I joined a rec league beach volleyball team this year. I’m having a lot of fun at it and this is presenting a dilemma for me – I’ve been a pretty strong opponent of organized sports the last few years because of the research out there that shown they rob kids of the ability to learn to play. That doesn’t mean that I’m anti-sport, I’m just not convinced that signing your kids up for league team sports are the way to go.
Instead, I think that there is tremendous value in kicking around a soccer ball with your kids in the local park, making up rules and developing a culture where playing outdoors in an unstructured way is a part of your lives.
I think that rec leagues are a part of that. As long as kids aren’t organized every time that they play, there probably isn’t much harm in them. I’m still not sure that they are a good idea for five year olds, but my mind is opening a bit.
Kids and Nature 
Posted by Angela on June 22, 2011 at 2:18 pm
Yes, Unstructured play is showing a lot of benefit.. and the sporting world is slowing coming on side. Canadian Sport for Life… which encourages more the unstructured play in the earlier years… is growing momentum http://www.canadiansportforlife.ca/ltad-stages/active-start
The key is getting grass route organization more aware and on board…
Posted by Sarah Chidley on July 17, 2011 at 1:21 pm
I agree, while organized sports do teach discipline and teamwork. Kids deserve to have unstructured play that isn’t in an adult sanctioned setting. Whereas the rules were not created by adults, and the adult isn’t the moderator.