Is age 13 too "old" for DS to try baseball, tennis, or lacrosse?

[Anonymous]

My DS (age 13) is at a new school this year. Everyone is required to do a spring sport. The choices are baseball, tennis, lacrosse, or track and field. DS is pondering this now, and is a bit worried about it.

He has one sport that he plays a lot, but he has never played baseball, tennis, or lacrosse. He's reluctant to try any new sport at this age. The school has a no-cut policy, and I'm hoping he might give one of these sports a try, just to try it. He's not a particularly athletic person (and is critical of himself), but is a decent performer at his one chosen sport.

Is it a bad idea for him to even try to start baseball, tennis, or lacrosse at age 13 (since he's not super athletic anyway)? We want him to try new things, but also know he can be pretty negative.

He can do track and field, and a lot of kids seem to choose that if they are not already proficient at the other options.

I welcome all thoughts! Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Are you willing to hire a private coach to help your child learn the basics? Natural athlete or not, no child who's never going swung a bat before is going to do well joining a baseball at 13. His teammates will already have these skills, and the coach isn't going to hold back everyone else's development to teach your child, he'll just be expected to figure it out.

[Anonymous]

I think it's a fine age to start a sport as long as he's not trying to be a superstar. He should go for baseball or track, or maybe tennis if he's interested. Lacrosse requires all that equipment and I'd be concerned about being a beginner with all those stick flying around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you willing to hire a private coach to help your child learn the basics? Natural athlete or not, no child who's never going swung a bat before is going to do well joining a baseball at 13. His teammates will already have these skills, and the coach isn't going to hold back everyone else's development to teach your child, he'll just be expected to figure it out.

I think this is great advice. There's a certain amount of teaching that's necessarily to get to the other kids' level at that age. Doing the prep will probably make it easier on him. I don't think he's too old at all, with some prep, and I think it will be a great experience for him. Best of luck to you guys.

[Anonymous]

What sport does he play?

[Anonymous]

My 15 year old started playing lacrosse at 13. He is doing just fine and will be trying out for high school soon. We did spend a LOT of money on private coaching though.

[Anonymous]

Didn't Misty Copeland begin ballet at the advanced age of 13yo?

I don't see the problem.

[Anonymous]

Track is welcoming to newcomers, but not everyone's cup of tea. Pick the. One with nice kids and get him some lessons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Didn't Misty Copeland begin ballet at the advanced age of 13yo?

I don't see the problem.

Misty Copeland was a prodigy. She was en pointe three months after she started lessons, and started dancing professionally about nine months later. OP has said her child isn't a natural athlete, so it's no really an apt comparison.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What sport does he play?

Swimming.

[Anonymous]

No one is going to get up to speed in lacrosse or baseball in a few months. Tennis seems a better bet.

[Anonymous]

Geesh, if we are telling 13-year-olds that it's too late to try something new, then I'm definitely screwed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What sport does he play?

Swimming.

Maybe he should try track. There was a girl who was a swimmer in Fairfax County a few years ago who did track in high school just to stay in shape and ended up being a big track star. Went to a top university on a full scholarship.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Geesh, if we are telling 13-year-olds that it's too late to try something new, then I'm definitely screwed.

No one has said that a 13-year-old is too old to start something new, only that throwing them into a team with a bunch of experienced kids and no foundation isn't a good way to do it. Let's pretend that instead of a sport, we're talking about a musical instrument. A 13-year-old who has played the violin for a while but who has no experience with a wind instrument decides he wants to play the clarinet. Would you just give the kid an instrument and put him in the school band, or would you expect the kid would need some outside lessons first?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DS (age 13) is at a new school this year. Everyone is required to do a spring sport. The choices are baseball, tennis, lacrosse, or track and field. DS is pondering this now, and is a bit worried about it.

He has one sport that he plays a lot, but he has never played baseball, tennis, or lacrosse. He's reluctant to try any new sport at this age. The school has a no-cut policy, and I'm hoping he might give one of these sports a try, just to try it. He's not a particularly athletic person (and is critical of himself), but is a decent performer at his one chosen sport.

Is it a bad idea for him to even try to start baseball, tennis, or lacrosse at age 13 (since he's not super athletic anyway)? We want him to try new things, but also know he can be pretty negative.

He can do track and field, and a lot of kids seem to choose that if they are not already proficient at the other options.

I welcome all thoughts! Thank you!

Go with track. He doesn't need a private coach - just some shoes and the open road. It is also something he can get good at in a short amount of time.