1/ A Sunday question thread: why do American parents care so much about their kids' sports?
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2/ Numbers vary but from a cursory look, somewhere between 55% and 65% of American children between 6-17 play some form of organized team sports (i.e. with instructors and coaches).
Add in the tennis, golf, running, and other individual sports and you're surely around 70%.
Add in the tennis, golf, running, and other individual sports and you're surely around 70%.
3/ The time investment is big, and the financial investment too. A lot of high schools are oriented around their sports teams (Friday Night Lights, etc). But why!?!?
Let's look at some reasons:
Let's look at some reasons:
4/ "It teaches them teamwork."
That's true. But I'm skeptical organized team sports do a better job at that vs traditional playing-in-the-neighborhood.
After all, in organized sports, all interactions are mediated by an adult (coach, ref, instructor, parent, etc).
That's true. But I'm skeptical organized team sports do a better job at that vs traditional playing-in-the-neighborhood.
After all, in organized sports, all interactions are mediated by an adult (coach, ref, instructor, parent, etc).
5/ "It teaches them work ethic."
At first glance, it seems unlikely that engaging in repeated zero-sum competition in an arena where genetic gifts matter *a lot* is going to do a great job teaching work ethic.
At first glance, it seems unlikely that engaging in repeated zero-sum competition in an arena where genetic gifts matter *a lot* is going to do a great job teaching work ethic.
6/ "It teaches them to be good at something."
This is related to the work ethic thing, but not the same. It's the idea that you need to learn what it feels like to be good at something.
This is related to the work ethic thing, but not the same. It's the idea that you need to learn what it feels like to be good at something.
7/ But it's clear sports don't do that. Being "good" at something is relative to some reference class, and the whole point of childhood sports is the reference class is shifting up over time.
I'm good at golf, but it feels like I *suck* when I play with the D1 kids on Fridays.
I'm good at golf, but it feels like I *suck* when I play with the D1 kids on Fridays.
8/ "It teaches them about competition. Winning and losing."
I think we're getting warmer here. If your implicit worldview is that most real-world adult competition is indeed zero-sum, then getting your kids acclimated to it is probably a good idea.
I think we're getting warmer here. If your implicit worldview is that most real-world adult competition is indeed zero-sum, then getting your kids acclimated to it is probably a good idea.
9/ What about dogs that didn't bark? Why must it be sports?
Imagine a child-industrial-complex for business instead of sports.
Your kids sign up for a "team", and the team has coaches, and instruction, and a very well put-together program to teach them how to start businesses.
Imagine a child-industrial-complex for business instead of sports.
Your kids sign up for a "team", and the team has coaches, and instruction, and a very well put-together program to teach them how to start businesses.
10/ Every year the team starts a business, grows it, experiences competition, learns stuff, etc etc.
Except it's NOT zero-sum!
You're learning together how to build something new. Winning means providing value to other people.
Except it's NOT zero-sum!
You're learning together how to build something new. Winning means providing value to other people.
11/ Imagine taking a kid out of soccer from ages 4-16 (2 coached practices a week, one tournament on weekends) and instead putting them in a program where by the end, they've started 10 businesses with a bunch of their friends.
Why doesn't this exist?
Why don't people want this?
Why doesn't this exist?
Why don't people want this?
12/ America loves to think of itself as the land of opportunity, but that's not what we're teaching our kids.
We're teaching them "your win is someone else's loss" and "being good at something means mastering the rules of a tiny artificial universe."
@KrisAbdelmessih thoughts?
We're teaching them "your win is someone else's loss" and "being good at something means mastering the rules of a tiny artificial universe."
@KrisAbdelmessih thoughts?
I also wonder if @Noahpinion might have interesting things to say about this.
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