Balance In Action

Power of protest

After failing in their appeal to their coach to lighten up on a brutal practice schedule the left barely any time for their schoolwork, family time, jobs and social lives, the seniors from one award winning Minnesota danceline quit the team in protest. The coach was replaced and the girls rejoined the team.

Setting boundaries

Years playing in association hockey with an exceptional coach who prioritized family time and school work over sports participation emboldened one high school player to set his own boundaries on participation. Finding the high school team out of line in its demands that players all but give up their lives for the team, this player opted out and played on a less than demanding community team.

Questioning the norms

One close-knit Minnesota family made a conscious and nearly unprecedented decision to opt out of frenetic association sports, despite cautions that if their kids didn’t participate in these youth feeder teams, the youngsters wouldn’t make the high school team—a necessity for much-sought college athletic scholarships. After years of kicking their soccer ball around the backyard and creating pick up games with other kids of all ages and skill levels, their two teenage boys made the high school team on their very first tryouts.

One sister heads for burn out, the other sister opts out

A gifted Minnesota athlete and top student practices swimming both before (starting at 5:30) and after school.  She drops participation in one arts activity and one community service activity so she can focus exclusively on her sport and studies, which combined leave her with little sleep and plenty of stress.  Her mother is concerned that her daughter has dropped activities important to her and that she is anxious and burnt out.  The teenager’s younger sister has decided not to participate in high school activities.

Strength in numbers

Faced with the choice between their first middle school dance and hockey practice, 12-year-old boys told their mothers they’d rather hone their social skills than their skating skills for the night, in spite of their coach’s strong disapproval. The moms, otherwise dedicated team boosters, got together as a group to approach the coach and tell him that they supported their boys’ decision. The missed practice was quickly forgotten, but memories of the dance will likely last for decades.

Parents and piano teacher work together

A long-time piano teacher requires all students to practice at home daily.  Parents of one of her 6-year-old piano students talk with the teacher about a schedule more appropriate for their child’s age and temperament.  Teacher and parents agree to lighten up on the practice schedule.

Hard driving educator seeks balance for his own kid

The principal of a national award-winning and highly competitive high school known for pushing student participation in endless extracurricular activities insisted that his own son participate in only one activity per season and that he not "specialize" by yearlong participation in any one activity. His son went on to attend an Ivy league university.

Benched for attending wedding

One young baseball player was benched when he chose to attend his brother’s wedding over a tournament.

Parent’s balance demanding sports

One baseball player was scheduled to play a double header on a Sunday.  In between games, he was also supposed to attend a "mandatory" three-hour hockey clinic.  The parents helped the teen choose to play the baseball games, but not go to the clinic.  Other hockey parents initially scoffed at them.  Yet, some later followed the family’s lead and choose to miss the clinic, too.

Grandma’s holiday loses to basketball

The coach of a nine-year-old basketball player urged her parents to leave her at home from a holiday visit to relatives so she could attend a team event.

Years in the trenches = burnout

A gifted high school soccer player, when asked if she'd play her sport in college, scoffed at the thought. "I've been playing for 15 years and the last nine months straight. I don't care if I ever play soccer again."