If your son or daughter has shown any measure of aptitude in youth recreational sports, chances are you’ve either been asked to participate in the next level — travel or club sports — or sought out information about those options.
And you’ve likely found that that world is … complicated.
Area parents whose children participate in those more competitive environments — from travel, generally the first step above rec sports, to club and premier settings — say that competition has many benefits such as camaraderie and friendship that build during more frequent and intense practices, a setting where young athletes generally receive better training from more knowledgeable coaches and trainers, and more.
But, those same parents say, there are drawbacks, and they advise several considerations to ensure you – and your children – don’t get overwhelmed or burnt out. Those include cost, as these environments certainly cost significantly more than a more recreational option. Also, parents consider the time element. Travel and club programs involve a far greater commitment, including practice multiple times a week and a much more intense game schedule, too.
Breaking down the benefits
Kurt Krejny, a Hinckley resident, recently wrapped up his first year as coach of a 10U Premier Athletics baseball team. His son, Kai, had played two years previous with the same club, and the duo enjoyed many of those benefits described above of the club setting: regular practice in the offseason, access to indoor turf fields and batting tunnels, professional instructor support and more.
Krejny says Kai also benefited from the increased competitiveness when compared to recreational leagues.
“The kids want to be there, want to practice, want to build friendships and seek a competitive schedule,” Krejny says. “There have been some good friendships formed with people from different communities and backgrounds, which has been nice to witness and be a part of.”
He acknowledged some of the potential pitfalls, though. Time is one, balancing family time, schoolwork and being-a-kid time with the more demanding schedule of club and travel programs.
The Krejnys, for example, practice weekly from September through March, and in March switch to two practices a week for two hours a pop. Add in 30 to 40 games from March on, and it’s quite the commitment.
Other downsides in play
Politics come into play, too, and not the presidential kind. That competitive setting can breed competitiveness among parents and animosity if one feels their son or daughter isn’t being treated fairly or getting the right opportunity. Then there’s the uncertainty of the following year: Does a player make the team? Will the program find new players? It can be stressful.
“Once the season wraps up in July it can be a very stressful few weeks to know if you are called back to a team, or need to line up a private or open tryout for a new one,” Krejny says.
Cost, too, is a factor. Travel clubs for many sports – player fees plus uniforms – can add up quickly, with player fees ranging from $800 to $2,000, or more in some cases, per program.
And, parents say, specialization can be a risk: As athletes start down a more competitive path and the commitment to one sport intensifies, coaches and trainers may suggest that kids specialize in one sport.
Most recently, some training and coaching professionals say that specialization is misguided, and have advised against doing so.
A position statement from the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and its Sports Medicine Advisory Committee says that “studies have shown that sport specialization increases the likelihood of elevated levels of stress and the risk of athletic burnout.
“Also, the repetitive nature of year-round sport specific training and competition significantly increases the risk of injury (particularly overuse injury). Notably, these athletes are at increased risk for injury in all sports they are participating in, not just their specialty sport.”
How to balance it all
The Ryder family, of Shaker Heights, has weighed these impacts — and the benefits of club and travel sports their sons have enjoyed — heavily. The family’s older son, Lachlan, asked for a more competitive setting five years ago after one year of rec soccer, and the family joined the Shaker Youth Soccer Association. Now their younger son, Keegan (8) also plays in SYSA. They’re adding baseball to the mix, as Lachlan had, at time of publication, tried out for five different area travel programs after several years playing recreationally.
Conversely, time – or lack thereof – becomes the family’s issue. Keegan and Lachlan want to play other sports, and Myra Ryder said tough decisions must be made on where the family can split its time and when there are conflicts.
The family has built a plan around soccer to include rec sports, such as flag football, that the boys aren’t ready to play competitively yet. Additionally, the family plans vacation after baseball season and identifies Keegan and Lachlan when they need more time for schoolwork, adjusting appropriately thereafter.
The boys’ mom, Myra, points to coaching as the biggest benefit and difference between SYSA and a rec program, and also feels her sons benefit from playing athletes from other communities, not those they see at recess.
“We think competitive sports also helps us emphasize commitment and dedication to your team,” she says. “We’ve committed to a full year with our coach and team. We emphasize the importance of being at games and practices because the team is truly depending on them to have enough kids on the field and to do their best to do well in their division.”
