Raising outdoor kids

[Zak406]

I don’t have kids but after talking to a buddy of mine about youth sports I am curious about how many of you forgone sports/team sports with your kids and went directly into a hunting or out door type life style with your kids.

For those of you that kids are at an older age how did that work out for you?

 

[Snowwolfe]

Why give up one for the other? Our son did and enjoyed both.

 

[Backyard]

I don’t have kids but after talking to a buddy of mine about youth sports I am curious about how many of you forgone sports/team sports with your kids and went directly into a hunting or out door type life style with your kids.

For those of you that kids are at an older age how did that work out for you?

Let them try it all.
Remember: you can lead a horse… but in the end, let them decide.


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[Braaap]

I

I don’t have kids but after talking to a buddy of mine about youth sports I am curious about how many of you forgone sports/team sports with your kids and went directly into a hunting or out door type life style with your kids.

For those of you that kids are at an older age how did that work out for you?

It’s tempting to skip the team sports for selfish reasons but I think it’s easy enough to do team sports and raise outdoor kids. My kids are 8 and 10 and they play baseball/softball in the spring, soccer in the fall, and jiujitsu/tumbling most of the year. They’ve also been on a bunch of big game hunts with me and my wife, go fishing at least once a week, small game hunts, and ski all winter. My daughter tried out and made a travel softball team last fall and we said thanks but no thanks. I think the travel team sports is where things get crazy and I see parents give up all of their free time to pursue it. I played a lot of sports growing up and enjoyed it and I want to give my kids the same opportunity but I make sure to keep it reasonable and bring them on a lot of hunting and fishing trips.

Just last week I took my 8 year old boy out of school to go on an antelope hunt with me and he also missed a soccer game. We killed a nice buck together, camped a couple nights and caught about 35 fish according to him lol.

I don’t think it’s too tough to let kids play some rec sports and also raise outdoor kids.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

We did it all. My son played varsity baseball and golf and travel baseball in the summer. We also did a couple hunting trips and fishing trips every year. Team and individual sports can teach kids a lot of good stuff, even with a shitty coach. He is well rounded, got a 4.0 and mid 30’s on his act, is a great leader and even better person, loves to hunt and fish and has plans to be an orthopedic surgeon. Just graduated this last spring and is on a mission trip on Brazil for our church.

 

[North of 60]

Expose them to both outdoors and multiple sports and let them decide what they like or not.

Coaching youth baseball was great fun too.

 

[Ucsdryder]

Start them young and they won’t know any different, both sports and outdoors.

 

[Team4LongGun]

As others stated, I don't think you have to pick one or the other. Sure, going all in with year round travel teams, spring and fall school teams is a commitment that will eat most outdoor time.

For our kids, we exposed them to both, and let them decide. I would say it will work itself out, as long as you (I learned the hard way) aren't trying to have them achieve what you didn't on the field.

If you find your kid is well past recreational skill level AND loves it, go for it and have them play year round for a scholarship. Otherwise, in my personal experience, it's not worth the squeeze.

 

[Bman5000]

My kids range from 20 years old to 3 months old. Get your kids involved in both and get involved with them. It goes by fast. Team sports are seasonal and it’s always hunting season somewhere.

 

[Zak406]

As others stated, I don't think you have to pick one or the other. Sure, going all in with year round travel teams, spring and fall school teams is a commitment that will eat most outdoor time.

For our kids, we exposed them to both, and let them decide. I would say it will work itself out, as long as you (I learned the hard way) aren't trying to have them achieve what you didn't on the field.

If you find your kid is well past recreational skill level AND loves it, go for it and have them play year round for a scholarship. Otherwise, in my personal experience, it's not worth the squeeze.

This is exactly why I asked. I played at a high level sport and looking back now I wish I would have did less of that and spent more time outdoors and doing other things (hunting and fishing).

Essentially I hunted opening day and that was it until college.

When I played in college the long winter break allowed me to hunt more

There is a real misnomer about how many kids truly get scholarships for sports. The amount is low enough I will tell you first hand you are better off paying for a tutor and going after scholarships that involve grades. I would never bank on an athletic scholarship. Especially these days.