Vacation dilemma - what would you do? -UPDATE post 33

[Minnie824]

I'm having a little vacation dilemma and driving DH nuts right now, so I wanted to see what others would do. We have BCV 2 bedroom booked for the first week of Aug. Dining done, ME set up, flights booked, itinerary set, everything. DD8 is trying out for a traveling soccer club in June. IF she makes it (no guarantee) they have a 1 week mandatory training camp. Want to guess when it is? Yup, first week of Aug. I haven't talked to coaches cuz not sure who would be coaching her team and again, not sure if she'll make it even. I did call the office, and they said there are people that miss, its not like she'd be booted off the team or anything. BUT, she'd be new to it, and all these other girls would have the extra training she wouldn't get. So technically, she could miss it if we had to.

So, I've been calling daily trying to move up our vacation by a week. Of course there is no 2 bedroom available, but we set up a wait list. I highly doubt it will become available. We want to stay in the BC area because our whole itinerary/dining, etc was based on that. This would be our first visit to the BCV and were really looking forward to it. We don't need the extra space (theres only 4 of us) but we LOVE the extra space. The other option I thought of was to do a split stay and do 5 nights at YC standard room with points and then 3 nights at the 2 bdrm BCV (due to weekends, it overlaps and this would work). But I really don't know if I want to do a regular hotel room when we were looking forward to the 2 bedroom.

On top of all that, we didn't do Southwest this time, and would have to pay $150/ticket to change flights. I thought of waiting to see if she makes the team, but thats not til mid June, and the trip would be a month away and I wouldn't be able to change dining, or probably get a hotel.

I'm so torn. On one hand I think, she's 8 its one week of training, no big deal, our vacation was already set. On the other hand, everyone around here is SO competative and I dont want her starting out at a disadvantage. UGH. I could just wait out the waitlist and if it comes thru, change, otherwise not. I don't know. Any advice? Opinions? What would you do?

 

[HeyMoe]

If it were me I'd keep the vacation as planned. If your daughter makes the team, then explain to the coach that she will not be able to make the training week in August because of a family vacation that has already been booked and paid for. I'm sure he / she will understand. I've coached both of my boys' soccer and baseball teams and I would never make a big deal about a child missing practice because of a family vacation. Especially for an 8 year old. Best of luck!

 

[toniosmom]

She's 8 years old. This isn't a high school team where a potential scholarship is at risk. I'd keep the vacation as planned and (if she makes the team), let the coach know immediately that you have a family trip that has been planned for a year now.

Bring a soccer ball with you -- she can practice while you're there.

 

[momx2]

Okay, we are a soccer crazy family. My oldest DD has been playing competitive (traveling) soccer since she was 8. That is the youngest you can start competitive here. She is now 12. We have even left our hometown and state and actually have her on a better competitive team an hour away in another state. That's how devoted she is to soccer. So, here is my advise. GO ON YOUR VACATION!!!!

Here is my experience with competitive soccer. She is only 8, she is just starting. At this age, yes they are serious, but you will be amazed at how many girls eventually quit. That one week will not make or break her. Now if she was a U11 and up I would say you might need to reconsider, but on an U9 team, it really won't make any difference. After the first few weeks, no one will even remember who went and who didn't. They will just focus on practice and game play.

I would try to put her in another camp this summer, go on my vacation and have fun. There are many more years of soccer to come and many more times you will have to move your vacation because of it if she continues. At this point we are down to 2 or 3 weeks in the summer, Christmas break and maybe, maybe Spring break we can vacation because of school and soccer. This might be your last hoorah, so enjoy!

 

[Brian Noble]

This is a tough one, and it really depends on what you want to do.

But, my son plays something like four or five different sports over the course of a year, and is on a couple of travel teams. The most important thing I've taken away from "how seriously do we need to take this" conversations I've had with various coaches (and they all say something like this): "These kids are all great, and we do expect an honest commitment. But, it's already clear that none of them are going to be college scholarship atheletes, so don't let it run your life."

