Parents spend hours shuttling kids from school to practices or games. Then back home in time to complete homework. It is not part of the vision we had when we started a family. Although, I’m sure no one sacrifices their time because we love our car so much or even just to get our kids on the “right team”.
However, we decided to commit to another season because it is an investment in their future. Right?
Transactional Sports
Parents actually are trying to take advantage of every possible activity to develop happy and successful adults. Therefore many gravitate to the most convenient option or most popular program. After all, could the crowds and recommendations be wrong?
Parents need to be wary of “popular” options. They should make sure the program is focused on transforming kids into well-rounded adults. There are many coaches and programs which are available just to fill demand and make a few bucks. They often offer many games, but very few practices. These programs are strictly transactional programs focused on building capacity and revenue.
Transformational Sports
The most valuable programs are focused on transforming your kids into adults. They focus on practices and experiences over tournaments, games and trophies. Winning is important as a relative test of improvement, but the practices and instruction create the growth.
Moreover, the time spent with coaches and team mates allows kids to work on relationships. Although, not all relationships blossom into friendships, each one teaches kids how to work with others.
At the end of the day, parents need to step back and identify what they really want for their kids… 10,000 games or 10,000 experiences? It’s the experiences that will be transformational for your kids, on and off the playing field.
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