As a parent, I’ve been learning to say no for years.

“No, no more candy!” 

“No, you can’t stay up five more minutes.”

“No, you can’t bike around the neighborhood alone.”

“No, no, no!”

Sometimes, it seems that all I ever say is, “No!”

This Spring, Kayla asked if she could sign up with the Classie Lassies Softball League, as she has for the past several years, and I said, “No!”

We could’ve fit it into her schedule which is remarkably free of commitments this Spring. 

Even though I think that watching sports is about as exciting as watching paint dry, Kayla loves being part of a team - especially a girls’ softball team.  I don’t know what she likes best: the camaraderie, thrill of victory, or just that sense of athletic accomplishment.

Still, I said, “No.”  I don’t want to have to plan all our family weekends around the team schedule.  And, I don’t want to watch my daughter spending another season on the bench because we haven’t played the behind-the-scenes game.

By the time kids reach the mature age of ten, you can’t just join a team, attend practice, and expect to play. 

No, you won’t be getting off the bench unless you’ve been playing year-round and attending clinics and camps to improve skills.  The best players sign up for multiple leagues so that they get lots of practice.  And then, of course, those awesome players join the all-star teams where they are constantly traveling to games.

Kids, and their families, are expected to give the sport everything they’ve got.  And, for what?

Children, especially girls, are suffering increased rates of serious injuries.  A whole generation of kids can expect to see increased rates of knee replacements as they get older.  Many former athletes will be hobbling around on crippled legs in their middle age.  Are these sports worth the pain?

In The Uneven Playing Field, Michael Sokolove takes a heart-wrenching look at the world of girls’ sports.  He argues that there is an injury epidemic in women’s sports, partly because girls are more willing to work through pain than boys.  And, he suggests that many of these injuries could be prevented with greater emphasis on proper form, strength training, and a reduction of tournament schedules.

There is hope for girls who love sports. 

For now, I’ll recommend that my daughter play fun, non-competitive team sports when she can gather a group, but we’ll opt out of competitive leagues.

Any suggestions for relatively injury-free team sports?  Do you know of any sports leagues that have succeeded in reducing injuries?  Please post a comment.

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