#stitch with @Steve Venlet MI Realtor + Life Parents, just say NO!! Its not selfish to prioritize family time over travel ball. #travelball #sports #family #familytime

Mind that people would actually consider Telling their kids It actually blows my mind that parents say yes to everything it blows my mind that parents Let their lives be run by their children's sporting events you sports. I love sports. I grew up playing sports I played college football got a full ride. I'm not doing that to brag, but you know I'm just saying it to highlight the fact that I love sports and The values it helps with our kids, but let's make no mistake about it this whole notion That everything has to revolve around our kids, and we can't say no to our kids, and if we're selfish if we do so is beyond craziness Listen I have a daughter. She's 10. She plays lacrosse she plays basketball, and we're always asked Hey, do you guys want to travel across travel basketball my answer is hell? No, and it's not even just about me Right yeah, I do value my time. I work my ass off all week at work my wife She works her ass off all week at work. We come home We cook we do all the stuff that we all that we're supposed to do I'm not looking for a pat on the back during the week we bring on a practice twice a week We bring her to her weekend game or whatever we're all in as a sports family, but at the end of the day It's like dude. I'm not you know setting travel plans and and Saying no to certain things so you can play some meaningless game in Timbuktu so you can get Like what are we talking about like and that's the problem with some of these kids is that they never hear no Everything revolves around them, and it's like dude. I'm sorry, but like ah So it's not about me though. Here's the thing it's for me. It's more of a philosophy. You know it's a philosophical difference Yes, I'm talking about yeah, I don't want to use up all my time And that's a very small part of it the more thing is I do think my daughter has as I'm sure many parents here has Potentially an opportunity to play at a high level in high school And maybe go on to play in college You know because she loves the game and she's pretty good at it, and she's actually expressing interest in doing so But what I'm not going to do is turn it into a job for her I don't want her to put so much pressure on herself. I don't want her living out of a suitcase every single weekend I don't want her missing out on birthday parties on family time on you know We're trying to plan trips with other families and with with friends, and it's like oh wait a minute We got travel ball this weekend, so we can't do that this doesn't work because we got this We're leaving this practice to go to this game. We're going to this game to go to this practice You're playing on two or three different teams at once Nah, they're ten and what a lot of you parents are doing you sound like you're one of them. You're creating a job You're creating a job for your child They're going to hope they're going to school to come home. They gotta go to practice like when did I get to this chill out? When did I get this lounge on the couch? read a book Have a play date When do they get to do all that like so I'm choosing that I'm prioritizing that experience over The sport experience she still plays sports But this whole oh my goodness She has to play on this travel league and and we got a pack up and drive three hours to play three games Stay in a hotel whoop-dee-doo like nah, man Like let her have a let's go to our my in-laws house on a Friday night with the kids her three cousins Have a good old time next morning. We wake up. We go get doughnuts whatever we go to the movies We do stuff as a family five like so there's a there's a time and a place for the travel but at 10 at 11 at 12 at 8 and you're trying to like You're letting you you're letting a child Dictate your schedule and I know you probably mean and you not probably I have no doubt you mean Well, you're probably an amazing dad But bro, like you're out of touch if you think the parents who are saying no, it's selfish you can't believe they're doing that Learn about burnout learn about overusage learn about kids. Just like saying the hell with this sport They're doing too much too soon too often. So Again dad dad respect you my man. Keep doing your thing. Hey do what's best for your family, but I Think you need to also evaluate the other side Because yeah as parents Like this whole notion that we have to give up all of our time for our kids that that is whack You know, I see some of the people who say yeah I don't want to sit out in the Sun for six hours because ultimately okay They win this tournament and guess what? They're gonna play another term at the next week and it's like so it's literally Meaningless these games are pointless and you are Underestimating all the other things you can be doing with your child to fill that time No child when they're 30 is like, oh my god. Remember that tournament we won when we were nine. It doesn't happen