After reading Chapter 5 on children and their sports participation, i began to think about my own experience and my current sport participation as a coach.
I remember when i lived in Colorado, playing within the neighborhood - biking, playing in the backyards of friends' houses, and finding kids in the neighborhood to play with. But when i began swimming in California, it was the only thing i did. I didnt go out and hangout with school friends, unless it was a group project. My life revolved around swimming.
I often think about how much time swimming consumed my life. My parents did not force me to stay with swimming but enjoyed that i was physically active and that i was actually good at something (i was a very uncoordinated child).
But now as a coach, I often hear "how dedicated are you?" or how much our swimmers are too involved in other activites or sport; at the age of 11-13. With my younger kids, I always make sure that parents understand that there is a high level of dedication involved as their kids get older, especially with the monthly fees they need to pay. I personally dont mind if a child plays baseball, or tennis or waterpolo. But other age group coaches seem so harsh about it. An 8 year old cannot just dedicate their lives to one sport and understand how to look at a digital clock and count intervals and number of sets. I have a hard time doing it sometimes.
So in the aspect that kids are becoming younger and more involved in 'one sport"/competitive club teams" is getting out of hand, i agree with the book.
But i disagree with the view of allowing athletes to regulate or "make their own decisions" about the way the sport should be played or trained. I do not think that swimming can be handled like that. If i asked my group of nine/ten years olds to hop into the pool and all come to a decision on how to run a workout/train, it would probably end up with them playing around. Im sure a few of them would swim for a few minutes and then just get out. And a rare few would never get in.
So i believe that it depends on certain sports and how the athlete was introduced to that sport.
Asami Uzawa. Kin 332i Section 2796
