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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Drum rolls, please!  Announcing the new On Living By Learning Mission Statement:

To boldly go where no man has gone … nope … wrong one.

The On Living By Learning Mission Statement:

Inspiring creative life-long learners who want to make the world a better place - Learn, Grow, Explore, and Change the World!

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Five more days till Christmas D-Day, and I’m starting to lose my hold on Zen tranquility.

Until this week, I was doing quite well getting ready for the holidays.  Then, on Monday, I started receiving emails from my friends at LL Bean, Nordstrom, and Co. reminding me that I only had a few days left for purchases to reach their destination by December 24.  Awk!

I wasn’t going to do any shopping this year.  My sisters and close friends supported my plan to not exchange gifts, mostly.  (I’m ignoring the box that arrived yesterday.)  The real challenge are my kids.  I really worked on the kids to convince them that this should be their year of giving, not getting.  Unfortunately, subliminal messages, hypnosis, and bribery didn’t work.  I’m stuck playing the same role that I have played as a big sister and a mother - Sandra Claus. 

Thank goodness for modern technology!  Amazon.com has saved my sanity once again.  I’m using their Two-Day 1-Click button to receive my items by December 21.  There are no shipping costs, no crowds, and no budget-breaking point-of-purchase expenses.

I’ve even figured out how to get the advice I need to decide what games to get.  Usually, I go to Target and ask the teen working in the electronics section about the hot video games.  These kids are very helpful, but the popular games are almost impossible to find on the shelves.  Then, I end up buying stuff that looks great or is on sale, but that I never would have purchased if I hadn’t walked in the store.

Now, I’m visiting Metacritic.comwhere I can use the All-Time High Scores list to find the best games for our Wii console.

Ahh!  I’m starting to feel more relaxed about the holidays.  And, when I feel a little crazy, I’m going to pull out this Hallmark e-card, A Screaming Banshee Holiday!

More Holiday Shopping Suggestions:

Avoid One-Use Wonders This Holiday Season!

Wired On The Road

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