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Sporty DCs

18 replies

WeeAgnes · 13/01/2026 12:09

Does your family life revolve around sports - training schedules, travelling to comps, the highs, the lows and all that malarkey?
DCs are very sporty.
It does take over our lives a bit!

OP posts:
TurboGirl2 · 13/01/2026 13:13

Yep 4 days training a week plus comps every few weeks. Is a big commitment but they love it.

MillsMollsMands · 13/01/2026 13:15

Yep. Sunday was entirely spent driving to DC netball match, watching the game & coming home again. On either side of that I walked the dog…

blankcanvas3 · 13/01/2026 13:16

DS is 17 and has played football since he was 4. Our whole life does indeed revolve around it, it’s nice but I look forward to the summer when the season has finished! He trains 4 days a week in a premier league academy so it’s not as ‘hands on’ for me anymore, but I do still ferry him round everyday for it! He’ll hopefully pass his test soon so I won’t need to do that my more. We think he might make it to the bench for a cup game in the next month or so 🤞 It’ll all have been worth it if so!

minipie · 13/01/2026 13:23

Yes. I was never sporty and am not sure how I ended up here. DH and I are like ships in the night at weekends as we take the DC to various places, on top of weekday training.

It’s good for them though in so many ways - gets them outdoors, off screens, getting fit, sociable - and I’m sure it will tail off as GCSEs and A levels start to bite. So I’m rolling with it for now!

mumonthehill · 13/01/2026 13:26

Very much so! But it made a massive difference when ds passed his driving test. No more 5 am starts for training or going around the country for competitions. I do not miss it at all!

WeeAgnes · 13/01/2026 13:53

@minipie
It’s good for them though in so many ways - gets them outdoors, off screens, getting fit, sociable - and I’m sure it will tail off as GCSEs and A levels start to bite. So I’m rolling with it for now!

Absolutely to all of this!
As much as it does take over our lives, we as parents know that we'd much rather encourage this than the alternative.
We think the discipline of the sport, and learning about good sportsmanship will set them up for later life, whether or not they continue down the sporting route.
Also they learn so much about having a positive mental attitude and the benefits of a good diet too.
It's definitely a win-win for us.
It does take some dedication and commitment though (not to mention very, very deep pockets 😬)

OP posts:
sundayvibeswig22 · 13/01/2026 13:57

Yes a bit. I’ve one dc and I don’t know if she and we as parents could do what she does if I had more. She trains 6 times a week, which involves driving to different venues for training and competitions are often at a distance and take up 1/2 weekends a month in competition season. Luckily dh and I share the driving and we also car share with a few other parents on a rota.

Barrenfieldoffucks · 13/01/2026 14:06

Very much so.

Both teens are rowers, the older one (girl, 15) has been competing for 3 years now...the 13-year-old (boy) started about 18 months ago.

This time of year, training is 3 weeknights and both weekend mornings. Weeknights indoors, weekend on the water, weather permitting. Unfortunately, where they train is a 30-45 minute drive away, so whoever takes them just loiters or helps out...so out for about 3.5 hours on the whole.

When the season begins (in a month or so) one of the weekend days will be taken up with regattas, these are whole-day affairs due to traveling. About 5 or 6 of them involve overnight stays due to distance...the others are just early starts/late returns. The weekday evening training is then back out on the water (when the clocks change) so can go on for longer.

We also have an 8 year old who has a few bots he does, and wants to start rowing when he is bigger. In the summer we tend to go to the beach and swim etc while the bigger ones train.

It is a juggle...lots of logistics around meals (appropriate food both before and after), kit, childcare for the youngest if he isn't coming etc. Wouldn't swap it though, I would rather be busy, and now we are used to it, weekends without anything feel never ending. It is good for them in all respects...they're keeping fit, socialising with wholesome peers, building discipline and relationships, keeping out of mischief. Their health and fitness is important to them because of it, so on the whole they make an effort to eat well, wouldn't consider drugs or vaping etc.

WeeAgnes · 13/01/2026 14:27

@Barrenfieldoffucks yes to the logistics of meal times!
It is an art in itself.
Also really value the support of their older peers, good role models to have to help them during the wobbly periods.

