Would You?

[Johnny Canuck3]

I watched a commentator talking about Phelps and his mother. Apparently when he was 11, he was a pretty good swimmer, and the coach came to his mother, and said he had a 17 year plan for Michael.

The first four years involved training every day, seven days a week, for four years. Apparently he had a gold medal before he had a driver's licence.

If you had an 11 year old who was a pretty good swimmer, would you commit your kid to something like that, for a chance years down the road, for Olympic medals, etc.?

 

[ScallyWag II]

I've not got any children so i have no idea really what i would do. If i did have and they were talented at something, then i think i'd certainly give them all the support i could, as long as they enjoyed it. Tricky one though, if he/she/they were really good at something would i be able to pull back from pushing them hard? Hypothetical for me so i really don't know.

A lot of it must depend on the children though. If they don't want to do it then surely they won't?

 

[1927]

I've not got any children so i have no idea really what i would do. If i did have and they were talented at something, then i think i'd certainly give them all the support i could, as long as they enjoyed it. Tricky one though, if he/she/they were really good at something would i be able to pull back from pushing them hard? Hypothetical for me so i really don't know.

A lot of it must depend on the children though. If they don't want to do it then surely they won't?

Call me a cynic or whatever, but I think this is the difference bewteen the UK and other countries like say US and Aus. Kids in those countries know the hard work and sacrifice it takes to be that good. I have a feeling that although there are kids in the UK who think the same, there is a far greater proportion of kids who want the rewards without putting in the effort.

 

[twistedAM]

I have a feeling that although there are kids in the UK who think the same, there is a far greater proportion of kids who want the rewards without putting in the effort.

Call me flippant but the first thing that came into my head when I read that was the GB Track and Field team.

 

[JTG]

Call me flippant but the first thing that came into my head when I read that was the GB Track and Field team.

You can put the England football team and most English footballers into that category as well

 

[The Straw]

Call me a cynic or whatever, but I think this is the difference bewteen the UK and other countries like say US and Aus. Kids in those countries know the hard work and sacrifice it takes to be that good. I have a feeling that although there are kids in the UK who think the same, there is a far greater proportion of kids who want the rewards without putting in the effort.

Thanks for the compliment, but kids here aren't all that different from kids elsewhere.

I think some of this depends on the sport.

Track & Field is something you'll find African-American kids here doing since it doesn't cost much money to run. (Basketball is by far the most common sport you'll see these kids playing, though, since their heroes are B-Ballers who make lots of money).

England was excellent in Track & Field when white guys were also prevalent. Look at how that sport has changed both there and here in America.

We've got LOADS of kids who fit the soccer (football) physique, but you don't see 'em playing soccer because they'd rather be basketball players or baseball players. And how big is our conutry??? Yup huge, and we can't put together a decent team that can at least not embarrass itself internationally in the World Cup??

Phelps loved to swim so it was easy for his mom to want to take him the next step forward.

I've always said that a recruiter is going to have to literally take $100 bills from one basketball/baseball camp to another ni order to attract the kind of talent we're going to need in order to get some decent soccer (football) players to want to be seen internationally. Most kids here don't even think 'Olympics' but rather 'Which sport will make me rich'.

Olympians like Phelps tend to be the exception.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

I watched a commentator talking about Phelps and his mother. Apparently when he was 11, he was a pretty good swimmer, and the coach came to his mother, and said he had a 17 year plan for Michael.

The first four years involved training every day, seven days a week, for four years. Apparently he had a gold medal before he had a driver's licence.

If you had an 11 year old who was a pretty good swimmer, would you commit your kid to something like that, for a chance years down the road, for Olympic medals, etc.?

I'd ask them. Maybe he really loved it.

 

[The Straw]

If you had an 11 year old who was a pretty good swimmer, would you commit your kid to something like that, for a chance years down the road, for Olympic medals, etc.?

Here in America there tends to be- a lot of the time- parents who'll push their kids into a sport rather than hold back and *ask* the kids if they want to continue in a more competitive fashion.

