[akcskye]

In Basketball, that is.

How do I strike a balance with K?

He is a 4th grader who is excelling in basketball in school...enough to be a starter on the 5/6 boys team, and has been all year.

We found a competitive league for him to be in on the weekends with boys in his grade/age so he could see how a team of kids who ALL want to win would be...his school team has a "2 kid ball hog" combo who hardly passes to the rest of the boys.

So, today, his team lost (but he did get 2, 3 pointers and a couple of other layups), and a coach for the next game, the bigger boys (12 to 13 year olds), was short a man and had been watching K and after his game ended, asked if K would mind or we would mind him playing with his kids?

We said sure...and K played with them, knocking out more 3 pointers and some layups.

Now, this coach wants him, too!!!

K is just 10, but already 5'1" to 5'2" and is quite gifted (I'm not biased, all 3 of the coaches he's seen now have all said this) and K is eating up the playing time.

But, how do you strike a balance of true enjoyment of the game vs. going overboard with the playing time?

I'll be grateful for any input any of you have.

My daughter K is in the same boat...but we can't find a competitive team for her yet.

[Stormster]

no help here as E is 6 months but we do think he'll be quite an athlete based on the fact that all five of his bio uncles were black belts before they were 13!

I do know however, my nephews who live in our town are very athletic. One plays baseball for a top university. One of them found that playing baseball HELPED his academics in that it helped him organize his time better and he was a straight A student all through school. It all meshed well. He has a very mellow personality and even though he was a pitcher, he wasn't a diva and he didn't beat himself up over it.

The other nephew is an excellent athlete but a below average student and except for the fact that he's in terrible moods when they lose (basketball, football, baseball) it really is an important factor in his self esteem and social life. I don't know if this addresses your question BUT I do know this:

Whether it's FUN or not always seems to be about the coach. And I remember my older brother was a great wrestler and the coach TORMENTED him....I just think a lot of it is it the adults in the picture. To keep it all normal and balanced and complementing the rest of their activities.