Sports: what to do with a large family?

We have 12 children who are all very competitive and my seven boys are very athletic. We have a couple of rules that help tame this problem.

This is a great article here on the Marathon Mom blog:

1. Must be age 9/10 before playing on a game team. (we have let them play on a group activity that involves many of our kids that is mostly for fun...no uniforms, no games...just skills and fun...all on the same field and the same time) We have early dinners and early bedtime so we can sometimes squeeze in dinner before practice then home for showers and bed.

2. We try to find teams that more than one kid can play on...so many of our boys have played up...so finding a coach who is flexible is key...(btw...those boys who play up become the best players!)

3. No travel teams or expensive tournament teams with traveling far away with hotel accommodations.

4. If a coach really wants one of my kids...they find a ride to and from practice and games...this happened with my son who was a great goalie...the coach wanted him so bad that he came and drove him to every practice and most games.

5. The kids have to realize that we just can't be at every game...and if it is too hard to understand than they can wait to play another sport or on a different team. (they always deal with it)

6. I usually ask the coach about commitments prior to team...explain our family dynamic and if they are still on the phone...we try to work something out...like if we have church activities during practice and game time...God Comes First!

7. I always ask for a team list or send an email with our address to see if anyone lives near us to carpool...most of the time I can help another parent who is stuck to and then we have two happy families!

8. We only do a couple of seasons of sports...most of the time it is fall soccer...no winter...really relaxed tennis lesson/tennis team and swim lessons in the summer...spring we are flexible if we find a low committed team. We are very blessed to live in an awesome neighborhood with sports going on everyday.

This is a constant battle and one to take to prayer with your spouse. Many of my friends husbands would die if their kids weren't doing a sport each season...more power to them...no way in our family!!!

THY WILL BE DONE!!1 +JMJ+