kid sports

when is a parent pushing sports too much??? I am really struggling with this because while the kids love their respective sports, and they are really pushing themselves at the moment ... I worry that I am encouraging this behaviour just a little too much and I need to back off my enthusiasm so that they don't feel pressure from the parent front. I WAS NOT A SPORTSGIRL growing up - cheerleading was about my speed and I truly have never apologized for that! Hubbie was a football and track "superstar" in high school and college and just loves that the kids each have their own sports that they love.

Beachgirl is a swimmer ... and frankly if you could watch her swim you would realize that she has a God Given talent for the sport. When she starts to get a little cocky (which with her success, who wouldn't at this age) I am reminding her that this is a talent she was given and it is her responsibility to practice and practice and listen to her coaches ... her speed and grace at the age of 8 are due to something beyond her and she should be proud and humble. She has decided to move to a new practice time for the next two months because the girls in her group are getting a little lazy as the season winds down and practices are becoming free-for-alls and the coach is getting pretty frustrated with their lack of discipline. The new practice time is a much smaller group and includes the girl who "smoked" beachgirl in the 50 meter free last weekend ... so she wants to practice and pace with this girl.

I think that her thought process is amazingly mature for an 8 year old, especially when all of her friends who got her started in swimming are in the earlier group. BUT, is she just setting herself up for a fall by taking all of this so seriously so young? I wish there were easy answers!!!