My own kids were never really very competitive in their respective sports (swimming and hockey). They picked up whatever sports on their own and we're never forced to play (my only requirement of them was that if they wanted to go out for 'whatever' sport...that if they began the season, they finished the season, and attended all practices and games...barring illness/injury). But, I've seen some of their friends just quit (various sports) cold turkey at around that age. In some cases they were kids that had great potential, and the possibility of earning at least a college scholarship. But it became 'not fun' for those kids because they were participating year-round. Sometimes in multiple sports. They never had an off-season. In most cases, not all, the parents pushed to kid to compete at the highest, most intense level for their age-group to the point that is wasn't fun for the kid anymore. I coached a couple of youth sports teams when my kids were in grade school. I could usually tell which kids would give it up by high school. Not because of what the kids did or said. But what the parents did and said. They were the parents who 'made' their kids play; who would say things like "Oh, my kid will earn a scholarship." And then when the kid gives it up the parents are surprised. At that point the parent usually says "My kid always told me how much they enjoyed playing." But in reality that was just the kid trying to make the parent happy. Eventually the kid would let their real feelings known.
Dan
My own kids were never really very competitive in their respective sports (swimming and hockey). They picked up whatever sports on their own and we're never forced to play (my only requirement of them was that if they wanted to go out for 'whatever' sport...that if they began the season, they finished the season, and attended all practices and games...barring illness/injury). But, I've seen some of their friends just quit (various sports) cold turkey at around that age. In some cases they were kids that had great potential, and the possibility of earning at least a college scholarship. But it became 'not fun' for those kids because they were participating year-round. Sometimes in multiple sports. They never had an off-season. In most cases, not all, the parents pushed to kid to compete at the highest, most intense level for their age-group to the point that is wasn't fun for the kid anymore. I coached a couple of youth sports teams when my kids were in grade school. I could usually tell which kids would give it up by high school. Not because of what the kids did or said. But what the parents did and said. They were the parents who 'made' their kids play; who would say things like "Oh, my kid will earn a scholarship." And then when the kid gives it up the parents are surprised. At that point the parent usually says "My kid always told me how much they enjoyed playing." But in reality that was just the kid trying to make the parent happy. Eventually the kid would let their real feelings known.
Dan
