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Playing to Win by author Michael Lewis

Well, your example demonstrates how club sports can be a good thing: at large high schools, with limited spots, it gives kids an opportunity to keep playing a sport they love competitively.

Quite frankly, at this point, it might make sense to break the link between sports and academics altogether--at jr. high, high school, and college. Just make it all club sports. (I know, I know: it'll never happen.)

The problem then becomes one of economic equity. Are we going to shut out poor kids from sports? Are we doing that now, given how this works in large, urban areas where if you don't do club sports starting young, your odds of playing later for the school are vanishingly small?
Sports are important to schools. They attract general students with them as well
 
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IU Kokomo LOL what’s that?? Ridiculous. Enough with the bullshit. It’s 10:30. What have you done to sharpen your blade today?
Excel.......always Excel.

Also, I did read for 30 mins this morning with my coffee. Forcing myself to get up at 6am every day this year and forcing reading for at least 30 mins a day. Current book is Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, which is basically his diary of him shitting on himself that they've somehow turned into philosophy. I don't think he'd like it that everyone is reading his diary, but oh well he's dead.

Yeah - 6am is like 4am for me.

Next step is to move the rowing (10k, 3-4x/wk) to the morning but damn I'm not sure that's gonna hold.
 
Excel.......always Excel.

Also, I did read for 30 mins this morning with my coffee. Forcing myself to get up at 6am every day this year and forcing reading for at least 30 mins a day. Current book is Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, which is basically his diary of him shitting on himself that they've somehow turned into philosophy. I don't think he'd like it that everyone is reading his diary, but oh well he's dead.

Yeah - 6am is like 4am for me.

Next step is to move the rowing (10k, 3-4x/wk) to the morning but damn I'm not sure that's gonna hold.
Stoics are awesome!

10k seems like a lot. How long does it take you to do that? An hour?
 
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Quite frankly, at this point, it might make sense to break the link between sports and academics altogether--at jr. high, high school, and college. Just make it all club sports. (I know, I know: it'll never happen.)

Story time

My wife hates club sports. She doesn't get it. Doesn't understand it, doesn't want to understand. Doesn't understand why we have to pay for a kid to play sports. This is b/c she grew up overseas and club sports didn't exist, unless of course that club was a professional team. Your school provided all the athletics you could want. And you never paid for shit.

So actually, I think it should go the other way. Eliminate club sports entirely and move it back into the schools. No cuts. Everybody can play (at some level against someone).

But money will obviously prevent this from ever happening.
 
Well, your example demonstrates how club sports can be a good thing: at large high schools, with limited spots, it gives kids an opportunity to keep playing a sport they love competitively.

Quite frankly, at this point, it might make sense to break the link between sports and academics altogether--at jr. high, high school, and college. Just make it all club sports. (I know, I know: it'll never happen.)

The problem then becomes one of economic equity. Are we going to shut out poor kids from sports? Are we doing that now, given how this works in large, urban areas where if you don't do club sports starting young, your odds of playing later for the school are vanishingly small?

I am all in favor of moving to the European club sports model. I also don't think it will happen.

Many years ago I worked with a guy who wanted to get out of what we were doing and into teaching, he had graduated with the intent of being a social studies teacher (something I should have done). He noticed about all the jobs for middle/high school social studies teachers came with a coaching requirement and he wasn't going to coach. He saw a member of the local school board and asked him about it. The board member said they were a small, rural school district. The vast majority of the land was owned by older farmers whose kids were long gone. The only connection they had to the schools were the games. The school district prioritized sports to make their taxpayers happy.

One anecdotal story of course means very little. I can't even say it happened, just what the coworker told me. But if true, it helps explain some of the problems we have with education and its relationship with academics. I'm all in favor of severing the link. Heck, let IU license the name "Indiana University (name of sport here) to some club team.
 
Excel.......always Excel.

Also, I did read for 30 mins this morning with my coffee. Forcing myself to get up at 6am every day this year and forcing reading for at least 30 mins a day. Current book is Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, which is basically his diary of him shitting on himself that they've somehow turned into philosophy. I don't think he'd like it that everyone is reading his diary, but oh well he's dead.

Yeah - 6am is like 4am for me.

Next step is to move the rowing (10k, 3-4x/wk) to the morning but damn I'm not sure that's gonna hold.
This is a WARRIOR MAN!!!! Big time!!! Keep sharpening that blade!
 
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Here I am at this stinky hockey rink (it’s incredible how bad 12 year old kids can smell in hockey equipment) for the fourth time in five days just hoping my kid can get good enough to make a JV team and not get cut in 1.5 years.

