We are all the problem

[Unregistered]

Three out of four American families with school-aged children have at least one playing an organized sport — a total of about 45 million kids. By age 15, as many as 80 percent of these youngsters have quit, according to the Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine. One reason is the gap between the child’s desire to have fun and the misguided notion among some adults that their kids’ games are a miniature version of grown-up competitions, where the goal is to win.

[Unregistered]

The main reason is pussyy. Not dads and moms.

[Unregistered]

Three out of four American families with school-aged children have at least one playing an organized sport — a total of about 45 million kids. By age 15, as many as 80 percent of these youngsters have quit, according to the Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine. One reason is the gap between the child’s desire to have fun and the misguided notion among some adults that their kids’ games are a miniature version of grown-up competitions, where the goal is to win.

That is a sad statistic. The kids feel they can't be successful (in the A game) and they leave.

[Unregistered]

What are the stats in other countries?

[Unregistered]

Three out of four American families with school-aged children have at least one playing an organized sport — a total of about 45 million kids. By age 15, as many as 80 percent of these youngsters have quit, according to the Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine. One reason is the gap between the child’s desire to have fun and the misguided notion among some adults that their kids’ games are a miniature version of grown-up competitions, where the goal is to win.

Coaches and some parents take the fun out of the game. Been there, seen that.

[Unregistered]

This is misleading in so many ways...

Kids develop other interests, school becomes more involved with the amount of homework and college preparation, many go from paying to be on a team coached by a parent to now having to go through tryouts at the high school level and not being good enough.

I would say a much smaller percentage is actually due to parents "sucking the fun out of the sport".

[Unregistered]

Possibly

This is misleading in so many ways...

Kids develop other interests, school becomes more involved with the amount of homework and college preparation, many go from paying to be on a team coached by a parent to now having to go through tryouts at the high school level and not being good enough.

I would say a much smaller percentage is actually due to parents "sucking the fun out of the sport".

Have you been at the fields lately?

[Unregistered]

The problem in this country is people believing that sports have to be "organized" or they don't count. If kids are out riding bikes, skateboarding, skiing, surfing, playing pickup basketball, hunting, fishing, hiking, climbing, swimming, or any of 100 other physical activities then who cares if it's "organized"? Just get them off the couch and put away their phones for a couple minutes a day.

[Unregistered]

Have you been at the fields lately?

Yes, but again, trying to equate one's personal experience and applying broadly to all sports of all levels will lead to assumptions. Competitive leagues account for a percentage of youth sports, many kids participate in REC.

[Unregistered]

Three out of four American families with school-aged children have at least one playing an organized sport — a total of about 45 million kids. By age 15, as many as 80 percent of these youngsters have quit, according to the Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine. One reason is the gap between the child’s desire to have fun and the misguided notion among some adults that their kids’ games are a miniature version of grown-up competitions, where the goal is to win.

No sh*t Sherlock. Yeah, most kids stop playing childhood sports by the time they get to High School. Oh God, what a revelation!!! Stop the presses!

What's your point? It's always been that way. A high school with several thousand kids will have a baseball team with maybe 20 or so students on it yet I bet a third to half of all the boys in the school played little league or pony baseball when they were little kids.

Do you know the main reason that kids quit playing sports in HS? They aren't good enough to make the HS teams. They have stopped playing as they had less and less success and eventually some give up when they don't make their HS teams. This is not a super secret mystery folks. And the tally's of organized sports count the players on the team, not the number of kids who tried out. I've seen High Schools where 80 kids will try out to make a Varsity or JV basketball teams that can take 20 kids max combined.

[Unregistered]

What are the stats in other countries?

Here in Rwanda 95% of children have stopped playing organized sports by the time they reach 15. Of that group, 20% are already married, 15% have been forced into slave labor and another 30% have been impressed into service into one of the local guerrilla militias.

Ahhh . . . . the teen years. Good times . . . . good times.

[Unregistered]

The problem in this country is people believing that sports have to be "organized" or they don't count. If kids are out riding bikes, skateboarding, skiing, surfing, playing pickup basketball, hunting, fishing, hiking, climbing, swimming, or any of 100 other physical activities then who cares if it's "organized"? Just get them off the couch and put away their phones for a couple minutes a day.

LIKE button

[Unregistered]

No sh*t Sherlock. Yeah, most kids stop playing childhood sports by the time they get to High School. Oh God, what a revelation!!! Stop the presses!

What's your point? It's always been that way. A high school with several thousand kids will have a baseball team with maybe 20 or so students on it yet I bet a third to half of all the boys in the school played little league or pony baseball when they were little kids.

Do you know the main reason that kids quit playing sports in HS? They aren't good enough to make the HS teams. They have stopped playing as they had less and less success and eventually some give up when they don't make their HS teams. This is not a super secret mystery folks. And the tally's of organized sports count the players on the team, not the number of kids who tried out. I've seen High Schools where 80 kids will try out to make a Varsity or JV basketball teams that can take 20 kids max combined.

Saint Johns County schools have started having two JV soccer teams and a varsity about 120 boys and girls playing soccer almost equivalent to the boys football team. Some sports offer more slots than basketball and some of the JV players are rec but who cares. The county rec soccer programs are providing a place for kids to continue playing and the county high school teams are following.

[Unregistered]

No sh*t Sherlock. Yeah, most kids stop playing childhood sports by the time they get to High School. Oh God, what a revelation!!! Stop the presses!

What's your point? It's always been that way. A high school with several thousand kids will have a baseball team with maybe 20 or so students on it yet I bet a third to half of all the boys in the school played little league or pony baseball when they were little kids.

Do you know the main reason that kids quit playing sports in HS? They aren't good enough to make the HS teams. They have stopped playing as they had less and less success and eventually some give up when they don't make their HS teams. This is not a super secret mystery folks. And the tally's of organized sports count the players on the team, not the number of kids who tried out. I've seen High Schools where 80 kids will try out to make a Varsity or JV basketball teams that can take 20 kids max combined.

Few will continue on playing for their college. The point is we want our communities active and healthy with adult leagues, frisbee golf, or whatever!

[Unregistered]

Revelation

One of the problems with competitive soccer is literally no one cares but the parents. There are no "fans", no community pride, and no one on the sidelines but the anxious, delusional parents. It took us awhile to realize this and at least among the kids I know, once they turn 15 or 16, they could care less about impressing the parents. That's what Europe and S.A. have on American soccer and I don't see it changing. My 2 cents worth...