It came as a surprise.

“Dad, I think I’m going to skip baseball season so I can work to buy a car.”

Those were the words I heard one night from my high school-aged son on the way home from basketball practice. This was the son whose love for baseball started at the age of 4; my first-born who watched baseball instead of cartoons.  

And so I sat in disbelief and wondered: Are his days of playing on the diamond over?

Your son or daughter might not yet be old enough to work, but the day will come, trust me. This dilemma — and it’s not limited to work as it could also be giving up one activity for another — is one most of us youth sports parents will face at some point. If it’s not because of a car, it will be for some other reason, one that we parents may or may not understand.

My son’s decision was based on the fact that he felt he would sit on the varsity bench during games and that on baseball practice days he’d rather be honing his basketball skills than standing in the outfield shagging fly balls during batting practice.

More importantly to him, for his senior year, he wanted to be driving his own car to the gym instead of being dropped at the curb, which, as his chauffeur, certainly appealed to me.

I suggested we talk through the plusses and minuses of his decision.

One plus was simple: He’d have the time to work and most likely be able to afford his own car.

But one major minus was harder to accept: As an average player, if he didn’t play baseball one season, his chances were slim to none he’d be selected the following year even if he decided to try out for the team. That’s just the reality of high school sports.

He researched the car issue diligently. He also talked to his baseball coach and his manager at work before making his final decision. His efforts impressed me and in my mind matured him light years more than any lecture that I had ever delivered.

My point is this: Every child at some point comes to a crossroads when sports might no longer carry the same importance as before. As parents, it’s up to us to listen, offer advice and guide. But we have to be careful not to judge.

Youth sports are not life-and-death situations, but they can be used to teach life lessons. In this case, it’s a chance for a child to think through the circumstances of a short-term, life-altering decision, and then live with the consequences. Just as he or she will countless times during  adulthood.

This was just another life lesson taught through sports. Only this time, the consequence meant no longer being part of a sport that he loved for as long as we both could remember.

And that’s OK.

Jon Buzby has been involved in and writing about youth sports for the past 30 years, originally as a coach and board member with his now-adult son and most recently "just as a dad" with his 8- and 10-year-old sons. Jon is an award-winning writer and his latest book, “Not an Expert, Just a Dad … In this Crazy Game Called Life,” is available on Amazon. Send comments or future blog topics you'd like to see to JonBuzby@hotmail.com and follow him @YouthSportsBuzz on Twitter.