by Hawk17 » Sun Feb 24, 2008 8:17 am
As a parent of a Junior who has played softball exclusively since her Freshman year, this question has no easy answer. There are so many different considerations. The first consideration is what your daughter WANTS and CAN do. Some kids want to do it all and can manage everything. Some kids want to do everything, but their school work suffers. There are other kids who want to just focus on one sport. I think that parents need to guide their children as they make this decision. My daughter is a great athlete. She has done field hockey, gymnastics, and softball. She also has played piano, clarinet, and has been in the school orchestra, etc. When she finished her Freshman year, SHE came to us and said, " I need to make some choices. " It wasn't because a coach told her to, her travel coach has always allowed kids to play high school sports. It was because SHE wanted to get excellent grades and she wanted to focus on softball. She didn't give everything up, she just prioritized and let go of those things that she liked but didn't love. The first thing she chose was school work. That is the ONE thing that has to be at the top of every kid's list. Then, softball. Then, she chose band. Everything else went by the wayside.
She has never regretted any of it. She loves softball and works very hard at lessons, practice etc. four to five times a week. She has a trainer that she goes to three times a week. But, she also has time to do the things that make high school fun and special. As always, school work comes first.
Parents, listen to your daughters. Pick up their cues and keep it all in perspective!