Zion Williamson Back - 1 sport specializing is dangerous

we as the parents hold the power when it comes to how many tournaments our kid does. If a team register for 6 tournaments and u feel that is too many why not tell the coach u Will only be able to make it to whatever # you feel is appropriate?

Of course that is correct but that is often difficult for parents who feel that others hold all the cards for their kids' successes. It is a lot easier when a parent has gone through it with an older kid but I've seen a lot of well-meaning, loving parents, succumb to the siren song of athletic success being sung by a coach who does not necessarily have that specific kid's interest at heart.
 
Our children play multiple sports and I believe it's necessary to keep them healthy, but it's not necessary to make rules dictating how much soccer another person's child can play. Sometimes people have to learn the hard way, with their first child's injury. Every club I know has breaks or slow down periods, about 10% of the parents have training sessions or other soccer events going on during a Club's break and disproportionately, the 10% are all DA or top team players. The lower level teams don't have this problem.

Maybe Clubs can encourage a break period by having cross training sports for the team during the break season in order to keep kids and parents busy, deterring overuse. For example, off season, entire team does rec swimming and rock climbing.
 
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Of course that is correct but that is often difficult for parents who feel that others hold all the cards for their kids' successes. It is a lot easier when a parent has gone through it with an older kid but I've seen a lot of well-meaning, loving parents, succumb to the siren song of athletic success being sung by a coach who does not necessarily have that specific kid's interest at heart.

I have 08, 03, 99 and 00. Trust me I’ve been through the ringer and back. If a parent feels that way or a coach makes them feel that way said parent should really question the environment they are in. Never let a coach think they hold the cards to their future. At the end of the day our kid will dictate how far they go and what success means to them.
 
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I have 08, 03, 99 and 00. Trust me I’ve been through the ringer and back. If a parent feels that way or a coach makes them feel that way said parent should really question the environment they are in. Never let a coach think they hold the cards to their future. At the end of the day our kid will dictate how far they go and what success means to them.

I agree with you. You have deep experience, too. It may not have varied for you since Kid 1 but I’ve certainly seen differences among parents with experience in this system compared to those without. We like to think that people always act in their kids’ interests - which can vary by kid - but, especially with Kid 1, it’s hard to know what that interest is. Sometimes, even when we think it’s off, we go with it (“we” meaning “some”).

Hell, my wife and I made a frantic call to the on call nurse back some 21 years ago thinking something was wrong with our newborn son. “Sounds like he just ate well. Kinda like a food coma”. We did not do that with Kid 2 or Kids 3 and 4 (twins).

Parents do that in many contexts, especially when dependent on others who seem to “know more” - coaches, doctors, teachers, clergy (if that’s one’s thing (not mine)). Grown ass adults do it, too, even about themselves.
 
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