That's almost the norm in 'Little Legaue' (baseball) and many other sports where kids appear to excel and the parents start thinking dreams of gold medals and/or riches. Gymnastics is waaay prevalent with that here. Scouts visit gymnastics arenas and see who they think has the right stuff to compete. We've got a swimming arena nearby where scouts have visited to see which swimmers might have the right stuff for the next level.

These kids don't just happen to appear out of the blue.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

Here in America there tends to be- a lot of the time- parents who'll push their kids into a sport rather than hold back and *ask* the kids if they want to continue in a more competitive fashion.

That's almost the norm in 'Little Legaue' (baseball) and many other sports where kids appear to excel and the parents start thinking dreams of gold medals and/or riches. Gymnastics is waaay prevalent with that here. Scouts visit gymnastics arenas and see who they think has the right stuff to compete. We've got a swimming arena nearby where scouts have visited to see which swimmers might have the right stuff for the next level.

These kids don't just happen to appear out of the blue.

It happens here as well, mostly in hockey. Lots of parents push their kids in hockey, thinking of scholarships or the NHL, and a lot of kids end up dropping out and hating the game.

 

[Homeless Mal]

Here in America there tends to be- a lot of the time- parents who'll push their kids into a sport rather than hold back and *ask* the kids if they want to continue in a more competitive fashion.

In Australia it is about the same, esp with swimming. I think it is the parents who push. Afterall they have to commit to taking the kid to the pool early mornings etc. My parents never pushed me like that which is why I am now a mediocre adult.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

I wonder if pushing kids in athletics makes any difference, except for those who go on to professional status or the olympics.

I know a lot of people who were very active in sports, and their achievement as adults runs the full spectrum.

 

[spring-peeper]

I watched a commentator talking about Phelps and his mother. Apparently when he was 11, he was a pretty good swimmer, and the coach came to his mother, and said he had a 17 year plan for Michael.

The first four years involved training every day, seven days a week, for four years. Apparently he had a gold medal before he had a driver's licence.

If you had an 11 year old who was a pretty good swimmer, would you commit your kid to something like that, for a chance years down the road, for Olympic medals, etc.?

If that is what my kids wants, then I would do my best to accommodate him. But the nearest swimming pool is over an hours drive from here, so he had better be really serious about it!!!

Also, as a parent, I would be extremely pleased that my child was actually committing himself to something other than video games.

 

[JTG]

There has to be some initiative from the parent(s) at first otherwise a child may never do any sports at all. I learned to swim because it was seen as a necessary skill to have but didn't enjoy so never persevered beyond the basics.

Other than football, rugby and cricket at school I never tried anything else and was never encouraged to. Perhaps if my parents had been more aware of what was on offer (or if there had been anything on offer full stop) then I may have found something I truly enjoyed and was good at.

 

[spring-peeper]

It happens here as well, mostly in hockey. Lots of parents push their kids in hockey, thinking of scholarships or the NHL, and a lot of kids end up dropping out and hating the game.

Here, it tends to be soccer that most parents push their kids into. We have more kids going to college on soccer scholarships than with hockey.

Our county plays a lot of soccer and our school, town and county teams win more games than they lose.

Interferring/verbally abusive parents have lead to the rule that a ref can call any game as a result of nasty parents. I think they ended up cancelling three or four games over a two week span. Last I checked, parents are no longer a problem.

 

[scifisam]

Possibly, depending on how long the daily training would be. If the kid really, really wanted to do it, then I'd agree to trial it at least. Deciding between them having such a disjointed late childhood, and never achieving their potential - either way, you're going to have regrets.

 

[keithy]

I definately would, the pride of having a super hero son/daughter would be enough to make me push that little fucker to victory at all costs.

I realise that some people do not see olympians as super-heroes but I have a lot of time on my hands and needed an idol sooo... yeh.

 

[SpookyFrank]

I'm glad my parents never pushed me into anything (my sister was forced to do years of piano lessons) because now I'm kind of OK at lots of different things so I never get bored and always have something new to learn