american_mama
06-09-2009, 11:22 PM
This is about basketball camp and whether I should let DD1 quit. I am curious since in the recent activities threads, many people mentioned that their kids need to finish a sport, class or other activity that they have started.
DD1 is 7 years old and somehow got interested in going to a parks and rec basketball camp, which started today. She liked shooting baskets with a friend a year ago during recess, but other than that, DD1 does not really like basketball or formal sports. She hates being hot. The camp is 3.5 hours every morning for the week (Tue.-Fri.) in an un-air conditioned gym and today was 88 degress by noon. She started today and hated it, said she doesn't want to go back. As background, the camp was only $30 total, so not expensive.
The reasons she hates it are multitude. I knew it was a big camp taught in a high school gymnasium by a high school coach and young assistants, and I knew there would be many more boys that girl. Yeah. We walk in this morning and it's easily 50 boys and 4 girls. Four. The kids are all shooting baskets and playing mini-games underneath all the hoops, running, jumping, shoving a bit. DD was supposed to just jump in. She is normally very confident and outgoing and likes trying new activities, but DD literally shrank back and hung at the sides of the gym with her shoulders down for 5-10 minutes. I have NEVER seen her so intimidated and unsure. When the coach blew the whistle to start, she slowly walked over to the circle and sat with her knees pulled against her chest.
When I picked her up, she walked dejectedly over to me, no smile or happiness. I asked the coach how she did and he said, "Uhh... it's a big adjustment for her. All these boys. Uhh, but she's getting it." It sounded like he meant the exact opposite. DD said she didn't like it, doesn't want to go back, hates all the drills. She was wimpering. Granted, she's a bit of a complainer all the time, but she really felt low.
I suspected there would be problems, not least with the ratio of boys to girls, but I didn't expect only 4 girls. I tried to get a friend from her first grade class to take the class with her, offered to do all the driving, etc. but it didn't pan out. The camp takes a snack and lunch break - not that they told parents this - and DD didn't have anything today . I asked who she sat with and what she did without any food and she didn't answer.
I would have hated this camp as a child. I would have felt uncomfortable in my skin almost every minute of the 3.5 hour camp, felt out of place for being a girl, and felt like a flop because I suspect DD is a pretty bad basketball player. She really doesn't know anything about it, doesn't know any of the jargon, probably thinks you can run with the basketball. It's only 3 more days, but that's 10.5 hours of misery.
So, would you make your child continue? It only cost me $30. She has to go tomorrow because everything is better the second day when you know what to expect. But I'm 50-50 on making her continue after that.
DD1 is 7 years old and somehow got interested in going to a parks and rec basketball camp, which started today. She liked shooting baskets with a friend a year ago during recess, but other than that, DD1 does not really like basketball or formal sports. She hates being hot. The camp is 3.5 hours every morning for the week (Tue.-Fri.) in an un-air conditioned gym and today was 88 degress by noon. She started today and hated it, said she doesn't want to go back. As background, the camp was only $30 total, so not expensive.
The reasons she hates it are multitude. I knew it was a big camp taught in a high school gymnasium by a high school coach and young assistants, and I knew there would be many more boys that girl. Yeah. We walk in this morning and it's easily 50 boys and 4 girls. Four. The kids are all shooting baskets and playing mini-games underneath all the hoops, running, jumping, shoving a bit. DD was supposed to just jump in. She is normally very confident and outgoing and likes trying new activities, but DD literally shrank back and hung at the sides of the gym with her shoulders down for 5-10 minutes. I have NEVER seen her so intimidated and unsure. When the coach blew the whistle to start, she slowly walked over to the circle and sat with her knees pulled against her chest.
When I picked her up, she walked dejectedly over to me, no smile or happiness. I asked the coach how she did and he said, "Uhh... it's a big adjustment for her. All these boys. Uhh, but she's getting it." It sounded like he meant the exact opposite. DD said she didn't like it, doesn't want to go back, hates all the drills. She was wimpering. Granted, she's a bit of a complainer all the time, but she really felt low.
I suspected there would be problems, not least with the ratio of boys to girls, but I didn't expect only 4 girls. I tried to get a friend from her first grade class to take the class with her, offered to do all the driving, etc. but it didn't pan out. The camp takes a snack and lunch break - not that they told parents this - and DD didn't have anything today . I asked who she sat with and what she did without any food and she didn't answer.
I would have hated this camp as a child. I would have felt uncomfortable in my skin almost every minute of the 3.5 hour camp, felt out of place for being a girl, and felt like a flop because I suspect DD is a pretty bad basketball player. She really doesn't know anything about it, doesn't know any of the jargon, probably thinks you can run with the basketball. It's only 3 more days, but that's 10.5 hours of misery.
So, would you make your child continue? It only cost me $30. She has to go tomorrow because everything is better the second day when you know what to expect. But I'm 50-50 on making her continue after that.