Photo: @NJONES01 via Instagram
Heather Prosser?s daughter, Gabrielle, started playing hockey when she was in grade two. The now 12-year-old took to the ice like a natural. ?She loved skating and going after that puck,? says Prosser, who lives in Bowmanville, Ont. After scoring a whopping 55 goals during her first season, Gabrielle was called up to play as a substitute on a more competitive team that year, and the positive experience left her wanting more. ?She begged to play on a rep team,? says Prosser. ?She asked us every single day and promised to do her very best.?
With two nephews already playing at the competitive level, Prosser knew it would involve more time and money than recreational hockey. She and her husband also wondered how the change might affect their daughter?and, indeed, the whole family. They were right to wonder. Moving into rep sports?a more competitive level than recreational?is a big decision, one that ultimately needs to be made by the parents, regardless of how enthusiastic your little athlete is. ?Even if your kid is motivated, good at a certain sport and better than other children, you still need to keep your hands on the reins and investigate,? says Paul Jurbala of Canadian Sport for Life, an organization that aims to improve the quality of sport and physical activity in Canada. So if your kid?s been told she?s one of the best players on her team and is asked to think about moving up, what should you do" Here are some questions to ask your...