Last Saturday, I found myself perched on a folding chair at my six-year-old’s softball game, pondering the future of youth sports. In our city, like many others, the competition is ramping up, and it’s already feeling intense. Just last fall, my daughter participated in a CYC soccer league that touted itself as “non-competitive.” I chuckled at that label, as she spent most of her time sitting out—clearly the weakest link on a so-called “non-competitive” team. At just five years old, I was already noticing parents enrolling their kids in camps, clinics, and private lessons. Before long, select leagues will be knocking at our door.
Now, I’m not against youth sports; I just wish to sidestep the madness that comes with it. After all, where does all that time and money lead? A tiny fraction of kids play sports at the college level, and an even smaller number make it to the pros. And let’s be honest, my genes don’t exactly scream “athletic prodigy.”
As I reflected on this, I wondered if we could fast-track to the eventual destination: the company beer league. Why not create a B team, where the pressure is off? Imagine no more weekends spent in distant hotels for pointless tournaments, and imagine parents not waiting until the wee hours for the high school football bus to return. No clinics, no camps, no endless hours of grueling practices. Just a few t-shirts instead of fancy uniforms, and a focus on having fun.
I’m thinking long-term here. We want our kids to be coordinated enough to avoid knee injuries in 20 years when they’re asked to sub for a YMCA volleyball game or to break 100 while bowling with friends. Let’s teach them how to swim well enough to stay afloat and give them some dance moves to show off at parties. Kids will still make friends and learn about teamwork, while parents can maintain their sanity without spending countless hours at practice.
I loved sports as a kid. I started with softball at age five and quickly picked up basketball and volleyball. I enjoyed them all—until high school, where practices became a battleground. Our basketball coach was perpetually on the verge of a meltdown, screaming at us to run laps until we nearly hurled. The slogan on our camp shirts? “Sweat ‘Til We Bleed.” No thanks! I lasted less than a week and preferred shooting hoops with friends in our cul-de-sac or setting up a badminton net in the backyard for some neighborhood fun.
The only reason I stuck with softball through high school was my coach, who valued fun over winning. He understood that losing meant very little in the grand scheme of life. But not everyone shared that view, leading to the existence of the A team.
If you have fond memories of grueling basketball drills and late-night swim meets, that’s wonderful. You and your family belong on the A team. What I needed back then—and what many kids today seem to need—is a B team. According to reports, participation in youth sports is declining steadily because “it takes too much time.” Kids are getting burned out before they even reach middle school.
Enter the B team: a court, a ball, and a bunch of kids who just want to play for fun. It’s a middle ground between competitive leagues and casual pickup games. Sure, there will be a set time and place, and you can count on snacks, but there will be no punishment for mistakes, no pep talks after losses, and you might not even keep score. Because, honestly? It doesn’t matter.
I value competition, but I believe kids have plenty of opportunities to learn about it as they grow up. Sometimes, I’ll just put out a plate of cookies and let my kids compete for treats to teach them a life lesson. Ultimately, I think what helped me succeed in my career was not my competitiveness but my appreciation for teamwork. Plus, I was the best leadoff batter on our company softball team.
In summary, let’s consider creating a B team for our kids—an approach to sports that emphasizes fun, friendship, and skill development without the added pressure of competition.
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