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First, I don't have kids or a wife, so I'm not a Rabid Sport Parent.
Second, Not all sports are TEAM sports like Baseball, Football and or Basketball. Ever heard of the sports with Individual events? Like Track, Cross-country, Swimming?
All I meant was that Kids need exercise, a 12 year old should not spend his day in the house, surfing the internet or playing on an X-Box (or X-Box 360) or Play Station (1, 2 or 3).
I was never any good at Baseball either, and spent most of the years I was in Little League sitting on the bench and had a 0.00 batting average for all but the last year I played, but you know what? I still had fun. And just when I was beginning to hit the ball and get a little bit of game time, my parents stopped signing me up. It wasn't until years later that I asked my Mother why they stopped signing me up for Little League, and she said, because we didn't think you were having any fun. I told her, she should have asked, because I was still having fun.
Then in Jr. High School, I went to try out for Football, got the wind knocked out of me the first practice, and decided, for myself, that it wasn't for me. So then what? Did I quite?
No, I went out for the Track team, and I finished last in every race the first year, but did I quit?
No, because my coach told me what I needed to do to do better, which I did, but I still wasn't winning any races, but I wasn't finishing last anymore. Each year, I got a little better and had a great time.
Then in High School, I was the slowest guy out there again, but I put in the miles each Fall, Winter, and Spring, 60 miles a week. My Summers were spent hiking trails at Summer Camp.
Then the Summer before my Senior year, my schools Cross-Country coach stopped me on the street and asked me to join the Cross-Country team. I was still not the top member of the team, but after a few weeks, I was #3 on my team and I was very happy with that.
Then, after a brutal winter, running 75 to 80 miles a week, I was finishing in the top 3 in all of my 3200m races and most of my 1600m races. I even Won two 3200m races, but my best race was one that I finished 2nd. The guy had a better final 100m time, just like everyone else on my team.
But guess what, I had the 2nd best 3200m time in in all of my Sectional (most of Northern Indiana). The only guy who had a better time was the guy who beat me in my best race that year. So I got to represent my High School at the Sectional Track meet that year, and that was Great day for me, even though I didn't place in that race.
Finally, at the end of the year Sports banquet, my Track coaches awarded me the award for the guy with the best mental attitude and who maximized his natural ability. Even though I never set a single school record, I managed to push my ability to it's limit, and my coaches recognized that. I'm still proud of that award, even though I haven't though about that award in more than 20 years.
But you know what, my parents still had time to take me to some of the most famous Art and Science Museums in the U.S. and Europe, plus Broadway shows (on Broadway and in Atlanta) and I've been to dozens of Rock and classical music Concerts (after I was old enough to go without my parents). I even still remember the Bass part for Handel's Messiah, as I was in the School choir too.
So just because you were a total spaz when it came to sports, don't deny you child the opportunity to try a sport and possibly fail at that sport, because you had a lousy childhood. Your kids might fail at most of those sports, but that's normal. Their's usually only one start Quarterback on the Football team, but their are dozens of just average players on any and all teams, and I bet if you ask them, they are having fun too.
You claim the other parents are "...too competitive and rabid...," well to me, it sounds like you're the parent with the problem. I would much rather have had a parent who cared a little too much, rather than one who had already given up on me at age 12.
And really, do you actually want to your 12-16 year old kid watching the modern classic, mostly R-rated, films? I only saw one R-rated film before I was 17, but I found I've had plenty of time to see "the Classics" over the years.
Anyway, this has gone much longer than I planned, so to sum up, 1) Kids need exercise, and sports are a great way to get that exercise and 2) Allow your kid the opportunity to try and risk failure, you only get one childhood, don't try to re-live yours by living your kid's for them.
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