I never thought I'd be jealous of a soccer mom until I walked out of the ice rink in the super-sized sports zone to warm my frozen extremities. I glanced over at the indoor turf field and saw the soccer players in shorts and t-shirts and their parents not wrapped in coats, beanies, or gloves, or shivering.
Now That I Have Your Attention
So, now that I have your attention, please know, I have never really been jealous of soccer moms! I have many friends whose kids play soccer and have sat outside at 7 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays and weathered temperatures ranging from 90 degrees to 20 degrees! And that can be said for all parents whose children are in outdoor sports.
Why Hockey?
However, on that first day of ice hockey for my son, I discovered that I was not properly attired and prepared for the cold rink temperature, and this is when I began asking myself, "why has he chosen hockey?"
I am more than excited to watch my son truly in love with what he is doing. He lives on his roller blades playing roller hockey in our driveway and our pole barn. He watches hours of hockey and how-to videos on slap shots, plays, and teams. He has hockey sticks taped up and hockey vocabulary down to a memorized science. He talks to us about it every-single-day.
While knowing how much he loves hockey brings me joy, there are other factors that weigh on my mind. Things such as the cost, the distance, the schedule, the possible injuries, and so on.
Why NOT Baseball?
His love of hockey has existed for years, but sadly, it never worked out for our schedule, so he has played baseball since t-ball and done both fall and spring ball. In fact baseball has been his second love, or at least the love he could focus on if he couldn't play hockey.
Baseball is easy - easier for mom and dad (this statement does not pertain to all moms and dads, especially those of travel players, but is relevant to my personal story). Baseball is much closer. It is more affordable. It runs fall and winter. It requires less equipment (for the most part), and it is a sport that can be played and practiced in our backyard.
When Should Parents Make the Decision for Kids?
I have asked myself this question in a somewhat serious manner, even though it makes me feel sort of awful at the same time. Is it ever my place as the parent to determine in which sport or activity my child partakes?
Does money play a factor?
Does age play a factor? Is there an age where children are too young to truly know they want to do until they've tried it? Do we as parents know better based on our own experiences?
Does having multiple children play a factor?
