Youth Sports - Parents perspective needed

I'm not a parent, but I think kids should only be in one activity at a time. I don't think kids have a good childhood if they're being shuffled off to sports or music or whatever. If they're missing your practices for another activity and aren't getting playing time as a result, it's too bad but that is the way it goes. You have to go to practice to be able to play. If kids aren't getting playing time, I think you just have to tell their parent, "Look, I can't put them in when they miss practice all the time. Perhaps they need to cut back on other activities or make this their primary activity."
Kids are too over scheduled these days. Again, I think one activity at a time suffices. They could do hockey in the winter, then piano when hockey is over, but I think there is a limit. Kids aren't allowed to be kids anymore.

My kids are all grown now (youngest in college) but all three were multi-sport athletes. School was ALWAYS the priority. We allowed them to pick and choose what they wanted to do, the only "rule" was that if you started something, you finished the season. Then if you didn't like it, you never do it again. My son and middle daughter were both on world level hockey teams and competed internationally. Same daughter also played select (year round) soccer (which she earned scholarship to pay for college) as well as three school sports a year. The only conflict we encountered that we couldn't work around was when she went to Worlds in Chile right smack in the middle of her senior year soccer season! The choice to go cost her the "player of the year" award for the district because although she had the most goals and most assists, they didn't feel they should give it to her because she missed 3 games. It was a little hard on her at the moment but now (6 yrs later) she says she is so glad she chose to have that experience.

Obviously from my personal experience I think it is fine to allow kids to compete in as many sports as they feel they want to. I ran my car into the ground chauffeuring my kids from place to place...and I wouldn't change a thing about it. They are only young for a very short time and this is really the only time they have to explore all sorts of activities. (they also participated in arts, music, and language classes/programs and all were exchange students during high school). My kids learned so much more from sports than just the act of the game. They learned time management and scheduling, management techniques, and definitely a great work ethic.

I never prepped my kids for their activities as most were ongoing (or at least one was). Providing them with positive role models and plenty of opportunity seemed to work pretty well. All three are still quite active although they have pretty well settled into one main adult level sport but still participate in a variety of activities on a regular basis.