So, while you should take it seriously, and make every reasonable effort to keep your commitments, you probably don't need to go to extremes, nor worry about "disavantages"---it's not like a scholarship or pro career is on the line.

Edited to add: I like the idea of finding some other soccer camp that fits with your existing plans.

Edited again: My nephew has been the starting goalie for his travel hockey team for a couple years now---and in Ann Arbor, that's a big deal, the local high school coaches already know his name, and he's only 8. For him, there might be a scholarship on the line down the road. But, he's wanted to be the Michigan goalie since he was old enough to walk. He has a true passion for it.

 

[cvjw]

I have the opposite view - my child is a member of a very competitive soccer league. They will not kick you off the team for missing training, but you will not be placed on the gold (highest level) team for the season. I also would not want my child to miss the training because he would be behind all of the other boys on the team. I would try and reschedule if your child being on this team is important to you and your child.

 

[HannaBelle]

Another vote for going on vacation (guilt free!!!) and finding a good skills camp during a week that works for you.

 

[CrazyDuck]

You are going to get very biased opinions on these boards... To be fair try and find a soccer forum and post your same question...

 

[momx2]

After reading the replies, including my own I would think you probably need to talk with parents on the older teams and your organization to see how it will truly affect your daughter's playing time. Like I said, we are very serious soccer people and would have probably postponed our vacation for our daughter, but looking back at that age, it wouldn't have made a difference what we did. No one would have really cared if we went and would have only been impressed we canceled for the camp for about 2 weeks Now, in U12 it makes a big difference. We would definately cancel or move the vacation.

I think you need to ask other parents in your organization what they think. This is where I have gotten the best information, from others who have BTDT. Good luck with the decision!

 

[HannaBelle]

Ouch!

You are going to get very biased opinions on these boards... To be fair try and find a soccer forum and post your same question...

To be fair, my kids DS16 & DD12 compete in their chosen sports at a competitive levels and I have unwitting planned vacations during intense training periods. We went on vacation anyway and I made sure to work around it in the future. My kids are not Olympic athlete material...

OP, you ultimately have to make the call for your family and then make peace with the choice.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I don't think I am willing to pay $150 a ticket to change plans for something that may happen. I would wait and see if she makes the team and then if it makes a difference to the coach. At that point I would make a decision, and yes, I would change if it came down to that.

Bobbi

 

[hakepb]

At 8, I'd most worry about missing the introductions, i.e start of friendships on the team, rather than the instruction.
I know, around here, the local university has a soccer camp for kids that would likely make up for most of the instruction..

That said, I'd still go on the vacation.

 

[PEANUT1]

Personally, I would not even consider cancelling a trip for an 8 year olds potential summer soccer program when it will cost you a ton of money and aggrivation. If it was for a HS student trying for a college scholarship I could understand.

Btw..I really hope my kids NEVER want to play soccer.

 

[momx2]

Btw..I really hope my kids NEVER want to play soccer.

Uggg....you don't know what you're missing! The friendships, the money, the thrill of the victory, the agony of defeat, the money, the travel, the money....oh, how I could go on and on. Did I mention, the money it costs???

No really, not everyone, especially girls, are cut out for the sport. The girls have to go against everything they are taught about being delicate and girly to play. My youngest wants to play, but I don't know if she'll ever be aggressive enough. Now my oldest started asking to play at 3 because she saw boys in her daycare with the uniforms and these were the boys she played with all the time. DH and I had never even saw a soccer game in our lives. So when she got old enough, the ripe old age of 4, we signed her up and have been playing a minimum of 6 months a year ever since. Now it's more like she plays 10 months a year! My head hurts to think about it.

 

[Minnie824]

Thanks for all the responses! I would have no problem spending the $600 to change airfare, my biggest issue is just having to deal w/ a regular hotel room part of the time instead of the 2 bedroom...I know, just being spoiled, and we need to get over it. Just hard when theres no availability. And we'll be going back for spring break in 2011. DD doesn't want to miss the camp if at all possible, so I guess I need to keep trying to rearrange as best I can, and try to be patient for that wait list.

