I can remember back when I was 14, playing in dozens of baseball tournaments over the summer and amassing many trophies, but being so tired I could barely stand.  My family would not go on trips because of my baseball schedule, maybe a quick trip to Destin here and there but nothing substantial.  In high school, I was playing legion baseball, running 30-40 miles a week for cross country, mowing 5 lawns a week, and lifting 3-4 days a week for 1-2 hours.  I remember one game in legion ball I asked the coach to take me out because I could not stand up on the field.  I wore myself out so much I did not spend the time loving the game.  

In college, I played only for two years because the love of the game was not enough to match the slipping grades, 6 hour long bus rides, no social life, 3 hour practices 6 days a week, and doing countless  hours of study that were wasted because you can’t concentrate on the road.  The next year I went to Australia for 6 months and experienced more than I had in the past 21 years and had an opportunity to see a world I was too busy to allow myself to see. 

Be sure to allow your child to experience a world outside of practices, training sessions, and tournaments.  To this day I don’t remember a single thing from my days at tournaments around the country, some particular moments from high school and college, but mostly that I had fun, my parents were always very supportive, and I know have a life long love of baseball.  I came to my conclusion in college, not at 14 were many young athlete’s drop out of sports.

Balance in sport is no different then balance in life…..no matter what age.