Late soccer practice?

[NotSoObvious]

Hmm...doesn't a 6-7pm practice seem a little late for ten year olds, considering the practice location is about 20 min away from the home school (where the whole team, minus my dd, attends)??? This is just plain old rec soccer.

 

It's going to be dark at that time by October and practice goes through the middle of November. There are no lights on the field.

 

The coaches are college students. Should I say something or just see how it goes?

 

Do your kids practice outdoors that late in the fall? We won't be home until 7:30, which feels super late to me since my kids still go to bed at 8.

[SunnyDays]

Unfortunately I don't think that's unusual these days, especially if they have a lot of teams they're trying to accommodate. However, it does surprise me that it's outdoors that late in the year. My son had basketball practice at that time last year, and it was 8-9 year olds.

[jengjohnson]

We're heavy into soccer and have practice (for my 10 yo) that lasts until 8pm. Last year it was 8:30 and that was rec. My 12 yo had an indoor session last month from 8-9, but that's not typical. If there are no lights on the field, they'll have to adjust. Since we get home late so often this season I've actually adjusted their bed and wake times by an hour. It would be really hard on them if they had to get up to catch a bus.

 

Field time is hard to come by around here, so we have to take what's available.

[Tenaj]

It seems pretty normal for around here.

 

The older kids (and yes, in our leagues, the 10-year olds would be on the older end because we start soccer at 5) get the later practice slots. Right now we're practicing twice a week from 5:15 to 6:30 which really puts a kink into mealtimes. We are about 30 minutes from the field so we usually get home around 7 or a bit after depending on whether practice lets out and how long it takes my players to dwaddle along and kick their balls all over the fields on the way to the van :)

 

I'm trying to remember if it would be dark by 7 in October . . . it seems like we can hang onto the daylight or at least dusk until later in the year. I'm not sure when the time changes anymore but then it would definitely be a problem but I think that's closer to Thanksgiving. I remember one time when my oldest was playing soccer that they were in a tie on a field with no lights early in November. The sun went down and they kept playing. The parents finally all lined our cars up in the parking lot and shone our lights onto the field to they could finish. It was so dark and weird with all those lights and shadows that I was terrified I was going to lose a toddler or two on the way back to the car :)

 

They may also be planning on changing the practice time later in the season? I know that we rarely have practice after the games start so maybe that will also be a factor?

 

 

 

 

Hmm...doesn't a 6-7pm practice seem a little late for ten year olds, considering the practice location is about 20 min away from the home school (where the whole team, minus my dd, attends)??? This is just plain old rec soccer.

 

It's going to be dark at that time by October and practice goes through the middle of November. There are no lights on the field.

 

The coaches are college students. Should I say something or just see how it goes?

 

Do your kids practice outdoors that late in the fall? We won't be home until 7:30, which feels super late to me since my kids still go to bed at 8.

[Belacqua]

I think Cris is right about this being pretty normal. Our YMCA had cross-country meets that went until after 8:00 in the autumn, which meant kids were running through the forest in the dark. We took to giving them all glow sticks and having several parents run with them, but it was difficult. Happily, they've changed it to weekend afternoons.

 

It probably wouldn't hurt to mention your concerns, but it may be a matter of field allocation. In many places, playing fields are scarce and practice time fiercely guarded.

[kitten18]

I would just wait and see how it goes. When it starts getting darker in a few weeks they will have to figure out a different time.

FWIW - I don't think 6-7 is late for 10 year olds.

 

 

My DS (6, almost 7, oldest kid on the team) has Flag Football practice from 7:00-8:00. It's late for us because the kids are normally in bed at 8:00 but I kind of like it because it doesn't interfere with ballet or martial arts.

In the spring, he had t-ball practice from 6:00-7:00 and I don't think any of the parents thought that was too late.

[chickenpatty]

Mine practice til 7:30 and sometimes later, but we have lights on the field.

[lovinmyboys]

I don't think it is late. A lot of people may not be able to get there any earlier if they work a typical 8-5 schedule. My son plays on a k-1st baseball team this fall and is practicing from 7-8 on a school night. I was surprised it was that late for such young kids, but I guess that is when the coach could get the field. So far I haven't heard anyone complaining. We just come home and do a quick shower and straight to bed.

 

I like that it is later because dh is usually home in time to take him and I don't have to get all the kids out.

[Running the race]

It seems perfectly normal to me. Usually the practices are set by the coach's availability. They might switch the time or location when the time changes.

[acablue]

My 6 and 7 year olds practice several sports until 8pm.

[QuirkyKidAcademy]

We have baseball practice tonight from 6-7:30pm. We won't get home until almost 8pm. Trade ya! :)

[NotSoObvious]

Well, ok then! Thanks so much for the replies. I guess I should just be glad my kids don't have to catch that 7AM bus!

 

We had a better time and place, but the coaches (all four of them?!) couldn't make it.

[NotSoObvious]

We have baseball practice tonight from 6-7:30pm. We won't get home until almost 8pm. Trade ya! :)

 

Wow. It's no wonder all my PS kids were tired all the time!! Thank goodness for homeschooling!

[AngieC]

My 5 year old's soccer practice is from 6-7pm and my daughter's activities don't end until 8:30pm, so I would love for everything to be done by 7pm. No, I do not think that is at all late (but I wish it were and I wish everything ended earlier).

[Snickerdoodle]

My 8yo has practice until 7:30.

