it is frustrating for me because my youngest plays Academy and is really good but if she doesn't want to practice and gets upset about it (crys at times) then I don't want to force her to go.
Ah, the perennial parenting problem - how to navigate between being the overbearing parent who makes them hate the activity, versus quitting too soon when it's just that they got a little lazy for a couple of weeks and wanted a break from practice?
I faced this with my kids with music lessons. I didn't care what instrument they chose, nor did I care if they practiced at home. I just cared that they picked SOMETHING and that they went every week. Some weeks they would complain about going, but it was usually just a temporary "I'm tired of going every week", not "I hate music and don't want to play.
So if she likes another sport like basketball, let her do that. Just maybe try to see what exactly is her motivation - does she not like the coach, are some of the girls mean to her, does she not think she's good enough, is she suffering from a physical problem ? (I had undiagnosed iron deficiency anemia as a child that led to me quitting ballet, which I loved - but I was too exhausted.).
Btw - my youngest son changed musical instruments several times - 1 year violin, then trumpet (which he excelled at but quit because he didn't like the music). He then chose guitar and I swear didn't practice at all for a whole year - but ended up playing Hendrix. In his 20's he went on tour with a friend's band playing bass - which he had never touched a bass guitar before - and got many compliments on his playing. Right now he mostly composes electronic music and occasionally DJs. I'm just glad (and he is too) that I didn't let him quit completely after trumpet, but didn't pressure him to much either. It's all about the middle way I think.
