Can Kids Still Be Kids?

Do we really allow kids to be kids today?  This question applies to academics (I still cannot believe what my niece and nephew had to do in kindergarten compared to what I had to do) and athletics (athletes today choosing one sport and having to devote 100% of their time to it) in our high schools. Right or wrong, we seem to expect kids to grow up more quickly today than ever before.  This interesting article from The New York Times discusses how some high school athletes are committing to colleges during or even before their freshman year of high school.