Organized Sports Schedules?

[bethanyclaire]

(Please excuse typos... my 7 month old is "helping" me type!)

My 5yo DD (just turned 5 in June) really wanted to join the town cheerleading team this year. We got a Parks & Rec notice in the mail in the spring and I was reading it to DS and DD and letting them choose activities for the summer and cheerleading is all she wanted to do. She was so excited! I am glad she wants to participate even though this is our first experience with organized sports. A team activity will be great for her, particularly because we are homeschooling for her K year this year.

So, my question is this... if your child participates in team sports what does their schedule look like?

I ask because when we signed up we were told by the organizers that the 4 & 5 year old team only meets once a week, twice during competition time. At the first practice yesterday we were informed by the coach that they practice 3 days a week until games start... then it goes to 4 days a week. During competition season it goes to 5 days a week! Games and competitions are extra! We could potentially be at a practice, game or competition 7 days a week some weeks! Practice is 2 1/2 hours long and starts at 5:15! My daughter's bedtime is 7:30 (mostly be her own choice) and now practice doesn't even end until then or later!

Is this normal? Am I wrong in thinking that this is way too much for a 4 or 5 year old? I want her to have fun... not get burned out. I am also a little concerned about possible injury... like joint damage from the repetition. I mean, yesterday they were running laps and doing situps for 30 minutes on top of 2 hours of practicing technique! I can see that for a 13 year old (I did it myself) but at 5?

[AllisonR]

Just my opinion, but for my kids this would be way too much. I have a 3 yo and a 5 yo. Sounds like a semi-professional sport. I'd think once or twice a week, a little fun running around after a soccer ball for 1-2 hours, or gymnastics, or whatever. 5-7 days a week for a 5yo - no way. IMO, if they were really into sports, I'd consider 2 more lightweight sports a week, for variety and experience, over 1 such serious sport. I think it should be about fun first, then maybe teamwork and socialization and only skill after that.

[Alyantavid]

I think that would way too much for a 5 year old.

My now 8 year old has done baseball, football and basketball. The most practices they've had were 3 a week. For 1 1/2 hours each time. When they had games, they dropped one practice.

I don't know about the times though. It seems like practices are either too early or too late.

[pbjmama]

Wayyyyyyyy to much for sure.

[spmamma]

Originally Posted by bethanyclaire

I mean, yesterday they were running laps and doing situps for 30 minutes on top of 2 hours of practicing technique! I can see that for a 13 year old (I did it myself) but at 5?

Wow. I can't believe they are making 5 YO girls do this kind of exercise. Between that and the amount of time required for practices, competitions and games I'd definitely pull my daughter out. No question.

[CarrieMF]

Here no schedules are like that for that age group. Most things are 1-2 nights a week for 1hour.

My oldest(11) is in Judo. They go twice a week for 1 hour. From Jan to Mid-Feb they went 3 times a week for an extra 1 hour as they were preparing for the Winter Games. There were kids who were going to the Winter Games & kids who were not but came for the extra practice to help out or just because.

When they go to Nationals & the Canada Games they don't have a schedule that hectic & they're much older.

[Marsupialmom]

Despite what was decided cheer leading is a real sport. Just like gymnastics! But, IMO a really messed up mentality. I know I might get flamed for that. But I found with the younger cheer groups the mom's were not keeping a balance in healthy competition. Unlike many other sports, there has yet been guide lines established to acceptable behavior "or pushy" parent syndrome.

My kids are swim team and the under 6's practice 45 minutes a day Monday through Friday.

For that age range I think 45-90 minute practices several times a week would be accepted so the child can learn the moves (more practice to remember the moves). At that age range I could see doing 30 minute to hour long daily practices to memorize moves. With cheering there is a lot of memorization frequent practices are needed. Hour long activity a day should not be over whelming to a healthy child.

