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Frankly, I think that many of those kids do the activities for their parents, not because the kids want to. Kids would be more happy if they were able to play a pick-up game of basketball or dance around their rooms rather than having to go to an organized activity. Organized activities are important in high school as college want to admit students passionate about something, but not before then.

You may be correct, but let me clue you in to the real world, at least as I know it.

I have a niece in first grade taking two dance lessons a week, because she wants to follow in my daughter's footsteps, and be a "Coppell Lariette". The drill team competes in national competitions every year, and the competition to make the team is fierce! 75% of the young ladies on the team have been in dance lessons since they were in pre-kinder.

When it comes to sports, ANY sport, the kids who make the team normally have been playing in organized leagues from age 7 or 8. For baseball and hockey, the choices are more pronounced: elite players sometimes have to choose between their HS team, or their (elite) traveling league.

During my son's HS career, he's played trumpet in the band. Their travels have included trips to Dublin, Ireland, London, San Antonio (several times), Corpus Christi, and they'll perform in Washington, DC in April.

Frankly, I think that many of those kids do the activities for their parents, not because the kids want to.

Accygirl, I strongly recommend that you make a trip to Texas during football season. The pomp and pageantry on Friday nights might dispel you of that notion: the football teams, the bands, the color guards, the drill teams, the cheerleaders.

Add to that the parents who cheer their sons and daughters on, and the younger kids who aspire to be part of the fun on Friday nights. It's a positive kind of peer pressure that propels these young men and women, instead of merely doing it to please Mom & Dad.

"When it comes to sports, ANY sport, the kids who make the team normally have been playing in organized leagues from age 7 or 8. For baseball and hockey, the choices are more pronounced: elite players sometimes have to choose between their HS team, or their (elite) traveling league. "

Very few kids have this sort of talent; however, parents still tend to over-schedule them. Many of my peers had notebooks full of the gazillion lessons that they took. It was mainly for the parents' benefits not theirs. Kids didn't like going to any of the activities but did so to please their moms.

I was only involved in perhaps one activity when I was growing up (girl scouts when I was younger and band when I was in junior high) and perhaps a few lessons during the summer. I wasn't really good in dance, sports, or band, so I didn't keep any of these up for more than a few years.

"Add to that the parents who cheer their sons and daughters on, and the younger kids who aspire to be part of the fun on Friday nights. It's a positive kind of peer pressure that propels these young men and women, instead of merely doing it to please Mom & Dad."

I read "Friday Night Lights" which dispels the notion that high school football in Texas is just a "fun Friday night activity." http://www.amazon.com/Friday-Night-Lights-Town-Dream/dp/0306809907/sr=8-2/qid=1164670345/ref=pd_bbs_2/103-8411897-4737423?ie=UTF8&s=books

When it comes to sports, ANY sport, the kids who make the team normally have been playing in organized leagues from age 7 or 8.

My 8 year old played football in one of these leagues. Well, he did until we yanked him out!

The amount of time the coaches insisted we devote to the team was ridiculous given the children's ages. Then, half of the kids didn't get to play. Once I saw that they planned to keep the kids to 2 1/2 hour practices every day, plus games on Saturday during the school year, I took my son out.

That was more football practice than my middle schooler had! Which, of course, was why my younger one wanted to play.