It’s got nothing to do with me wanting my kid to be some amazing star or reliving my glory days (I never played hockey). Instead, I can see the pain and sadness coming down the track when he gets cut, and I’m not sure it can be avoided, but I don’t want to give up for him.

I kinda wish he just never liked any sports at this point to avoid this future pain.
So a little background (4th grader - travel hockey and soccer)

Hockey cuts for him will be slightly different. 90% of his teammates are from other school districts, school districts historically strong in Illinois High School Hockey. Typically the club teams stay together through Freshman year / Bantam Major then many players opt for their High School team the last 3 years as you know. Having the conversation already with my son on the reality of high school hockey for him will be both without them as teammates or opponents (due to his high school being in a lower/less competitive conference). This was important as he has appreciated the time on these teams and recognizes it “won’t last forever”.

Conversely his soccer club is more local, 90% filled by school district kids who likely can continue the experience through high school. While we are crazy to have him in 2 travel sports (plus seasonal lacrosse and basketball), trying to limit/specialize in a sport (ex. hockey) this early when friendships with teammates becomes so much more important as they grow older would have been a mistake, that said depriving him from playing a sport he has loved since 4 (hockey) due to those likely future prospects doesn’t seem right either.

The finances are crazy, but we have been very lucky to be part of clubs that really have had the kids’ best interests / development in mind and both have lots of club alumni that come back to support/volunteer (which tends to be a good sign of their own positive experiences).

To lars’ point about fitness and reducing electronics, that has been also how we have justified the “investment”. Plus “travel” has resulted in a lot of time spent in the car with my son (occasionally hotel trips), and while the schedule can be intense at times, the time together has been phenomenal and is already flying by. Sadly, I know the time together likely diminishes significantly come high school.

Speaking of time with your kids flying by, if anyone is looking for a way to stop time in its tracks, attend a youth swim meet (my older son is a swimmer), you will feel like you have lived for 1000 years in one day:)

Great topic started by Marvin. It is sad how pickup games for sports or even kids hanging out after school has slowly disappeared over the last 30 years. Once the momentum of these club / activity constructs took hold, in order to see friends you were almost compelled to join something (or risk being a kid all alone while everyone else is at some planned activity). Sadly today, even if hanging out together consistently after school would occur, it would likely consist of the kids sitting in a circle each on a device - engaging electronically. At this point I’m happy when I see the kids play a video game together / against each other vs a phone/tablet in their hand, it still seems sort of personal/social.
 
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Excel.......always Excel.

Also, I did read for 30 mins this morning with my coffee. Forcing myself to get up at 6am every day this year and forcing reading for at least 30 mins a day. Current book is Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, which is basically his diary of him shitting on himself that they've somehow turned into philosophy. I don't think he'd like it that everyone is reading his diary, but oh well he's dead.

Yeah - 6am is like 4am for me.

Next step is to move the rowing (10k, 3-4x/wk) to the morning but damn I'm not sure that's gonna hold.

I'm awake every morning by 2:30 for work, not because I have to, but because I want to avoid talking to as many people throughout the day as I can.

Spotify for the win!
 
I'm awake every morning by 2:30 for work, not because I have to, but because I want to avoid talking to as many people throughout the day as I can.

Spotify for the win!
I'm headed for a hermit's life if the wife ever leaves me or she dies first.
 
If we have a concert to go to, I'll be seen in the wild, but it's getting less and less frequent for me to just go out to a bar or a buddies house late at night.

I enjoy my time quiet time.
You might have to live on a mountain with Lars and me. Or the next mountain over (not in my line of sight).
 
I'm awake every morning by 2:30 for work, not because I have to, but because I want to avoid talking to as many people throughout the day as I can.

Spotify for the win!
Wow I’m going to bed some nights when you get up! I’m a night owl, read, watch tv whatever late. I detest getting up early.
 
Lars has it right. The mountains in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina are fantastic. Have a buddy who moved east of Knoxville. Absolutely beautiful area. Although the Tennessee southern Baptist sin tax makes a case of domestic beer cost $30.
 
Wow I’m going to bed some nights when you get up! I’m a night owl, read, watch tv whatever late. I detest getting up early.

I'm already done for the day.

Didn't have anything to do at home yesterday so I did some of today's that wouldn't have been open super early so I had a super short day.

It's like a 3 day weekend without taking a vacation day.
 
I'm already done for the day.

Didn't have anything to do at home yesterday so I did some of today's that wouldn't have been open super early so I had a super short day.

It's like a 3 day weekend without taking a vacation day.
I’m starting to think you are the smart one here. I’m middle aged and am searching for a new job. It’s truly awful. I already have a job and my kids are super busy with activities. I don’t have the time but have no choice. It blows.
 
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