High School Activities for Shy Freshman Boy

[Anonymous]

Any suggestions for activities/clubs for a shy, somewhat social awkward freshman boy? He desperately wants to make some friends and his best bet will be via getting involved in things. He can’t figure out what to do and I really don’t know what to suggest.

He plays a rec sport but low chance he’ll actually make the high school team (they cut) so sports probably isn’t the answer.

[Anonymous]

Usually cross country doesn’t cut. Same with track. Plenty of kids do this that have zero experience.

Also any computer clubs or threaten crew behind the scenes

[Anonymous]

Theater but the sound and tech side. I’m forgetting exactly what it’s called but it’s a nice group that runs it at my school. It may be called tech crew.

[Anonymous]

Rock climbing has been great for my introverted kid

[Anonymous]

Frisbee is a sport at some schools. Also, chess club, animal clubs etc.

[Anonymous]

computer science club. Imagination Stage is very kind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rock climbing has been great for my introverted kid

Where does your child do rock climbing?

[Anonymous]

What are his interests? Look up the club list and show him. See what he wants to explore. I would say try one club for a few months. If he likes it great...then try another too if he wants, if not, he can move on. The schedule can fill up fast between even rec sports and weekly club meetings and club activities so I personally don't suggest trying 5 clubs at once. They have to get used to working in each extra commitment with studying and the increase demands of high school or not. I guess there are teens who just manage it all with ease, but not my kids, they have to slowly learn to juggle.

[Anonymous]

Too late for this year, but maybe for next: Marching band is amazing for shy kids bc it’s structured & you get a lot of time bonding before school even starts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What are his interests? Look up the club list and show him. See what he wants to explore. I would say try one club for a few months. If he likes it great...then try another too if he wants, if not, he can move on. The schedule can fill up fast between even rec sports and weekly club meetings and club activities so I personally don't suggest trying 5 clubs at once. They have to get used to working in each extra commitment with studying and the increase demands of high school or not. I guess there are teens who just manage it all with ease, but not my kids, they have to slowly learn to juggle.

What clubs did your kids stay involved in?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Too late for this year, but maybe for next: Marching band is amazing for shy kids bc it’s structured & you get a lot of time bonding before school even starts.

+1. Band is where all the socially awkward boys I know end up I don’t think you really even need to know how to play an instrument. Our school recruits orchestra kids and hands them the big drums you carry around. If a kid sows up and is willing to work, they find something he can play.

OP, in the winter, many schools have drumline and pep band.

[Anonymous]

my son’s high school is having a club day today at lunch. all the reps from different clubs will be there. i hope your son’s school does something similar.

but i enrolled my son in JROTC to help him get a group of friends at his new high school (he wanted to so it wasn’t forcing him). he is in Police Explorers after school, which is county wide but there are kids there from his high school. His school has a fishing club listed so I hope they are there today and he can check them out. Some teams need student managers. Some need scorekeepers. But I’d try to get him to try two or three clubs just for a bit and see if something seems interesting.

[Anonymous]

Some of my kids did stage crew freshman year. I would also recommend trying out for a freshman level part - even and perhaps particularly- for a shy kid. At most schools they are looking for freshman to participate in some manner. And even if they don’t get a part the transition to stage crew is simple.

All of my kids enjoyed participating in the theater productions at various levels (none were ever the “star”). It tends to be a nice, smarter, group of kids. And, other than marching band, it really is a thing where you can mix kids from every class together. And - no - a freshman really is not competing against seniors for roles but the tryout experience is always good.

The director at one of the kid’s high schools explained the process to parents as follows: Freshman get the tree roles. They try and get them on stage as often as possible. They are the kid shining shoes stage left in the first big chorus, or one of the girls looking at Gaston and giggling. If there is a chorus while they are on stage, and they can stay on key - they can sing but not loud. Sophomores get to move more and maybe dance if they don’t have 2 left feet, and maybe get a couple of lines. Part of the gang kind of thing. Juniors get the larger “friend” roles with a few lines and perhaps even a solo line or two in a chorus song. Seniors get the big roles (provided they worked their way up from freshmen/sophomore roles).

One of the key goals is to find room for freshmen. My kids all very much enjoyed the high school theater stuff, and they all were involved in other things at school - sports and music mostly. But, they liked the kids. It was a bit of a different group for them that reconnected each year for a while.

[Anonymous]

My son's school has a coding club. He joined that, and made some friends. He also joined a futsal club that his school has (it is no cuts). He says he made some more casual friends through that, though it is more people he sees or can eat lunch with at school, vs. getting together outside school.

[Anonymous]

Newspaper. I was shy and it changed my life - went into journalism. Basically I’m still shy but since I ‘had’ to talk to people for my ‘job’ I overcame this hurdle in high school. Also it quickly expands your network. By senior year I literally knew all the players (and they knew me). Shockingly became editor of the paper!