Should a 7 year old move up to the competition group in a sport he only joined for his friend?

linen_river_751313 Jun 2026

The academy near us has a recreational batch twice a week and a competition group that trains four evenings plus Saturday mornings. After class the coach told me our elder son has quick hands and should move up. He enjoys it, but mainly because his friend from the building is in the same batch, and the friend is not being moved. Four evenings would also change my pickup plan, since the younger one would sit at the academy for an hour each time. I don't want to turn down something he might be good at just because it's inconvenient for me. I'm also not sure a 7 year old needs a competition anything yet.

1 comment

olive_window_619813 Jun 2026
What does the competition group do differently in an ordinary week? If it is the same drills with more hours and a tournament every month, that is one thing. If it means a separate coach and smaller numbers, that is another. I would ask to watch one of their sessions before deciding.
- mellow_veranda_875513 Jun 2026
  Watching a session is a good idea. We moved our elder one up in skating at about that age and the younger one spent a year doing colouring on the academy bench. It worked for a while, then both were tired and cranky by 7. If you do try it, maybe agree on a few months and look again then.