Bringing the kid back into kids’ sports

When my co-worker, Dana George, asked if my 4-year-old son, Jacob, would be interested in playing soccer for the Anniston League a few months ago my first reaction was a definite no.

I have personally witnessed the pressure parents place on their children to succeed in athletics. Call it “pee-wee” sports, but many parents and coaches take kids’ sports far too seriously.

Remember when “kids sports” consisted of a few neighborhood kids, an old bat and a vacant lot where the “game” could begin?

Now, kids’ sports is a year-round event where children participate in camps and practice long before the first game is even scheduled. I think true perspective is in order — when parents are taking out personal loans to put their kids in the next sport, people, we have a problem.

However, even with this year-round commitment and financial strain, parents eventually succumb to the pressure and enroll their child in their first sport.

As a parent, you do not want your child to miss out on all this “fun.” All of this said, I was one of those parents, perhaps a bit more cynical than average, when I enrolled Jacob in the Anniston Soccer League.

I enrolled him not only out of self-imposed parental duty, but also largely due to my friend’s insistence — they needed one more player to make a team.

I must admit I was pleasantly surprised. Some borrowed cleats, a run to a local sporting goods store, a small registration fee, and my pocketbook was still full (well, not full, it is never full — but it was not empty).

The first practice consisted of Greg and Dana George explaining to the “Knights” (I have to admit I personally loved the team name) the basics of soccer.

However, what was even more surprising was the first game — these kids were having fun! The parents cheered for both teams, laughed when the kids scored in the wrong goals and grinned when they seemed more interested in picking flowers than playing the game (some of these boys and girls are 4 years old).

This experience redeemed kids’ sports for me, and was a great first experience for Jacob.

I am planning on enrolling my oldest daughter, Emily, in the spring, and I am sort of sad that I did not know about this wonderful sports secret sooner. Because of her age, she will only be able to play for one year and will then have to move on to other sporting events.

My youngest, Katie, not yet 2, will be able to experience the league longer. I owe this great experience to the coaches, Greg and Dana George, and to the parents of the fellow soccer players of the Anniston League.

Thanks for making the sport about our children and not about us.

This “cynical sports mom” has now turned into a “somewhat serious soccer mom.” If the simplicity of a true kids’ league is sustained, then the city of Anniston will have a now rare activity on any sports field — fun.

As for me, I cannot wait to join my fellow soccer parents next season where all of our kids can truly play sports; maybe we aren’t that far from that vacant neighborhood lot after all.