<p>2boys - thanks for the NYTimes article. My oldest played Ultimate at Penn, and continues playing even after graduation. He was trying to make a decision this past weekend whether to attend a church retreat or a frisbee tournament - don’t know what he decided.</p>
<p>Here’s the link to the article, if anyone’s interested. You have to register for the paper, but it’s free:</p>
<p>To me youth, HS, and college sports are SO MUCH better in person than pro sports. At this point I fuel my addiction in 2 ways. First, I have become a groupy of my local HS’s teams … the kids are still close enough in age to mine that I always know some of the kids … I love watching HS games … great skill, effort, seats, and price! </p>
<p>Second, I also have become very active in the youth sports programs and with the towns recreations folks … trying to grow and improve our youth programs … so we get more kids playing, so it is more fun, and so the coaching is improved (focus on fun and skill development). In many ways this is easier when it will not effect one of my kids (who have moved on) … while some people may not agree with my position on some topics they do not question my motives or bias.</p>
<p>Finally, when my son dropped soccer Mom3togo and I almost had heart attacks at the thought of never seeing him on a soccer field again. But he had just played enough … and, unfortunatley, I think he may have been a victum of parents taking over youth sports. When I was a kid as a basketball player going through HS varsity involved about 125-150 parent coached and run basketball games … structured play started in 5th grade, no AAU, no other season … so 8 years of games and that was it. For my son soccer started in kindergarten … travel soccer started in 3rd grade … and by 8th grade he ad already played 200+ parent coached and run games … and he never played “club” or ODP soccer (and he certainly could have). For the kids who play “club” through HS it can be about 500 games by the end of HS. 500 games instead of the 125 we played. To me it’s not surprising a lot of kids drop sports in HS and college … at some point it’s enough.</p>
<p>Cur and others–I know it’s not too much solace right this second, but I always find myself thinking, when that day comes, that I’ll just keep an image in my mind of grandchildren learning to play…not that I can imagine how long away that is, but still!</p>
<p>Bottom line, if she’s doing something that she loves (ultimate or whatever else might come her way), it’s good.</p>
<p>I too liked that NYTimes article with S’s school topping the list ;). Thanks for sending me off to find my Education section which I’d forgotten to dig through the Sunday Times to get! I was stuck on the front section and the election map, but that’s a topic for another thread (which I won’t participate in, having Taken the Pledge).</p>
<p>But aren’t you so grateful that she pursued the merit scholarship route as opposed to athletic scholarships. She has the freedom to chart her own college path and that is a beautiful thing! How’s the BB intramural league? Her dorm could have a true ringer!</p>
<p>I don’t know if this will be of any solace, and as a non-athlete, I might not know what I’m talking about BUT - I have noticed that the people I know who have chronic injuries - bad backs, legs, ankles, etc. were very involved in organized sports for a long time. Maybe it’s healthier to back away from heavy duty organized sports after several years participation to give the body a chance to reset the chronometer. I’m not advocating inactivity, at all, and UF is certainly active, just that a change in the activity and the intensity is probably mentally and physically a healthy thing.</p>
<p>I’m chuckling about this because I have in my mind images of all the coaches S has had who can barely walk anymore! I mean, it’s not funny really, but it is really true. Those early injuries in athletics really take their toll later in life. I’m so glad I started running when I was 26, and can still run today at 54 because I had no youth athletics (except age-group swimming), let alone youth injuries. Still, I would bet that those guys would tell you they wouldn’t trade the memories/friendships/life lessons learned along with those injuries…</p>
<p>D is playing 3 on 3 for her sorority and I think 5 on 5 is in the spring. </p>
<p>This UF stuff is pretty intense. It appears that D may be pretty good at it already. She says that she gets a lot of PT even on the co-ed team. She scored (a point? a try? a goal? a touchdown? a run? ) at least twice in the tourney. She told me about those (the guys under-estimated her willingness to hurt herself by “laying out” for the frisbee and her length). She thinks basketball skills help a lot. (Just has to watch the whole “no contact” thing. LOL. )</p>
<p>D is a physical kid. She has knees that swell and ankles that pop. She has 10 teeth that have been knocked loose and she wears a $400 mouthguard to protect them (:eek:). She may still loose them all (nerve roots). (:eek::eek:) She tends to lead with her head. She played one season in a clear acrylic face-shield like the pro’s use. Boy, she hated that. </p>
<p>There may be some truth to the state championship “thing”. Not all of that was a bed of roses for D but it was the pinnacle of success. There is no higher goal for a high school “team player” than “the ring”.</p>
<p>I am not a sports expert and know absolutely nothing about UF, but as far as playing time, there may be rules for co-ed teams that a certain number on the field have to be famale, or something like that. At least for co-ed intramural soccer, there was a rule like that.</p>
<p>Yeah, motheroftwo but like everything in Ultimate it’s kind of laissez-faire. One game it’s 5-2, the next it’s 6-1, and occassionally 4-3 (male-female). I know at this last tournament it was 11 guys and 5 girls competing for Rhodes. </p>
<p>I don’t think these UF kids like lots of rules. I get the impression that it might just be rebellion that took some of them out of more adult-directed sports.</p>
<p>Curmedgeon
Late to this thread but I definitely know what you are talking about.
