We are right in the middle of the most recent edition of the girls and boys high school state basketball championships in Des Moines. As it's been the past several years, there are a number of players with whom we are acquainted as the children of friends or relatives.
Along with just about every sport these days, lots of these kids play basketball on a year-round basis, thanks to competitive (typically AAU) programs. The real thanks actually goes to their parents, who have made a great sacrifice of both time and money to allow it to happen.
The question is, what is the real benefit, and is it worth the price? In this case, the price isn't just monetary, it's also the price paid in missed events with family, and all of the missed school time.
If you make it to the state tournament, and even win a state title, does that once-in-a-lifetime memory make it worth spending the thousands of hours and dollars, also resulting in other missed memories? Maybe, maybe not.
What about getting a college athletic scholarship? Most would answer yes to that, including me. Still, that's a crapshoot, and regardless, how much of that success can be directly correlated to the extra effort?
In the end, the 'cost' of a kid playing competitive sports throughout the year probably can't be determined until five or so years after high school. From my perspective, it's all about what kind of person the kid turns out to be when high school and college years are over.
Assuming they aren't one of the less than 1% that becomes a professional in their chosen sport, it depends on whether the kid becomes a productive member of society. If they did, it doesn't mean the extra athletic time helped them, but at least it didn't hurt them.
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