Thank you for such a beautiful way of explaining your points about a subject matter that has been bugging me. As a parent of two elementary school-going boys, I often see many parents spending most of their free time carpooling kids to and from soccer practices and games in and around town. I see kids and parents busy in soccer schedules — no time to have playdates with their peers. I am not sure if anyone is enjoying any of it. I never played a team sport, and my boys seem to also not care much about any. My 11 yr old loves playing chess with me; my 7 yr old loves running around the house and enjoys playing with Hotwheels cars. They seem happy and childish. Nobody is rushing them with anything. I don’t find team sports as an essential requirement of growth or socialization. When they want to try a sport, they will have plenty to learn, practice, and, most importantly, enjoy the time. So many parents forget kids need to be kids. Childhood should never be rushed.