When sh!t hits the fan...

[VikingJuice]

Is it unusual to have pre-high school sports?  Timothy's in his third year of basketball and he's 11.

Not in the south it isn't.  Typically, starting in 7th grade, the major sports are available to the kids through organized school programs.  I started playing baseball and basketball by the age of 7 and joined the Jr. High basketball team in 7th.  Depending on the particular program, some kids get pushed/practiced way too hard.  In the programs I've been associated with, the kids got worked hard but not excessively.