Jonathan Ross

Did they really make grade school kids climb 30’ ropes off a tile floor in street clothes?

Tell me again how clubs, teams, and travel teams aren't scams? My $ 80-per-season son's soccer team beat a $ 5k-per-kid club team. Somewhere along the way, youth sports stopped being about kids and started being about parents. Club sports promise: • better coaching • more exposure • better competition • scholarships But the numbers tell a different story. Only about 1% of high school athletes get a college athletic scholarship. And most of those aren’t even full rides. Meanwhile, families are spending: • $3k–$7k a year on club teams • travel flights • hotels every weekend • private trainers • camps Over 10 years, that’s easily $50k+ per kid. For youth soccer. At 10 years old. Meanwhile, rec sports still do what youth sports were originally meant to do: Kids play with friends. Parents sit in lawn chairs. Everyone grabs pizza after the game. Low pressure. Pure fun. And kids who love the game usually end up getting better anyway. Our $80 rec team proved that last weekend. So I’m curious… Are travel sports actually for the kids…

Psychology says the 1960s and 70s accidentally produced one of the most emotionally durable generations in modern history — not through better parenting but through benign neglect that forced children to self-regulate, problem-solve, and develop emotional- share.google/4ucVPZsWcdy4fdb…