Thursday night practice, Friday night game, early morning and afternoon games Saturday, watching ESPN Saturday night, Sunday afternoon football, is there time for anything else? From packing children’s lives with practices and games day after day to Christmases spent watching football, no matter the circumstances people always find themselves gravitating towards sports.

In today’s culture, parents find themselves willing to spend as much money as they need to in order for their children to play on the “most elite” sports teams. The average family spends $2,292 per year on sports, according to research done by Utah State University. Often times kids in today’s society view sports as a higher priority than school, which shows how sports have permeated into countless aspects of the lives of many. Children who participate in competitive sports programs often miss school for out of town tournaments and games. Although parents invest in their children’s education, they also pay a lot of money for their children to compete with elite sports teams.

Families spend as much as 10 percent of their income on sports, between league fees, equipment, camps, training and travel, according to research from USU. For many families of students on extracurricular competitive teams, there is no problem with missing school in order to compete in their athletic event. Beginning at a young age, playing for a competitive sports team usually entails multiple practices a week. Rather than coming home and relaxing after an extensive day of school, kids rush back out of the house to go to practice. Fifty-seven percent of children ages 6-17 are involved in at least one after school extracurricular activity on a regular basis, according to a report released from the U.S. Census Bureau.

In Kansas City, the Royals, the Chiefs and Sporting KC all influence the city through their energizing environments. In 2015 following the Royals’ World Series win, Kansas City was known for their team’s unforgettable postseason ride. Travelers who came to Kansas City shortly after they won the World Series witnessed the effects a winning team has on their city. From fountain water dyed blue to the site of endless World Series shirts worn, everything throughout the city screamed royal blue. The domination of today’s sports culture yields unbelievable effects like school being cancelled to attend a victory parade for the Royals. Yes, their victory was a big deal but can be considered a bit extreme for those who aren’t baseball fans.

Each week an average of 23.7 million people spend their Sunday cuddled up on the couch watching Sunday night football, according to USA today. Football Sunday is completely understandable to an extent, but it begins to cross the line when four NFL games are played on Christmas Eve and two on Christmas Day. The idea that sports have to be tied into every aspect of Americans’ lives in some way is absurd. Sundays should be a time for people to reunite and spend time with their extended families and enjoy the holiday spirit, not a time to watch football.

People in today’s society need to take a step back from their sports driven lives and put more emphasis on academics and spending more time with their families and friends. Although there is nothing wrong with watching football every Sunday or competing in a competitive sports program, today’s culture is pushing the limits a little too far.