[SailorMom]

Enjoy that early time while you can (and yes - that's early).

Mondays my DS has practice from 6:30-8:30, and Wednesdays from 7:00 to 9:00. That 9pm hurts.....

[mom2samlibby]

Considering that my 10 yr old has AWANA from 6:30 -8 and dance from 5:40 -8:10, it does not seem late at all. I think that is on the early side. Very normal around here for practice times.

[KrissiK]

My 6 year old has a 6:30-7:30 practice. There are a limited amount of practice fields and when parents work.... However, by the time it starts getting dark early, they have shorter practices.

[Danestress]

But you simply can't play on an unlighted field after dark. So it won't work forever.

[mycalling]

When mine have had practice on unlighted fields after dark, we parents would park our cars facing the field and turn on our headlights when it got dark. It worked.

[linders]

It doesn't seem late when you consider some parents (including parent coaches) don't get home until almost 6 pm. Our rec soccer practices are slotted either 5:45-6:45 or 6:45-7:45, and that's in an area where the B&M schools start at 7:30 am.

[*lifeoftheparty*]

Yep, it's usual... you can't have it too early b/c people (well, some people ;)) have to get home from work first.

 

Ours is either 5:30 - 6:30 or 6:00 to 7:00, depending on what the coach needs/wants and parents can do.

[magnificent_baby]

That is the same time as our soccer practice. I don't think it's late at all.

[NotSoObvious]

When mine have had practice on unlighted fields after dark, we parents would park our cars facing the field and turn on our headlights when it got dark. It worked.

 

Now that's dedication!:001_smile:

[petepie2]

My 8 yr old's practice is scheduled from 7:30-8:30. Her coach has been trying to start it at 7:15 and may even try to to move it to 7:00. The good news is that my two boys practice at 5:30 on the same night. So we only have one late night per week.

[PeacefulChaos]

Hmm...doesn't a 6-7pm practice seem a little late for ten year olds, considering the practice location is about 20 min away from the home school (where the whole team, minus my dd, attends)??? This is just plain old rec soccer.

 

It's going to be dark at that time by October and practice goes through the middle of November. There are no lights on the field.

 

The coaches are college students. Should I say something or just see how it goes?

 

Do your kids practice outdoors that late in the fall? We won't be home until 7:30, which feels super late to me since my kids still go to bed at 8.

 

That doesn't seem that far from the norm. Last fall Astro had practices on Mondays from 545-645. Most practices here run from 530-630 regardless of age.

[Dinsfamily]

Hmm...doesn't a 6-7pm practice seem a little late for ten year olds, considering the practice location is about 20 min away from the home school (where the whole team, minus my dd, attends)??? This is just plain old rec soccer.

 

It's going to be dark at that time by October and practice goes through the middle of November. There are no lights on the field.

 

The coaches are college students. Should I say something or just see how it goes?

 

Do your kids practice outdoors that late in the fall? We won't be home until 7:30, which feels super late to me since my kids still go to bed at 8.

 

Doesn't seem late to me. A lot of parents work and can't make it to earlier practices. We've been doing YMCA soccer for 5 yrs and it has been rare to have a 5:15 practice. Most of ours go from 6:15-7:15. Ds8 has had 7:30-8:30 practice for the last 2 years. This fall it will be from 6:15-8.

 

My dc go to bed at 7:30, but we have to make changes on soccer days.

[scrappyhappymama]

My 10 year old soccer player has practice from 645-745. My FIVE and seven year olds have football practice from 630-800, but it tends to go to 815, 820, so we don't get home until after 830. It doesn't really faze us though since my kids don't generally go to bed until 930 or 10. I do wonder about how the public schooled kids do it, especially if they have homework still to do after they get home!

 

In my experience, once we hit October and the evenings get shorter, practice times will start and end earlier. It's inevitable, but I actually prefer the later times because if gives my husband a chance to get home and to be able to help with the sports shuttling. :)

[NanceXToo]

My 6 year old has soccer practice from 6-7:30 PM.

[TranquilMind]

Hmm...doesn't a 6-7pm practice seem a little late for ten year olds, considering the practice location is about 20 min away from the home school (where the whole team, minus my dd, attends)??? This is just plain old rec soccer.

 

It's going to be dark at that time by October and practice goes through the middle of November. There are no lights on the field.

 

The coaches are college students. Should I say something or just see how it goes?

 

Do your kids practice outdoors that late in the fall? We won't be home until 7:30, which feels super late to me since my kids still go to bed at 8.

No, I don't think that's late.

[Tasia]

That sounds like a reasonable practice time to me. My 11 year old has a weekly hockey practice from 8-9pm this year.

[AnnaM]

I havent read the other replies but we have two practices and one is at 6 and the other is at 7. They are both an hour. By the time we get home it is nearly 9pm.

[regentrude]

I find it normal. Anything before 6pm would make it almost impossible for working parents to have their kids participate.

[catz]

My 8 year old will be at dance until 8:30 pm 3 nights a week this year (she will be youngest for her level though). So nope, doesn't seem unusual. My 11 year old will have one night a week when he gets done with a class at 9:15 pm. I'm sure we'd be making different choices if we weren't homeschooling though.

[Mommy22alyns]

That doesn't seem unusual to me. Rebecca has gymnastics until 7:30 three nights a week, and higher levels go 'til 8. We live 40 minutes away from the gym.