A little bit more specifically, the exact failure mode is in properly identifying that mammals that are prevented from playing in multiple animal studies pretty much turn into complete F-ups when they become adults, and properly scientifically documents that human kids are prevented from playing more over the years while perhaps coincidentally mental illness levels have exploded in children.

So the specific failure mode is proving that totally F-ed up lower mammals equates to suicide in human teens. Probably the only really scientific conclusion you can gather is that forcing human kids (aka mammals) not to play screws them up horribly.

Well, I'd love to sit here and debate with my HN buddies but as you know the only hope for a middle class lifestyle is being in the top 5% so I gotta take off and helicopter my 2nd grade daughter from Violin lessons to Chinese lessons to Lacrosse League practice otherwise she'll never make it into Stanford.

Note I'm kidding, I don't even let my kids join organized sports, although we participate in totally dis-organized sports (aka, actually fun) at the park a couple times per week. My son's actually getting good at hitting a baseball, although no one keeps score.

Most of my happiest moments as a child were while playing organized sports. I'm not sure where you're getting your idea that dis-organized sports are "actually fun" with the implication that playing on a team isn't, but you might want to reconsider.

why would you not allow your kids to play organized sports?

Tried little league and it was 60 page rulebook and forms and spending an hour sitting in car to play away games and parent drama (there's always two parents who can't stand each other, I stayed out of it and laughed at them). Parents trash talking other teams kids performance, BS like that. Rules-lawyer parents. Crying kids when they let the team down.

Organized sports is for parent's entertainment, makes parents smile. Pick up game at city park a block away from home is for kids, makes kids smile. Little league baseball diamond = lots of yelling. City park baseball diamond = lots of laughing.

Perhaps there's organized sports that doesn't suck, somewhere. Must be fun, for them.

And I hate to reply twice but the other thing was organized sports = responsibility responsibility responsibility. Pay your dues. Buy your uniform. Responsible for getting your name and number on your uniform. Do your 10 hours of "volunteer" groundskeeping after the games. Which kid (aka parent) is responsible for the water bottles today, and which kid is bringing the snack this week. Make sure you show up at 5:47 on wednesday on the dot or we'll have to forfeit. You're responsible for 2nd base, I don't like being 2nd base, too bad you're responsible. You're responsible to wear the proper color sweatpants with your uniform shirt or whatever it was. All a bunch of totally non-fun BS. Nothing to do with play or fun.

In comparison, disorganized sports at the park is awesome, your only responsibility is not intentionally hurting another kid.

seriously?

organized sports were nothing like that for me during the late 80s / early 90s, nor are they like that now for my 7yo and 5yo boys. baseball is the same now (in california) as it was for me growing up on the east coast. soccer is a little different, but that seems more b/c of it's sheer popularity in these parts.

only difference i really note is that they're a little more strict about parents not helping out as assistant coaches unless they fill out a background check and attend a single training session for tips on coaching children of that age group. i don't object to either.

my boys love the sports they play.

note: they play at the recreational level, not competitive.

I grew up in the 90s.

Organized sports were mostly a fun thing until high school. In High School and above, sports became deadly serious (scholarship, scholarship, SCHOLARSHIP!!!), but before that it was almost simply playtime. I don't remember ever being stressed about Soccer or Track and Field.

Even in High School, Track and Field remained a "fun" sport for me (I can't fathom why anymore, but I remember enjoying running in the rain, and up/down stairs and everything). It was pretty much "stay at your own pace", since there were so many people at different skill levels.

I can imagine organized High School play to be stressful for a teenager, but I can't fathom being stressed about any sport before then.

Experimental study proves that Starcraft increases cognative skills.

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjourna...

Thats right, experimentally proves. They took non-gamers, forced them to play Starcraft, and then at the end of the study... their cognitive skills were measurably better.

Playing videogames prepares you for playing videogames and whatever way they manage human interaction. In the real world everything would be different and the kids won't be prepared.

I'm sure videogames will catch up by 2040. Still you'll have to exercise separately.

School and organized after-school activities are nothing like anything I've experienced in adulthood.