No i don't want him to focus on soccer anymore. I said I'm giving up He can focus on whatever he wants
I have to accept that a kid is influence by his environment. By what's available in the setting he grows up in. some kids grow up in the favelas of Brazil. Some in the inner cities of France. Those kids inevitably will be playing a lot of "street soccer" They aren't playing baseball, or american football. Some kids grow up in the Dominican Republic and play "street baseball" with broomsticks and bottle caps. They are not going snowboarding on the weekends. Most American kids grow up and try a variety of sports. The parents organize it and drive the kids in a nice air conditioned SUV (or increasingly a Tesla). My kid has access to soccer, to baseball. To a bit of flag football. To a bit of basketball. To whatever the school offers. To video games. It is what it is. Originally I wanted my kid to play as much as [insert any country] kids. But that just drove me crazy trying to figure out how to make that happen. The setting isn't built for it to happen here. This is why the US National team will always be a step behind. Even given the vast resources we put into soccer as a country; we're still not as good as little Croatia. Anyways I have to accept the realities of this environment. If it is meant to be for him to play multiple sports, as is the case with most kids in this neighborhood, then I have to go with the flow instead of always feeling like i'm swimming up stream. thanks for coming to my Ted talk
The Fall will be the busiest season yet: We will attempt 1. club soccer 2. fall travel baseball 3. flag football with his school team Will this be possible? Its stressing me out thinking about it
If it's stressing you out just thinking about it, why are you stressing out your son who is actually playing?
where did you get that he's stressed out? he's not thinking about the Fall. He's not even thinking past this weekend.
I see "giving up" lasted around 50 hours. SMH "Possible"? Sure, in that you can possibly do it. But I wouldn't expect a great season in any sport.
I gave up. My original plan was club soccer. I'm giving in to other sports. Something will have to give. You're right.
Here's what you said... You don't want him to focus on soccer, but you're "giving in" to other sports? Three sports in a season is NOT a good idea. Two sports is iffy. How exactly do you see this all working out? Between practices and games (even if the FB is just during the week) for three sports, you will be missing a lot.
I am giving up on him being a 100% soccer player. A lot of kids are 100% soccer. Across the world. In order to compete I thought you have to be 100% soccer. But I have to give up that idea. It is what it is. He is not 100% soccer. He is multi-sport. Not sure how it will work out. That's why I'm stressed lol But his mom wants him to try out for travel baseball. Spring baseball is not even finished and the fall ball tryout is today. And she and he want to tryout for the school football team because it will be his last year at the school (as a 6th grader). So I guess he'll just have to day maybe 2 days of football, 2 days of soccer, and 1 day of baseball during the week. And then games on the weekend.
I don't know. The mom has a say, and I'm increasingly wanting to not butt heads with her, the older I get.
I don't even think this is true, at least not until your son goes through puberty and starts to develop his technical ability (in whatever sport) with his adult body. Very very rarely is the best U12 player in any sport the best U17 player....and the best U17 player is very rarely the best U20 player...and then the best professional players can come from anywhere (Tom Brady, Josh Allen, etc.). Sure there are some exceptions, like Messi, but I think he's an exception to the rule. Some of the US's best Olympian swimmers and runners come from an aerobic team-sport background. For example, Grant Fisher (bronze medals in the track 10K and 5K last Olympics) was a really good soccer player until he realized in high school that he was an elite-level runner (https://www.freep.com/story/sports/...lympics-bronze-paris-2024-soccer/74835643007/). Tons of NFL players were really good in other sports before they decided to commit to football. Athleticism is athleticism, and a lot of sports have transferable skills up and until you're starting to compete with the top 10-20% of athletes at the highest levels...where sport-specific technical ability then becomes required. Once you're getting to that level of ability, most of your son's remaining improvements will come from deep training--which is only going to happen if your son has the intrinsic motivation necessary to make those improvements. Wayne Gretzky said something like "nobody told me to go practice by my own in my backyard. I just did it." @George8 recommended The Talent Code by Dan Coyle, I'll echo that and recommend it again. I think it will really help your perspective in helping your son develop into the human and athlete you'd like him to be. But based on that book, you want your son at 11, at 12, to develop athleticism in multiple aspects (sprinting, jumping, coordination, agility, stamina, etc.), resilience, determination, coachability, and you crucially want them to develop myelin. Having them play baseball and soccer is probably a good thing. It allows them to build all of the skills above, and it more crucially allows him to better decide what he truly has passion for, and what he doesn't. Then, once he's 13, 14, 15, and maturing physically, he'll be in the best position to put in the deep work and the deep training necessary for the technical success in the sport he wants to play. FWIW, I enjoy reading your threads because you very clearly want the best for your son. I think that's admirable. From my perspective, I think your son is at an age where he will benefit from playing both baseball and soccer...and then later deciding what he wants to do once he's a bit older.