was in tears. The doctor asked her if she needed more pain medicine and DD answered that she wasn't in pain, she was concerned that she might never play softball again (no mention of any other activity).

 

[sluggers]

The most important single thing parents teach children is *HOW* to make decisions. A parent should show them a process for making decisions. The next most important thing is to teach a child how to live with their decisions. You have a situation where the child can make a difficult decision but the consequences for a poor choice are minor. This is a perfect opportunity to let the child make the decision and let her live with the consequences (good or bad) that go with the decision.

 

[mudbug]

Sounds to me like she is choosing what she is most committed to already, and which would have the biggest implictions for missing. Sounds like an intelligent young lady.

Hey Coach-n-dad, my DD cried too when she hurt herarm , she thought she wouldnt be able to play softball anymore.

 

[JC heir]

My thoughts are that acedemica are important for an 11 yo. Conditioning is only marginally important at that age....heck when I was 11 ....aw never mind, Im sure you get the pic.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

I think I know what the Academic team is. My son was on ours and it was called Scholastic team. Some call it quiz bowl.

Hopefully, the coaches will work this out for her.

Is she able to make up the conditioning? Or can someone tape the academic team practice?