 

[CrazyDuck]

Btw..I really hope my kids NEVER want to play soccer.

I know what you mean!!! I don't want my kids running around playing sports... I want them safe at home in front of the TV... That way they can be FAT like the rest of the kids in their class!

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

I'm going in a bit of a different direction here.

I understand that your plans are centered around BCV, but BWV is VERY close to the Y&BC complex. I know you won't have SAB, but you will still have very good access to Epcot, BC restaurants, and will actually be closer to DHS, S&D, boardwalk activities, and the miniature golf course.

Since you can have TWO waitlist going at the same time...I would put in a request for BWV too! Who knows? You may actually be able to get BWV on the 1st try.

I also agree that it should be ok for your child to miss soccer.

I would also suggest that you go ahead...make a decision...and be done with it.

 

[Starr W.]

Personally, I would not even consider cancelling a trip for an 8 year olds potential summer soccer program when it will cost you a ton of money and aggrivation. If it was for a HS student trying for a college scholarship I could understand.

Btw..I really hope my kids NEVER want to play soccer.

Luckily we have missed soccer, DS13 is a 3rd degree brown belt in Kempo Karate. Good school that believes it's okay to do other sports and go on vacation.

Now the 8 yr old has been taking swimming at the Y, he's good enough that the Y team would like him to join. He enjoys it, is competitive and definately has the body type for it. Not sure he wants to swim x times a week, he enjoys his karate and art class.

 

[Anal Annie]

Luckily we have missed soccer, DS13 is a 3rd degree brown belt in Kempo Karate. Good school that believes it's okay to do other sports and go on vacation.

Now the 8 yr old has been taking swimming at the Y, he's good enough that the Y team would like him to join. He enjoys it, is competitive and definately has the body type for it. Not sure he wants to swim x times a week, he enjoys his karate and art class.

My DS (almost 13) is a swimmer. Not necessarily by choice...but he simply is not interested in any other sports and we've said "you're gonna do something" and swimming is such good exercise. And at this age it's a bit late to try to pick up a sport that involves a ball!! He's OK at it - not super good but average...he's not real competitive though - he doesn't get into that "zone". We did not get him into year round swimming though until he was almost done with 5th grade and I wish we'd have started a couple years earlier. But he was in Cub Scouts and everything (scouts AND swimming) seemed to both be at 7:00 on Tues. and Thurs. so we waited until we knew he wouldn't be continuing on to Boy Scouts. Swimming now takes a big time commitment (3x a week right now but 1.5 hrs EVERY morning from 7:30-9:00 in the summer). It is not like the seasonal sports - it never ends! I feel like I live at the pool. We ended up putting him in a private club for the winter because he needed the stroke development time and this club has a good kid to lane ratio - but we pay dearly for it. Our county teams are a fraction of the cost but all they're concerned with is speed not technique. If your DS8 is started already then stick with it a little longer if he likes it. It will be a big advantage for him later when it gets even more competitive. I wish DS had an earlier start... If it becomes too much to keep up with then you'll have to drop something...

Anyway, back on topic. Our DS missed a meet in January because we have an annual ski trip that weekend every year and then there is another meet next weekend that he will miss because we're going to FL (I didn't realize there would be a meet over spring break when we booked the trip). Right now the coaches were OK with it...but if he were ever to become really good and the team really NEEDED him to score some points they'd not be so understanding...but when there are 1,500 kids from 6 teams at a meet my DS is NOT going to place in the top 16 (ie he will not make finals) so we will make whatever meets we can and if we miss 1 or 2 then we miss them. He is 12 and is not going for a scholarship and so there's no need to let it run our lives to the point of cancelling trips for it. Summer team runs from Memorial Day weekend thru the end of July so we now vacation in August...

 

[mom2rb]

I am a team gymnastics coach. My season starts in August. I tell my girls the same thing every year, please try to take you vacation early in the summer. Then I add that I know that is not always possible. My rules are, your daughter may need a few private lessons when she gets back, or she may miss the first meet if she is not ready. The first few meets aren't that big of a deal. Family comes first. Go one your trip and have a great time.