Not conducive to families getting to enjoy other activities together like going for a hike, bike ride etc. and doesn't allow much time for parents to occasionally have a break either. I don't remember having swim meets/practices on the weekends, other than the big state meet at the end of the summer; practice was on weekdays and meets were Tuesday and Thursday evenings. However, I have friends whose kids play soccer and it seems like every weekend during the season has a game or tournament...not sure if this is something that happens more in certain sports or if things have just changed that much in the last 10-15 years.
I'm beginning to seriously wonder if it's a generation thing. As a boomer, I don't recall at all, wealthier kids in my class joining any paid organized sport that wasn't organized by the school itself where practice is on school grounds. Sure, we did have informal gatherings of softball, baseball during recess and after school. Same for ice hockey since our school did have an outdoor rink. It was the kids organizing among themselves.

Closest might have been the rare child in my classes when went to hockey camp for a few weeks or a girl taking ballet or ballet lessons. I just remember a lot of loose time for us as children and during high school. Of course, some of us (not me) ended smoking and doing some drugs..but that still happens despite whatever else.

My partner who's family was poor as mine, is a bit older. So he only played with the boys informally ..ice hockey on a frozen natural pond, swimming in their lake down the street..biking about, hanging out.

My sister with 3 kids have been busy for last few years with her hubby, schlepping kids for soccer, then winter it's ice hockey. And for their daughter she takes an additional (because she really enjoys it), advanced gymnastics (forward, backward handsprings on the mat, parallel bars, etc.). However I'm sure this will naturally stop when they get into their late teens. Will be interesting for the daughter..how long she sticks with gymnastics, she's at an age where her body is quite elastic and where she is fearless (14 yrs.). I just hope her mother, my sister will guide her daughter from becoming obsessed about remaining model thin which gymnastics has a tendency to cultivate in some girls.