Quitting A Sport

[theassassin]

let's hear your opinions here.
Should a kid be allowed to quit one sport (during season) and start preparing for another sport? ex: quitting football to prepare for basketball.

Should a kid be allowed to quit one sport and join another sport during the same season? ex: quitting basketball and joining wrestling.

[boy of summer]

No in almost all circumstances.

For example, if a kid quits baseball and goes to track or quits track and goes to baseball, it lets down his/her teammates from the prior sport and he probably cheeses off a kid in the new sport whose spot he or she is taking. Such actions probably do not also foster the most cordial of relationships between coaches in those two sports who oftentimes in rural communities coach together in another sport. Parents should not allow kids to quit when the going gets tough. Once you start something you should finish it. If you do not want to play the sport the next season, don't but honor your commitment. Life is not always fair and kids must be able to face adversity. Unfortunately, we live in an age of instant gratification and where loyalty is a commodity not in high supply right now as shown by the large number of kids in Ohio leaving their teammates and transferring to another school to play when things do not always go their way.

Also, say this kid plays basketball and/or football. Will the kids on the basketball or football team having a nagging doubt that the kid may do the same thing to them (quit) during this season or lay down on them when the going gets tough?

[TAR HEEL FAN44]

I agree...but you can not stop it...it is going to happen.

[conehead]

I don't think that's right at all. You're letting teammates and coaches down, for one thing. In my opinion, once you start something, youxshould fnish the season out. Well, unless you are truly miserable. And in no way should you immediately start another sport. That's just not right.

[eagle7]

No i don't think u should be able to quit no matter what

[Yossarian]

Boy of summer, I agree 100%. Nothing good comes from quitting . The word loyalty should be removed from the dictionary because it is absent from our society these days. Self gratification is rampant and is encouraged. Helicopter parents. The child is not at fault. It is the parents, the school/administration and AD. The adults should lead in these situations and they don't. The school should have a policy.

[osumufan]

The AD from South Point doesn't allow it. In fact you can not be in open gym if you are still on the football team. What would happen if you got hurt in open gym and then couldn't play in the football game? I think your season should be done before you take up the next sport evn if you quit during the first week.

[Yossarian]

I agree osumufan, I wish all AD's would develop a policy like this. It would also serve to keep overzealous coaches from pressuring kids to show up for their sport when the previous one isn't over yet. I wonder how football coaches who are in the playoffs would like it if the basketball coach pressured the kids to show up for open gym now? If the administration would take it out of the coaches hands it would make it clear to everyone. There is too much imtimidation of kids these days from one sport to another. It is actually against OHSAA regulations to put pressure on a kid but it happens all the time because administrations allow it.

[alabama mike]

No, I do not think a student should be allowed to quit a sport once they have started. If a parent (the situation in most cases) does not agree with the coaches playing policy, the student should stay until the season is over and not play the following year. Quitters are a huge problem at many schools because the parents not only allow it but they encourage it because "Johnny" isnt getting playing time, starting, etc... Parents SHOULD NOT allow kids to quit! EVER! Our local high school does not allow students who quit a sport to condition in another until the season is over.

[izzy94]

I agree.

Most teams will have to cut players during tryouts. If someone quits after tryouts and cut have been made, all they've done is taken a jersey away from someone else.

[Neutron Man]

No way, no how!

[Mr_player]

It shouldn't be allowed, but what has been done to stop it?

[middlechild]

what if a coach is abusing a child?

[Yossarian]

There are legitimate reasons to bring some things to the attention of the AD and/or Principal. Coaches are like any other segment of society and the do make mistakes. If it is truly an abusive situation then the child must be protected.