Reply #27: I wouldn't say band is any easier [View All]

I've seen some marching bands who practiced just as much as the football team in high heat & humidity. Band camp - looked a bit brutal to me in the summer with a director who wanted to win all the band competitions.

I agree on the sports. Another thing that I noticed is in the younger years too many sports are run & controlled by adults for the young kids with parents driven to win. I don't completely agree with the not keeping score mentality, I thought it good that a child learns to win or lose. But it's my opinion that too much in a young child's life is organized.

Back when I practiced and taught karate I saw too many kids being dragged to class who actually hated it and put in minimum effort while their parents were paying over $1000+ a year for the lessons & $50 for tests (and more like $200+ for black belt tests).

I taught at a Y where the lessons were much less & when a kid said they had to take the summer off to play baseball or whatever I encouraged them to do so saying you only get to be a kid once. My class would be there for them when they got back.

I'm glad I grew up when we played baseball, stickball, street football & other childhood games on our streets from noon-dark with no adults supervising or providing the rules.

Only wish I do have is at the time girls would've been allowed to play little league. I loved baseball, but I was shut out of any organized play in my town cause I was born female.