{"id":2057480,"date":"2023-10-06T03:02:02","date_gmt":"2023-10-06T07:02:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/no-your-4-year-old-soccer-star-isnt-getting-a-full-ride-or-olympic-medal\/"},"modified":"2023-10-06T03:06:02","modified_gmt":"2023-10-06T07:06:02","slug":"no-your-4-year-old-soccer-star-isnt-getting-a-full-ride-or-olympic-medal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/no-your-4-year-old-soccer-star-isnt-getting-a-full-ride-or-olympic-medal\/","title":{"rendered":"Sorry, but your 4-year-old soccer star won&#8217;t get a full ride or Olympic medal."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fno-your-4-year-old-soccer-star-isnt-getting-a-full-ride-or-olympic-medal%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2057480&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div class=\"article-content\">\n<h2>Why \u200dWe Don&#8217;t Plan Our Daughter&#8217;s Soccer Career<\/h2>\n<p>There was\u2063 a \u2062moment at soccer practice some years ago when another dad asked me what my plans for my daughter were. I \u200cwasn\u2019t exactly sure what he meant until he clarified. He\u2064 was asking about her soccer\u200c career. I needed to think about \u200dwhat high\u200b school she\u2019d go to, what camps she\u2019d attend, and what club might be the best fit. I demurred rather than giving my real answer because it\u2019s \u2062not\u200c always a popular one with \u200dsports parents. I didn\u2019t\u2062 then, and don\u2019t now, have any plans for her career, soccer \u200cor otherwise. My wife and I are just chauffeurs and patrons for an athletic activity that she\u2019s loved since she was a 4-year-old.<\/p>\n<h3>The Expensive World\u2062 of Kids&#8217; Sports<\/h3>\n<p>Not everyone feels this \u2062way, which is one reason kids\u2019 sports represent a $19.2 billion industry, or at least they did\u200d in 2019. Though participation has\u200d been \u200bdecreasing, there are still a\u2063 lot of \u200clittle ones out there playing on weekends, practicing during the week, and attending private coaching\u200b sessions in between.\u200c That\u2019s a \u200blot of money\u200b going to coaches, league \u2064fees, tournament\u200c fees, hotels, \u200crestaurants,\u200d and all of\u2063 the other businesses in the orbit of youth\u200c sports.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2-long d-flex justify-content-center\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; \" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-1887797739\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1379703300879-0\" class=\"mb-30\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-a1c9b0b06c099481eecc5ce50ee809ae fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-a1c9b0b06c099481eecc5ce50ee809ae\"><\/div>\n<p>For \u200bus, it \u2063started in daycare with a program called Happy Feet. On Saturdays, said \u2064daughter would gather with other little kids to play organized soccer, or some semblance thereof. There was\u200d no goalkeeper. There\u2064 were no positions. The\u200b only strategy was chaos. It \u2062was fun for all \u2062involved because kids, particularly young ones, love chaos. Our daughter cut through the\u2062 chaos, \u2062though, \u200cand scored goal\u200d after goal. Sometimes, she\u2019d even steal the\u200c ball from her teammates to go score.<\/p>\n<p>This was not because of some preternatural skill on the\u2063 field. This was not our moment as parents to\u200c realize that perhaps we\u2019d welcomed a little Alex Morgan into our family. She was just quicker\u200b on\u2063 the\u200c uptake when it came to understanding that the point of the chaos was to get the ball in \u200cthe net while\u2062 all the other kids on the field thought the chaos was the point. Nevertheless, she persisted and now\u200b at almost 14 is still playing. We have not started shopping for an Olympic medal display nor made plans for how to handle college and pro recruiters.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s not that we don\u2019t love her and think she \u200dhas limitless potential in life, it\u2019s just that we understand odds better\u2063 than some parents. And the odds are not in her favor, because that\u2019s how the odds\u2062 work \u2064when discussing college scholarships and pro deals for our little athletes. Less than 2 percent\u2064 of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/let-us-play-thousands-rally-at-michigan-state-capitol-over-high-school-winter-sports-ban\/\" title=\"\u2018Let Us Play\u2019: Thousands Rally At Michigan State Capitol Over High School Winter Sports Ban\">high school athletes<\/a> get\u2062 scholarships. Then \u200cless\u2063 than 2 percent of college athletes go pro. That means that for most kids,\u2063 high school, if they\u200c play for\u2063 that long, will be the end of their athletic careers.<\/p>\n<p>Trust\u2062 me, parents, it\u2019s OK. We can do our best for them \u2014 driving them here and there, sleeping\u2062 in myriad hotels for tournaments, spending copious amounts of money \u200d\u2014 but also\u2063 still chill\u2062 out a little bit. The chances of us being the next Earl Woods \u200dor Richard Williams are basically\u2062 zero. The money we spend on sports is gone, \u200cand it \u2062will never come back to us, or \u2063accrue to \u200cthem, in any tangible form.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-2de810ae4c455713c1134c15004095b1 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-6\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-2de810ae4c455713c1134c15004095b1\"><\/div>\n<p>Which isn\u2019t to say it\u2019s\u200b a waste. There is a lot of good that can come from organized sports, \u200bbut as parents, we \u2062need to keep some\u2064 perspective. We also need to remember that kids, while echoes of \u2063us in many ways, are also independent and unique beings. They are not\u2064 vessels for us to pour our own hopes and dreams into, pushing them \u200dto achieve what we wished \u2064we\u2064 had. \u2063There\u2019s also the fact that childhood is supposed\u2064 to be\u200b fun. Most of life is\u2064 about being existentially crushed. There\u2019s\u200c no reason \u2062to start the process early.