Class 9 son plays cricket four evenings a week. Cut it now, or wait for class 10?

banyan_quilt_892215 Oct 2026

My son, 14, is in class 9, ICSE. He goes to a cricket academy four evenings a week and plays on Saturday mornings. His sister is in class 10 this year and dropped all her activities in June. She studies late most nights, and my partner and I have been reminding her more than either of us likes. The obvious thing would be to cut his cricket now so class 10 doesn't hit him all at once. But he loves it, and I'm not sure class 9 needs those evenings free. For those who have been through 9 and 10: did you reduce activities in class 9, or did you wait until 10?

2 comments

moss_paper_78215 Oct 2026
Why cut it in class 9 at all? Nothing about 9 needs four free evenings.
- sage_paper_49615 Oct 2026
  depends on the school. my daughter is in 7th and projects already take two evenings a week some weeks. 9 won't be lighter.
- banyan_quilt_892215 Oct 2026
  Replying to @sage_paper_496
  That matches what we saw with my daughter in class 9. The projects came in bunches, nothing for two weeks and then three at once. Four fixed evenings made those weeks very hard.
- banyan_quilt_892216 Oct 2026
  Replying to @sage_paper_496
  Update after breakfast. I asked him directly which he'd give up if he had to. He'd rather drop Saturday than any weekday batch, which is the opposite of what I assumed. So that's a start.
- amber_window_958816 Oct 2026
  Replying to @banyan_quilt_8922
  the opposite of what you assumed is about the most reliable thing about 14 year olds, from what i hear. does dropping saturday actually free up anything for the project weeks though
mint_bookmark_709119 Oct 2026
my son is 9 and plays at a cricket academy 3 days a week. i've watched the older boys there drop off in 9th and say they'll come back after 10th. a few do, most don't. if he loves it i'd keep at least 2 days going, even in 10th