Late to sports

[Anonymous]

My 7th grader didn't fare so well when signed up for sports in elementary school, maybe in part, because of not starting in Kindergarten, but also because of ADHD, mind wandered off too much. We allowed too much screen time during lockdowns and we want to require our child to take up a sport. The challenge is, what sport at this point? It seems like even rec teams are highly competitive and last year the basketball rec experience was negative - two kids on the team hogged the ball and the coach totally enabled it because the coach was too focused on winning, rather than teaching team work and sportsmanship.

What can a 7th grader start doing, while being behind peers in most sports? Thought about rowing, but that won't be possible, really, until 8th grade.

Thoughts?

[Anonymous]

Cross country, rowing, fencing

[Anonymous]

Track & Field. If your 7th grader is a girl, maybe volleyball?

I think sports are ultra competitive in this area, but maybe wait until this summer to sign them up for a week or two of a skill development camp for one of the sports, then they may be able to be better prepared to participate on a team.

[Anonymous]

I did track in middle school. If a girl, doing some field hockey camps in the summer is worth a try to then participate in high school though I think even that has gotten more intense than when I was in high school. But cross country is a great sport in my opinion, it’s usually no cut and it’s a great lifelong skill to enjoy running. And then yeah rowing is the other big one. There are rowing camps. My mom put me in one in 7th or 8th grade and I hated it and refused to go back so it’s not for everyone

[Anonymous]

In our area volleyball. At 7th, none of them are good enough for the coach to even consider trying to win and the whole team rotates so playing time is equal.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for responses so far - it's our son, fwiw.

[Anonymous]

My son tried track and field in 7th (his school has an intramural program). He's trying winter track in 8th, which is a lot tougher. He is also going to try rowing this summer (he will likely be a cockswain due to his height, but it is mostly for the social aspect vs. exercise).
If he weren't in decent shape from his main sport, soccer, the winter track would likely not work out. It is pretty grueling so far.

[Anonymous]

My son tried track and field in 7th (his school has an intramural program). He's trying winter track in 8th, which is a lot tougher. He is also going to try rowing this summer (he will likely be a cockswain due to his height, but it is mostly for the social aspect vs. exercise).
If he weren't in decent shape from his main sport, soccer, the winter track would likely not work out. It is pretty grueling so far.

To add, he also has fairly severe ADHD, but in his case, the sports help because they burn some of his excess energy.

[Anonymous]

He might be able to pick up soccer on a rec level team and do well if he has been playing casually with friends all along. For example, our ES had a huge soccer game at recess every single day and probably half the kids weren’t playing on a formal team. Baseball is hard to pick up that late though DS’s friend did join his team in 6th and was a very respectable player having never played before. However DH was the coach and had brought him out to the field with DS for extra practices. Basketball is a tough sport even in rec no matter the age IME so while a rec team can’t turn a player away, they might not get much time. That’s why my DSs quit. Track and cross-country are very good sports since he can work on them independently and at our school they are no cut. Lots of the boys DS knows who didn’t focus on a sport early ended up choosing football. At least at our school, it’s no cut and they welcome all.

[Anonymous]

Flag football. To start, all you need to know what to do is run and perhaps catch the ball. My kids have done rec and they were very welcoming of all abilities and those with no experience.

[Anonymous]

My kids both took up swimming in middle school.

[Anonymous]

You might also want to consider some sort of dance if you're just looking for him to get regular movement. Private instruction perhaps at the beginning or take him to a Zumba class.

Also jujitsu and/or wrestling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Track & Field. If your 7th grader is a girl, maybe volleyball?

I think sports are ultra competitive in this area, but maybe wait until this summer to sign them up for a week or two of a skill development camp for one of the sports, then they may be able to be better prepared to participate on a team.

Umm, boys play volleyball too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Track & Field. If your 7th grader is a girl, maybe volleyball?

I think sports are ultra competitive in this area, but maybe wait until this summer to sign them up for a week or two of a skill development camp for one of the sports, then they may be able to be better prepared to participate on a team.

Umm, boys play volleyball too.

DD's rec league has a couple hundred girls and less than 10 boys. Not all boys would be comfortable in that situation

[Anonymous]

Any joke sports like fencing rowing lax sailing can easily be picked up in middle school or even high school