[bethanyclaire]

Originally Posted by Marsupialmom

Despite what was decided cheer leading is a real sport. Just like gymnastics! But, IMO a really messed up mentality. I know I might get flamed for that. But I found with the younger cheer groups the mom's were not keeping a balance in healthy competition. Unlike many other sports, there has yet been guide lines established to acceptable behavior "or pushy" parent syndrome.

I do not find this excessive. My kids are swim team and the under 6's practice 45 minutes a day Monday through Friday.

For that age range I think 45-90 minute practices several times a week would be accepted so the child can learn the moves (more practice to remember the moves). At that age range I could see doing 30 minute to hour long daily practices to memorize moves. With cheering there is a lot of memorization frequent practices are needed. Hour long activity a day should not be over whelming to a healthy child.

They aren't practicing 45-90 minutes... they are practicing 2.5 hours!

As far as the mentality goes, I won't flame you for that! I am the first to admit that cheerleading wouldn't have been my sport of choice for her. I did cheerleading in middle school but left it behind when I got heavily involved in our horse farm and started riding and training a few hours a day. I'm not afraid of having her work hard, especially for something she wants! I have no problem with the "pushy" parents, really. As long as they leave my daughter alone I don't care very much. I feel badly for their children but I can't control them so I don't get wrapped up in it. That said, our teams here have pretty strict conduct guidelines. If you break them then you are out. I think that is fair and it controls some of the nastiness and cattiness that often goes hand in hand with cheering.

All of that said, there must have been some complaints besides mine because when I brought it up with the director tonight she told me that the 4 & 5's will only be practicing 2 nights a week for now, with 3rd days being optional before competition. They also shortened practice by half an hour. I feel better about it all now. My DD is enjoying it (though she is feeling a little frustrated learning something new... and that is okay with me) and we'll stick with it as long as the new cut back schedule holds.

Thanks for all the responses!

[sanguine_speed]

[Peony]

I still think the schedule is alot for a 5 year and my DD2 does do several activities so we do live the scheduled lifestyle. She is in advanced gymnastics that is only an hour twice a week! I get conditioning, swim team and gymnastics does it but that is a lot of conditioning for young children. I am glad to hear that they backed off some of the practices but they really should drop it down even more for a 5 year old.

[mommajb]

My gut reaction is that it is a lot of time but I would balance that against other commitments. I know that with homeschooling it looks different than it would with full days of school and after school care.

That said, my kids are that scheduled right now. We got involved in a few things not fully understanding the commitment. It seems that jr high sports take about 15 hours a week and my older two are in multiple sports per season while my husband coaches. Against that backdrop my 5 yo having a 9 hour a week commitment at gymnastics doesn't seem so bad.

[Marsupialmom]

Originally Posted by bethanyclaire

They aren't practicing 45-90 minutes... they are practicing 2.5 hours!

As far as the mentality goes, I won't flame you for that! I am the first to admit that cheerleading wouldn't have been my sport of choice for her. I did cheerleading in middle school but left it behind when I got heavily involved in our horse farm and started riding and training a few hours a day. I'm not afraid of having her work hard, especially for something she wants! I have no problem with the "pushy" parents, really. As long as they leave my daughter alone I don't care very much. I feel badly for their children but I can't control them so I don't get wrapped up in it. That said, our teams here have pretty strict conduct guidelines. If you break them then you are out. I think that is fair and it controls some of the nastiness and cattiness that often goes hand in hand with cheering.

All of that said, there must have been some complaints besides mine because when I brought it up with the director tonight she told me that the 4 & 5's will only be practicing 2 nights a week for now, with 3rd days being optional before competition. They also shortened practice by half an hour. I feel better about it all now. My DD is enjoying it (though she is feeling a little frustrated learning something new... and that is okay with me) and we'll stick with it as long as the new cut back schedule holds.

Thanks for all the responses!

EeK!! I had an editing issue. I do find 2.5 hours excessive but not an hourish a day excessive. I am going to remove that sentence. I was working when I was posting. -- maybe I shouldn't goof off at work.