First let me say thanks for the supportive replies to my post. Obviously, I'm fairly new to this board and don't often post. I respect that we're all on this board searching for answers on how best to raise our gifted children. I've read so many insightful observations...I really appreciate the informed and intelligent points of view expressed here. After I posted, I was concerned that I may have (inadvertantly) stepped on some toes. Relieved to know that different perspectives are accepted!
Austin, I agree that our society places too much emphasis on sports. And we all know parents who are CRAZY about how they handle their children's early sports lives. It's a shame...but it is reality...and I don't see it changing soon. I would love to live in a society that granted more academic scholarships than athletic and that, later, paid teachers and scientists MORE than football and basketball stars. Imagine!!!! Wow!
But, for now, the truth is that those who find success in sports (and entertainment) are highly rewarded with fame and money. So people will continue to go after the "glory." Only a few will actually become pro's...but only a few, too, will suffer debilitating injuries. Most will fall somewhere in between...perhaps find a sport they use for exercise or relaxation as adults...or as a social venue to get through school or work.
I do speak from experience in this area, as well. Our DD (21) is a senior in college and plays Division I tennis on a full ride in the ACC (the most competitive tennis division in college.) She graduated from high school with a 4.0 unweighted gpa and receives a Presidential Academic scholarship in addition to her full athletic scholarship. We noticed early on that she was a talented athlete, as well as a successful student. Neither of us play tennis, but we put her in a local program to find a sport she could enjoy for a "lifetime." Little did we know the road it would send us on...but we did know from personal experience that being smart was no ticket to free college tuition. Right or wrong (and it is WRONG!), colleges hand out far more money to athletes than to scholars. So, we made a deal with her that as long as she maintained her grades while taking the highest academic courses offered, we'd pay for the training and travel involved to foster her tennis talent. We knew we were taking a risk...and that she could quit with an injury or lack of success at any time. It worked for us and to this day she works very hard at both her sport and her school work. As a result, she will graduate from college debt free and ready to enter medical school next year. And, for the record, she has dozens of friends across the country who have used their sport to pay for highly academically competitive colleges (USC, Duke, Michigan, Maryland,Clemson...to name a few.) Bright, independent young women with bright futures, mostly away from sports.
And, of course, through the years, we've run into crazy people, pushing their daughters to achieve when it was obvious the girls weren't truly interested or talented. We know plenty of players who burned out early or quit and moved on after their parents had spent thousands on tennis, soccer, etc. It is a risk. But so is private school. Or homeschool. Or music school. Sometimes, you have to go for it and give it a try. Eventually, sometimes through failure, we find the right path for our child.
Anyway, sorry to get so off topic from the original post on academic red shirting. AGAIN, these are simply my experiences and observations. My internal "red flag" is generally raised when anyone asserts that the way someone else is raising their child MUST be wrong simply because it is different from their choices! We've certainly had our doubts through the years, and made our mistakes, but always with our children's best interest in mind. Any decision about our children can be difficult (who WANTS to make a mistake?), but I've found that it's much worse when others find the need to jump in and say I am wrong without knowing the facts first. A "one size fits all policy" almost never works. I hope we can all keep that in mind before we judge how someone else chooses to raise their children! I've been parenting for 21 years (how can I still be so young!) and I read boards like this one to get new perspectives everyday. Always more to learn and new ways to see things. Thanks!