OP posts:
MapleOakPine · 13/01/2026 14:33

Yes! It's easier now because one of my DC is away at uni and one of the remaining two can drive. But there have been many times in the past when all three had a match on the same day and DH and I were juggling to get all of them to the right place at the right time.

I can't imagine how many hours of my life I've spent driving DC to training and matches and watching them play 🫣

mumonthehill · 13/01/2026 15:20

@Barrenfieldoffucks mines a rower too! Currently enjoying the season in New Zealand!

canuckup · 13/01/2026 19:42

Yeah DD has just started hockey and it's quite intense even at a young age. Loves it though and as a pp said, less screen time, social, fitness, etc

Catwoman8 · 13/01/2026 20:29

We are heading that way. My son does football and swimming, but from April-September he does golf too. He also wants to try cricket this year.

Sport has helped him develop his social skills , it gets him off screens and burns some energy outside. Yes it can be full on, but I want to give him the opportunity to try as many things as he likes. I never had that oppoortunity growing up, despite my love for sports.

On top of our childs activitids, I play netball and rounders and my husband plays golf and darts.

MrsAvocet · 13/01/2026 20:47

I can definitely relate to this. In fact I felt at something of a loss when my youngest went to University and my life was no longer dictated by DS's sports. I hate to think how far I used to drive. We had a nearly 300 mile round trip after school on Mondays for starters. I don't miss all the travel but I do miss the camaraderie - I met some really nice people through my DC's hobbies and I really enjoyed meeting up with friends and watching training and competitions. I do coach a sport myself though and in the Summer months that takes up at least 2 nights a week so that keeps me busy and gives me my sports fix!

BertieWoostersChaps · 13/01/2026 21:13

MrsAvocet · 13/01/2026 20:47

I can definitely relate to this. In fact I felt at something of a loss when my youngest went to University and my life was no longer dictated by DS's sports. I hate to think how far I used to drive. We had a nearly 300 mile round trip after school on Mondays for starters. I don't miss all the travel but I do miss the camaraderie - I met some really nice people through my DC's hobbies and I really enjoyed meeting up with friends and watching training and competitions. I do coach a sport myself though and in the Summer months that takes up at least 2 nights a week so that keeps me busy and gives me my sports fix!

I think I'll feel like this as well when mine leave home 😭 so much of our lives are dictated by DC's training and comps / tournaments.

My DD is a gymnast and cheerleader, she trains 4 times a week and coaches younger kids one evening a week. Competitions are every few weeks but can be all over the country. My DS is a table tennis player and plays in national league and several local leagues.

Only works because DH and I share the load!

Hiptothisjive · 28/01/2026 11:03

Yeah totally get it. We have two boys in cat 1 academies - so it’s four days training a week for 2-3 hours a time and a game for one on Saturday and a game for the other on Sunday. Distances can be two hours away if not at home (but club does put on a coach).

We are lucky as we don’t pay anything but there is a lot of washing! Dinner is normally between 8-9 depending on when we get home.

I wouldn’t have it any other way. Watching your kids do what they love is worth it - even standing outside for two hours in freezing rain in the winter :)

mindutopia · 28/01/2026 11:15

Not really no. I have one who is very sporty (aiming for career in sports, coaching, physio). She has training 3 nights a week for 4 hours, but I just pop her there and go collect her.

Competitions are only a few times a year as it’s not something like football with matches every weekend, though they do require travel. We just make a weekend of it.

I grew up riding and keeping horses though, and it definitely did take over life. Riding 3x a week, but feeding/mucking out/care daily and competitions all over the country every month or so. I’ve steered mine away from horses for a reason. 😂

I don’t mind though, because what would we be doing otherwise? I kept busy as a child so no time for trouble or drugs or drinking in the park or teen pregnancy. 🤣 My dc’s friends are roaming around in the park vaping with boys while she is training and assistant coaching after school. Keeps her busy and on the straight and narrow.

KeeepWalking · 28/01/2026 11:22

Yes for a few years (climbing and horse riding) but once they learnt to drive themselves we had more freedom. I actually really enjoyed those years, long car journeys to comps was a great bonding time and I made several friends from the other parents I'd see regularly. I actually quite miss those days now DDs have left home.

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