My children are both involved in organized sports, gymnastics, and I agree it is all about perfectionism with no creative outlets. I also feel that the skills gained from being in competitive gymnastics out way the non-creative environment it promotes. With that said, it is all about what they do the rest of their time. I feel that both of my kids are very creative, coming from an creative person, but we fostered that environment in our house, particularly allowing independent down time. I think the most important factor is that children need time to get BORED!
Here is an interesting article regarding organized sports and creativity, Written by Matthew Bowers Assistant professor, University of Texas at Austin. ~Cornell
. . . Organized sports, on the other hand, tend to replicate hierarchical and militaristic models aimed at obedience, replication, adherence to authority, and a number of other qualities that, on a theoretical level, would be unlikely to be conducive to creative development . . .
As someone who researches youth sports, I find this distinction to be particularly encouraging. It suggests, at least to me, that parents interested in fostering more creative development for their children don’t have to necessarily forgo traditional organized sports. They simply need to be aware of the importance of a balanced distribution of their children’s time between organized and unstructured settings . . . << MORE >>https://theconversation.com/can-youth-sports-foster-creativity-it-depends-35074
