In the late 1990s when I volunteered to “coach” third and fourth-grade girls for our city recreation program, my goals were to practice the basic skills they had learned in physical education class and to encourage them in a setting where there were no boys. I wanted them to see a woman who could shoot and dribble a basketball and knew something about the game. And I wanted them to know basketball was a game they could play in middle school, if they wanted to.

They wanted to have fun for one hour on a winter Saturday morning.

I think we both succeeded. 

Twenty years later there are similar programs that introduce three- and four-year-olds to sports. And the third and fourth graders are on traveling teams playing in weekend tournaments. As a physical education teacher my husband advised me on what my third-grade girls might be ready to learn, reminding me that elementary kids develop motor skills at different rates and asking them to do too much can frustrate them or turn them off to an activity.

The current youth sports system introduces many kids to sports before they are physically or mentally ready.

So, is it really that surprising that the majority of kids start playing sports at age eight—and quit by age eleven?

This is a problem

A lot of people are concerned about the dropout rate. Tournament organizers and venue operators may worry about their profits. Some parents see hopes for a college scholarship disappear. Others care about love of the game—will kids who are turned off also lose interest in being fans as adults—or will they not encourage their own children to try sports?

And some people are genuinely concerned about the well-being of children and the need for kids to be active to be healthy.

I agree that kids need to be physically active, but somewhere along the line, we bought into the idea that the only way for kids to benefit from play is to be on a team. So instead of playing kickball in the backyard or splashing with friends in the city swimming pool, kids attend a sports practice. And instead of riding their bike to the local park to play pick-up games, they ride in the car to play in a tournament on a team organized and coached by parents.

How’s that working for us?

Why they quit

There are many reasons kids quit including too much pressure from coaches, peers and parents. Many families can’t afford to put their kids in organized sports or live where none are available. But the biggest reason kids quit is that they aren’t having fun—the reason they should be drawn to play in the first place.

So now we have organizations working to reinvent organized youth sports. To help parents and coaches set realistic goals and learn how to be supportive and encouraging. To teach age-appropriate skills. To help kids benefit in ways that used to happen naturally through unstructured play and school sports. To make sports fun.

The reinvention of youth sports is a topic I highlight monthly. There are many resources for parents wishing for something different for their kids.

But here’s a thought:

If your child is only going to play sports for a few years, wouldn’t they gain more by playing from ages 11-18 instead of 3-11?   

New season new ballgame

Wouldn’t it be better if kids play during the years when participating in sports can teach them how to manage their time? When they can learn what it means to work hard in practice to earn a starting position? When they can understand that we don’t always win—sometimes we don’t even get in the game—but being part of a team has value?

In my opinion, kids are missing out twice. They are missing the fun and explorations of being an elementary age kid. And when they burnout on sports early, they are missing out on the rewards of playing a sport as a teenager.

The current system has contributed to this situation by providing too much too soon. Here’s some conversation starters:

• What if we delayed introducing kids to organized sports until they are in middle school?

• What if the earliest opportunities were for third graders—and only to introduce them to skills and let them sample a variety of sports?

• What if we reduced the time commitment for youth sports? If there were fewer practices each week, fewer games and shorter seasons, kids and families would all benefit.

• And how about we stop overlapping kids’ sports seasons, and give them some actual downtime between them? Kids bodies need to rest, but there’s also something to be said for building anticipation and excitement for the next season.

What’s more beneficial in the long-run, quantity or quality? I vote for quality of experience—and quality of life.

I was fortunate that Title IX gave me the opportunity to play basketball. My first experience with organized sports was at age 14.

I played in fewer than 60 games total.

And I’ve been reaping the benefits ever since.

Read more 

Survey: Kids Quit Most Sports by Age 11, The Aspen Project Play Organization, August 2019

Scroll down to see: Age children quit regularly playing a sport (ages 3-18),  The Aspen Project Play Organization, August 2019