<\/p>\n<p>So keep driving them around, knowing that\u2063 in the process \u2064they\u2019ll learn a thing or two about perseverance,\u2064 teamwork,\u2062 and how to properly pack\u2062 for weekend road trips. Enjoy the thrill of \u2064victory, the agony of defeat, and, specifically for us soccer parents, the various ways to discuss a tie. Be glad they\u2019re <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/people-who-exercise-in-groups-see-more-health-benefits\/\" title=\"People Who Exercise in Groups See More Health Benefits\">staying physically active<\/a> and making friends. Also be glad they\u2019re sometimes making frenemies, which will be an important skill to have if they \u2062end up working \u2062in an office.<\/p>\n<p>Just don\u2019t think\u200d of it as mapping out their future, because, and this is worth \u200crepeating, the numbers just don\u2019t bear that path \u2064out. But beyond that, if you really want to\u2064 guarantee a financially successful life, \u2064don\u2019t go for sports. Instead,\u200b consider an\u2064 arranged marriage. Sure, the finance guy whose\u200d son you promise to pair your daughter up with may\u2064 blow up his firm and not have the stock \u2063portfolio or the goats you negotiated for when \u200cthe \u200btime comes, but he\u2019ll probably have \u200bsome other \u200cassets tucked away. When the\u2062 Olympic dream dies, on the other hand, you won\u2019t have even one measly goat \u2062to show for\u2062 your investment.<\/p>\n<p>So sit back, relax, and enjoy the games. Time is the most precious commodity we \u200dget on this planet, and the \u2062memories we\u2019ll have of using it on them will last much longer than the pride we\u2019d get from glancing at that \u200cOlympic medal. And by the way, that\u2064 prize is only \u2063worth about $800 \u2014 or roughly about half\u200c of what \u2063it costs\u2062 for one season of play.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-ae8a6311d5a13a0869a1b3c1c8718bcc fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-10\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-ae8a6311d5a13a0869a1b3c1c8718bcc\"><\/div>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> In what ways can participating in sports help children\u200c develop valuable\u2064 life skills \u200bthat can be applied to various aspects of life<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Endent \u2064individuals with their own dreams, desires, and goals. Just because we have aspirations\u200b for our \u200bchildren, doesn&#8217;t mean they share the same vision.<\/p>\n<p>As parents, it&#8217;s important to support our children in their \u2063interests and \u200bpassions. For some kids, that may be soccer or any\u200c other sport. But it&#8217;s \u200cequally important to understand that not every child will become a professional athlete.<\/p>\n<p>The reality is, the path to success in\u2063 sports is incredibly\u2064 competitive and difficult. Thousands of kids participate in youth sports, \u200cyet only a small percentage will make \u2063it to the collegiate or professional level. It&#8217;s crucial for parents to be \u200baware of this and manage their expectations accordingly.<\/p>\n<p>Rather than obsessing over our child&#8217;s athletic career and investing\u200d significant time and money into training, camps,\u200d and tournaments, we choose to focus on the joy of the\u2064 sport itself. We\u200d want our daughter to experience the thrill of being part of a \u200bteam, the satisfaction of improving her skills, and the friendships she forms along the way.<\/p>\n<p>Participating in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/no-your-4-year-old-soccer-star-isnt-getting-a-full-ride-or-olympic-medal\/\" title=\"Sorry, but your 4-year-old soccer star won't get a full ride or Olympic medal.\">sports\u2064 teaches valuable life \u2062lessons<\/a> such as discipline, teamwork, perseverance, and \u2064resilience. These \u2064are skills that\u2062 will benefit our children in any endeavor they choose to pursue, be it in sports or other areas of life.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore,\u200b we believe that it&#8217;s essential for children\u200d to have\u200d a well-rounded upbringing. While \u200csports can play an important role, there are many other aspects of life that should also be explored and cultivated. Encouraging\u2063 our children to pursue their other \u2062interests and hobbies allows them to develop different talents and discover\u200d their passions.<\/p>\n<p>By not planning or overly\u2062 focusing on our child&#8217;s soccer career,\u2064 we give her the freedom to genuinely enjoy the sport without the pressure to achieve \u2062specific milestones or meet certain expectations. She can play the game for the love of it, rather than feeling\u2064 like it&#8217;s a means to an end.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, our aim as parents is to raise well-rounded and fulfilled individuals who are capable of making their own choices and pursuing their own paths in \u200dlife. While\u2062 we will continue to support our daughter&#8217;s soccer journey, we understand that her\u200c happiness and personal growth are\u2063 more important than any potential career in the\u200b sport.<\/p>\n<p>So, to the dad \u200dwho asked about our plans for our daughter&#8217;s\u200b soccer career, our answer remains the same. We\u200d don&#8217;t plan it because\u2062 we believe in letting her navigate her own\u200b journey, enjoy the present moment, and pursue \u200dher own dreams, whatever \u200cthey may \u200dbe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>what level of competition she would strive for. It was a wake-up call, realizing the potential path my daughter could take in soccer. From that moment on, I became more involved in her training and development, determined to support her dreams and help her reach her full potential on the field.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":701,"featured_media":2057481,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2057480","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2057480","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/701"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2057480"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2057480\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2057481"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2057480"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2057480"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2057480"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}