As a parent, it’s hard to know when to let your child quit a sport.
We’ve never let any of our kids quit after they have committed to a sport or a team for the season. That meant a rough second year of soccer for Maggie who cried before (and sometimes during) every game when she was 6. But after that season, we let her quit. She hated soccer and there was no point in pushing it.
Last year, Jonah hated lacrosse. At least that’s what he said, but after each practice he would be all chatty in the car about what they did. He would talk about how one day, he was going to be a defender like his older brother.
So when it came time to register for lacrosse this year, I just signed him up. I didn’t ask him if he wanted to play. When he found out, he had a fit. He said he hated lacrosse, and he wasn’t going to play. Eventually, I convinced him to give it one more year, and he agreed (there might have been a small amount of bribery involved).
And as it turns out, I made the right choice. He genuinely seems excited to be playing this year. He never once complained about having to go to practice. He’s loved the games, and he’s totally catching on to the sport. For the first time, he has started to practice on his own, and he’s constantly asking me if I will throw with him.
I’m so glad I made the decision to sign him up even though he said he hated the sport. It was a gamble, but it turned out well. This time.
To read more FranklyStein click here
FranklyStein is a blog by Chesapeake Family Magazine editor Betsy Stein who lives in Catonsville with her husband, Chris, and four children, Maggie, 14, Lilly, 13, Adam, 13, and Jonah, 9.