Been through this withdrawal twice now,first with D who was a musician with all related concerts,performances,lessons,auditions,gigs,etc.Second with S new freshman who played HS varsity roller hockey with travel schedule,etc.Also a state wide Key Club officer with attendant meetings,conferences,etc.
Its very calm and quiet in my house now.</p>
<p>Wow…I feel like I’m living a parallel life with Curmudgeon.</p>
<p>I’m having a similar withdrawal…and I know how distressing it can be. D devoted 6 years to competitive and school cheerleading. For those of you who don’t know, cheer competitions are extremely exciting. Now before you start calling me a Texas Cheerleader Mom ;), I found most of the competitive cheer process (overbearing parents mostly) pretty annoying… except those competitions. Wow…nothing like being in the Alamodome or the Dallas Convention Center filled to the rafters with fans watching your d and her team take center stage. Even my hardcore sportsfan hubby was there in head to toe team gear. (My son was not such a fan, but we found a portable dvd player and headset solved that problem.) Two years ago, we adjusted to a smaller thrill when she traded competitive for school cheerleading. Not quite as athletic, but loved cheering on both the players and the cheerleaders. And we made yet another adjustment before my d’s senior year when she gave cheer up completely to focus on healing an injury, her heavy AP load, college application process and editing the yearbook. It was tough, considered some outside therapy in the form of crashing local cheer competitions, found ourselves still checking out NCAs on ESPN…but we made it through.</p>
<p>Then, suddenly, we are hooked again. D makes the crew team and we are planning our spring vacation around the ACC Championships! We are back baby! </p>
<p>Sadly, last week, my d tentatively broaches the idea of quitting crew. She loves it, she’s good at it, coaches love her and don’t want to lose her…but practices conflict with labs and she doesn’t think it will be possible to do both. aaaarrrrggghhh.</p>
<p>Dang her for being so level-headed and having her priorities in order! What do you do with such a child? :)</p>
<p>Tried to send you a private message but too many others apparently have, too, and you have no room! Here’s an article you might enjoy. We are thinking of you and know it’s hard…you have a wonderful daughter, and she has a wonderful father. New memories are out there for the making!</p>
<p>Cur,
You and self pity just does not seem like a good match. That is what happens - you raised a bright independent kid who can stand on her own two feet. So that is what you got - UF over BB - probably best choice for her. In the meantime will offer to share mine for the season - don’t know how much she will play but they are ranked #10 in pre season polls. If you want to follow, you know where to find her. Choose the proper games and you may be able to see Ds of two of your PM contacts. Besides it sounds like UF games could be exciting to watch.</p>
<p>Mine had the same choice last year - club UF or BB. She chose BB and intermural UF. Watched a intermural competition last year - I thought it was great.</p>
<p>oh, cur, baby, I totalllly know how you feel…my DD was an every sport athlete from the time she was little, almost nothing is as exciting to watch as basketball…I mean volleyball is fun and lovely, but not like bball, soccer is awesome, but still, the fast paCE of bball is so exhilarating. being part of the parent pack, seeing all your game buddies, getting to know the teammates- caring just as much about their triumphs and successes as about your DDs, going to & winning state champs, it’s all an adrenaline rush, over which we have no control!!</p>
<p>My DD ended up at a HS without an awesome bball program (she had the choice of the great bball school with average academics or the mediocre bball program school with stellar academics) DD had bball withdrawal for quite some time, it was fun, she was a star, but it was meaningless as she knew what level should have been played. Then she found rugby…your D sounds like a great potential rugby player…any bball player who has ever been in foul trouble transitions well to rugby! We jumped in with both feet to support the team rugby and got our sports fix…it killed me when she went far away to school though we did manage to see a few games. She really liked it when I was there, as it felt weird not to have family around, esp. at tournaments.</p>
<p>I did survive that freshman year withdrawal with me not seeing the games, but it was big knowing she was playing. Now she is out rehabbing an injury and I don’t know whether she will return to play or not and I will come and join your pity party…and also thank God that she’s fixin’ ta see doctors under the school’s awesome health insurance and not my self-employed $5k deductible plan!!!</p>
<p>One other perspective. D was a ballet dancer. Good enough to cause little gasps in the audience with some of her stuff. Got injured, kept it up, got to college, quit.</p>
<p>Quit cold turkey. Still does port de bras around the house on occasion, but no more gasps.</p>
<p>Here’s the thing. These physical activities, once you take them to the next level, do require stuff of your body that is not compatible with a regular life for the most part. Ballet, for example, is not a natural past-time for women over 17. Things called body fat and having periods are incompatible with twirling around quickly and being lifted by men who are only occasionally over 5’8". Basketball takes a heck of a lot of suffering through pounding. </p>
<p>Those who continue have to really really mean it. They have to be committed. They have to have those bodies that were born different than the rest of us. So although I miss the Nutcracker, I don’t mind that she has given it up. </p>
<p>And in our case, I have the newspaper articles to compensate. Sure, I can’t see her dance. But <a href=“http://www.dailyprincetonian.com%5B/url%5D”>www.dailyprincetonian.com</a> will give me a D hit with sufficient frequency that I can live without the dancing.</p>
<p>And of course, I still have he-who-grunts playing soccer. Won the league championship Saturday! Hooyah! (Small league, NBD, but made S and his family v. happy). And what I know is, kids sports are harder to watch than ballet. No yelling in ballet, just clapping, and no referees to tell you to back off:).</p>
- don’t know what he decided.</p>