The college coaching thread got me thinking, when do most countries stop high level organized sports?
In the US there is college - which ends almost everyone’s sporting career. I think for the most part college sports are dumb.
High school seems like a good time to stop, and then make everything part of pro leagues (or college clubs).
In NL and UK at least you can play amateur soccer until you can’t anymore.
In the UK there are 20 levels, and the bottom level has only 36 teams but the 16th level has 642 teams. Levels 20-12 can’t get up to level 11 (level 11 could get all the way to Level 1 (EPL))
NL has 10 levels: 2 pro leagues and 8 amateur. The 10th level has 41 divisions of 11-14 teams. 19 leagues play on Saturdays, 22 on Sundays. Most amateur Dutch teams has 35+ and 45+ masters teams too.
Bowling seems like folks are middle aged.
Darts, same.
In the US there is college - which ends almost everyone’s sporting career.
I believe there is growing participation in post-collegiate recreational sports. Softball leagues, pickleball, running groups, etc. More closely aligned to college intramural sports, but not sure where you draw the line.
I think for the most part college sports are dumb.
I think college sports are awesome. My time in college sports was absolutely a highlight of my life, and the friends I made on my teams, I still have.
The Americans who become largely sedentary after college is sad. I believe both the social interaction and physical activity that comes with organized sports is very helpful in modern life.
My impression is that in much of the rest of the world sports are mainly done via private/community clubs and school sports are more like rec or intermural sports. If you’re serious about a sport you’re not going to school to play it.
The college coaching thread got me thinking, when do most countries stop high level organized sports?
In the US there is college - which ends almost everyone’s sporting career. I think for the most part college sports are dumb.
High school seems like a good time to stop, and then make everything part of pro leagues (or college clubs).
I think you’re incorrect in stating the college is the end. There are tons of organized rec leagues, bowling leagues, golf leagues, etc. There are definitely some sports that you age out of more due to the toll they take on your body than anything else. But people play organized soccer, hockey, flag football, softball or baseball, and tons of others well into middle age and beyond. Not to mention the older age groups for endurance sports like distance running and the sport which is not be named in the LR.
My wording of organized is wrong. I should more have said “externally funded?”
I played college soccer for a little, then played club soccer. Both teams were fairly competitive - and practiced every day…
I just dont really know why we need college athletics being what they are today. There were a bunch of self-organized club sports - which I think fits perfectly for people who are not going to make a career out of it.
Before kids, I def played in a lot of adult rec leagues and what not. They just were nowhere near as college-organized sports, which I dont really know what the purpose of them were. (aside from bball/football - maybe womens vollyball/softball)
I played college soccer for a little, then played club soccer. Both teams were fairly competitive - and practiced every day…
Yeah, one of my college sports was rowing - with men’s (but not women’s) rowing having given the middle finger to the NCAA. So officially a “club sport.” But not to be confused with “not serious.” The top level of men’s rowing in the U.S. is super serious, and full of elite (e.g. Olympic) athletes. My “club” team was subsidized by the university, but at a pretty light level. Two coaches. Maybe one new rowing shell per year (~$40K). Full access to the athletic training staff and the really sweet athletic department gym. I believe the team was funded from student fees mostly, not the income from the revenue-generating teams. Could be wrong about that.
My “club” team was subsidized by the university, but at a pretty light level. Two coaches. Maybe one new rowing shell per year (~$40K). Full access to the athletic training staff and the really sweet athletic department gym. I believe the team was funded from student fees mostly, not the income from the revenue-generating teams. Could be wrong about that.
Yeah my universities club team was funded by student fees. The team was fairly funded. We got free uniforms, hotels, entry fees to a spring tournament + club nationals. We also got access to the field house + the soccer training facility (the varsity coach would generally also use us for scrimmage/extra players in the spring). It was pretty well organized and funded.
I dont see how - for soccer - college kids needed anything else.
I dont see any other country externally funding amateur sports like they do in the US.
Not sure what your park & rec sports teams are like, but my city’s leagues are very active.
I have watched some basketball & softball leagues. These are what used to be your dad’s beer leagues, but some of the higher leagues are full of ex-college players. No way would I want to soft pitch a softball to some of these guys.
College sports have gotten less and less compatible with attending college. Which is weird.
It’s a pretty weird message that if you want to be the best college athlete you can be - you need a fluff major and will not go to classes a lot.
The college coaching thread got me thinking, when do most countries stop high level organized sports?
In the US there is college - which ends almost everyone’s sporting career. I think for the most part college sports are dumb.
High school seems like a good time to stop, and then make everything part of pro leagues (or college clubs).
What country are you from?
Most sports in the US have organized sport till whenever. larger colleges have typically 3 levels now. NCAA, Club (which has national championships and travel) and then intermural, which is still pretty competitive, and well 4 pick up games for most sports.
And when I say most sports, Track and Field, Hockey, Soccer, Baseball, Football, lacrose, bowling, volleyball, handball, ultimate frisbee, Triathlons, biathlons, shooting, (guessing gymnastics, dancing) definetly swimming, and on and on all have adult competitive options
My wording of organized is wrong. I should more have said “externally funded?”
I played college soccer for a little, then played club soccer. Both teams were fairly competitive - and practiced every day…
I just dont really know why we need college athletics being what they are today. There were a bunch of self-organized club sports - which I think fits perfectly for people who are not going to make a career out of it.
