What age did team sports really start to click for your kids?

[Anonymous]

At what age did team sports start to come together for your kids? I mean seeing the game and knowing their role and doing it. There still seems to be a lag time during games even though the physical ability is there.

[Anonymous]

I think it can really vary…. My DS was 5 and already had good field and court presence. My my DD didn’t until she was well older.

[Anonymous]

Probably second grade.

[Anonymous]

I would say 9 for my kid. At 7-8 he was just relying on speed and athleticism. But then he started being able to really analyze the game and talk about tactics and how he could anticipate what other players were going to do, etc. He was moved to a higher level around that same time and has continued to develop. Some recent feedback from his coach was to communicate with teammates more and tell them what they should be doing, because he sees something unfolding and then tries to go help out because that teammate is not anticipating but rather reacting when it’s too late… but then that leaves his part of the field open.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it can really vary…. My DS was 5 and already had good field and court presence. My my DD didn’t until she was well older.

What sport is this? 5 seems really early to say this. Coached youth basketball for 10 years and have yet to see a 5 year old who understands the court.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At what age did team sports start to come together for your kids? I mean seeing the game and knowing their role and doing it. There still seems to be a lag time during games even though the physical ability is there.

Depends on the sport, depends on the kid.

It happens earlier in a sport like baseball where the roles are so well defined, later for games like basketball where one kid can carry the entire team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At what age did team sports start to come together for your kids? I mean seeing the game and knowing their role and doing it. There still seems to be a lag time during games even though the physical ability is there.

Depends on the sport, depends on the kid.

It happens earlier in a sport like baseball where the roles are so well defined, later for games like basketball where one kid can carry the entire team.

+1. I'm fairly convinced for my kids that any sport where there are not well-defined roles has still not clicked (late ES). They gave up on those and stuck with the ones where they can do a little advanced planning before every play/race/whatever.

[Anonymous]

I think it depends on the sport. Volleyball...I'd say 10/11.

[Anonymous]

14. Seriously, the kid has serious challenges with spatial awareness and ADHD, but he has always been one of the most skilled and athletic on any team, so they kept him around hoping it would someday click, and it mostly did, although he still makes more poor choices than his teammates, but he makes up for it by contributing a lot of positive things to the team as well. They don't play him in the most critical moments, and we get why.

[Anonymous]

When they got interested in playing. For one, it was 3rd grade. For the other, it was 6th and only ever happened for one sport for about 2 years then the interest was lost again.

[Anonymous]

I agree, it depends a lot on the sport. Once you settled on a sport, you will see a wide range of abilities for kids of the same age. It is painful to go to tournaments and see very good players and your DC being all awkward and still trying to figure it out.

[Anonymous]

For Soccer, it was about 6 years old for my DD. But she's competitive. However, she doesn't understand flag football still at 10. Basketball it was 8. Swimming it was 9. Gymnastics, it was 5. Triathlon, it was 7. Track, it was 8. Softball. Nope. Volleyball, not yet.
-Depends on the sport.