Parental Advice

I have a 11 yr old boy. I feel we have you have to let them experience different things. I kind of pushed him into soccer and now he loves it. This year he wants to start playing some baseball. I told him if its what you want to do go for it. Its still a win for you if she wants to be involved in some sports and keeps occupied.

If she hates soccer, and you make her play, she may resent you later on.

 

i would ask her to try both and see what she likes better... im also a young one but if my parents made me play a sport i didnt like i wouldnt have the relationship i have with them today

 

I agree with all the folks who have said finish this season and then let her branch out. Some of the more rebellious folks I know were folks made to keep their hair a certain way and play certain sports and do certain other things...all decided by their parents.

You can't make her like it or continue to excel...so what is the point in making her continue to play??

 

My son started playing baseball when he was 7 and has played nearly every spring, summer and fall league he could. He also had a desire to try football but it always got in the way of the fall league. This last year he sheepisly came to my wife and I and asked if he could pass on the fall league and try football though the school. He thought he was letting us down because he was playing football even though my wife and I love baseball. We told him it didn't matter, he was the one playing and not us. He should be playing whatever sport made him happiest and whatever he wanted. He liked football and plans to stick with it in the fall but continue with baseball in the spring and maybe summer. I will cheer him on no matter what sport he chooses, I guess sometimes we forget to say that.

 

my younger brother (13) did the exact same thing. he had played since he was around 5 and by the time he was 12 he was on the number 2 team in the nation for his age group playing select soccer. he had loved it all those years then he got one bad coach that ruined it for him. does your daughters team do anything fun after the games? the hanging out after created a huge group unity then once it was broken they all stopped playing

 

Personally I would have her stick out the season, then let her quit and do the competive cheerleading.

 

X2
Teach her to honor her commitments to the team for the remainder of the season and then let her decide what she wants to "commit" to next. If you force her to do something that she doesn't want to do it will be hell for both of you!

I'm going through a similar situation right now with a kid who wants to quit piano lessons after 5 years. We want her to enjoy and always give her best effort whatever activity she chooses (and she MUST choose at least one), but once the choice is made she must honor whatever commitment is made.

 

Fixed it for ya!

 

im not a parent but i say make her finish the season just because she should learn not to quit in the middle of something. also explain that it will be very difficult to get back to the same level in a different sport. i have experience in that. in 6th grade i quit soccer and play lax for a year and went back to soccer. i think that if i had kept playing soccer for even that year i would have had a much bigger impact on my travel team as well as my high school team, which as a senior and not being a starter really sucks.

i also recommend two sports, although it is difficult, its definitely worth it in the long run, most of my friends that played two or three sports are definitely going to great colleges.

just think of her future really, good luck with the decision