Before kids, I def played in a lot of adult rec leagues and what not. They just were nowhere near as college-organized sports, which I dont really know what the purpose of them were. (aside from bball/football - maybe womens vollyball/softball)
In Canada, I would argue that many of our adult leagues are higher caliber than our college system. Hockey and soccer come to mind as the big ones.
I love these type of threads, it just go to show, how limited some people are to what is happening in the world around them.
What country are you from?
Most sports in the US have organized sport till whenever. larger colleges have typically 3 levels now. NCAA, Club (which has national championships and travel) and then intermural, which is still pretty competitive, and well 4 pick up games for most sports.
And when I say most sports, Track and Field, Hockey, Soccer, Baseball, Football, lacrose, bowling, volleyball, handball, ultimate frisbee, Triathlons, biathlons, shooting, (guessing gymnastics, dancing) definetly swimming, and on and on all have adult competitive options
The US. Played college sports at all three levels.
I just cant see other countries having things like college lacrosse that have no ties to a professional league/team - while providing the athletes with professional level facilities.
I assume if you go to a school like oxford, london school of business, university of melborne, etc. they dont have anything close to SEC football or even ACC swimming.
Like where do most UK runners train for the olympics? do they come to the states (and run at florida/oregon)? Where do Dutch handball players train? Where/how/when do curlers find rink time? Cyclist I know join teams.
I know the Brownlee boys went to college, but did they do track /swim/etc. at college like andy potts?
Not sure what you mean by career. I’m not nor have I ever been a professional athlete but I’m 50 and still compete (compete is doing a lot of work in this context) in BJJ competitions. Nationals, euros, I’d like to go to worlds and brasilieros.
I did tris for a long time and ran.
I hope my sporting “career” ends around the time I end.
A lot of international athletes train and find a home at club level. This isn’t to say that these clubs don’t have resources to allow them to excel. Then national sporting associations provide extra funding and expertise. If you go to a triathlon in say Norway most of the participants seem to be registered with a club.
One advantage is that athletes have longer term relationships with their coaches at least in the amateur sports.
Think about America. Kid has age group coach, then highschool coach, then college coach then has to maybe find new coach. Seems disruptive
I think the OP was asking about sports at the adult level where you don’t personally have to pay to participate. The kids don’t pay to play HS sports. College kids don’t pay to be on the team. Once you’re done with college, the opportunity to find a sport that you can participate in and have a high level of competition for ‘free’ is done and therefore your ‘career’ is over. The only other options are for you to find a league where you pony up some cash to join.
I think the OP was asking about sports at the adult level where you don’t personally have to pay to participate. The kids don’t pay to play HS sports. College kids don’t pay to be on the team. Once you’re done with college, the opportunity to find a sport that you can participate in and have a high level of competition for ‘free’ is done and therefore your ‘career’ is over. The only other options are for you to find a league where you pony up some cash to join.
My kids had to pay to play High School sports. And my one kid who played college sports, although there was not a direct fee, there were a lot of expenses in equipment, Lots of college kids are paying for stuff so they can play their sport.
I would not really call it amateur sports if something is being payed for by someone else.
Why would it be over anyhow, you know have a job and can pay those fee’s? I guess I don’t understand what your talking about more so than the OP’s comments.
Why would you stop playing you have a job so you pay the fee? I worked with a women who was one of the top players in women Professional football, I have no clue if she paid to be on the team or not, but she still had a full time job. Another co-worker was an Olympic archer, and worked full time as engineer. Again I am not sure even what we are talking about here anymore.
anyone who wants to keep playing their sport, after school can. Most people even those who are pretty good stop after High school to persue other things. Its one of the fun things about D2 and D3 sports you can actually have really good teams cause they snipe the kids who don’t want it to be their life but want to keep playing while getting a good education.
Anyhow, I am more confused than before.
My wording of organized is wrong. I should more have said “externally funded?”
I played college soccer for a little, then played club soccer. Both teams were fairly competitive - and practiced every day…
I just dont really know why we need college athletics being what they are today. There were a bunch of self-organized club sports - which I think fits perfectly for people who are not going to make a career out of it.
Before kids, I def played in a lot of adult rec leagues and what not. They just were nowhere near as college-organized sports, which I dont really know what the purpose of them were. (aside from bball/football - maybe womens vollyball/softball)
Not sure you cleared anything up with this.
First off many colleges has 3 levels of Sports NCAA, Club, intermural. All 3 of those levels are competitive and have some form of inter school play and championships.
Need college athletics? who needs it? it exists cause alumni support it, it makes the universities money and schools with winning programs are viewed by (to many in my opinion) people as better.
Why would we eliminate it?
Every sport has developed their own “farm” system if you will… many are still evolving. Hockey has Jr’s or college, the NBA now its the G-league. Soccer being more Euro centriq developed differently as US colleges were not a big source of talent, that is changing, but the Club scene in the US is still a pretty strong one. Volleyball is developing a club scene and at the HS level in some areas the club route is more important than playing for your HS. but I don’t see it getting enough $$ to replace college.
Sounds like you did not find the right league if felt they were not competitive enough. The vast majority of adult rec leagues, purpose is for adults to hang out get some exercise and play the sport they like, the competitive side is down the list in many. But if you look there are competitive leagues in most sports (Maybe not in your part of the country?) you just have to look for them.