Is 15 too late to start new team sport?

[Anonymous]

DD is fairly athletic but she hasn't done any team sports other than rec soccer, which she is not a fan of. Swim team(B) in the summer, parkour and she goes to the gym a lot. She always had social anxiety and it was hard to get her involved, but lately she has been overcoming her anxiety and expressed an interest in a team sport. She specifically mentioned volleyball, but I think she is just looking for options that are not soccer or basketball (she is very short). Is there even a volleyball club/rec league where she could try it at this age?? Is there another team sport that you can start at 15 with zero game experience? I am open to any suggestions and thoughts. Really want to help her out. TIA

[Anonymous]

I think volleyball requires height as much as basketball does.

Ultimate frisbee is a sport that kids I know have started in HS.

[Anonymous]

Check some of the volleyball leagues near you and see if they have beginning clinics. They often run 1x weekly sessions for new players so she could try that first. But height is important.

If she doesn't like soccer she may not like frisbee either, although I agree it's a good one to start late.

How about crew? Field hockey? Lax? Flag football?

I think girls have more leeway with starting late. And many players leave rec sports at this age so there may be more spots open.

My niece just starting playing lax her freshman year of high school and it was totally fine because they were a small team that needed more bodies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Check some of the volleyball leagues near you and see if they have beginning clinics. They often run 1x weekly sessions for new players so she could try that first. But height is important.

If she doesn't like soccer she may not like frisbee either, although I agree it's a good one to start late.

How about crew? Field hockey? Lax? Flag football?

I think girls have more leeway with starting late. And many players leave rec sports at this age so there may be more spots open.

My niece just starting playing lax her freshman year of high school and it was totally fine because they were a small team that needed more bodies.

Is there a field hockey rec league for high school aged girls in MoCo?

[Anonymous]

Where do you live? If she wants to play volleyball, let her play volleyball. Of course she can play at any age. My daughter plays competitively but I know people who started for fun even as adults, myself and my husband included. We never had an interest until we had a kid who was into it.

Post your location and we can help you find rec or beginner options. Yes, some will tell you it’s a tall people sport but those are for college and competitive athletes. Anyone can play at the rec level and it’s a great sport to have a basic knowledge of to even join a pick up game at the beach.

[Anonymous]

My DD started XC and track in HS so that might be an option. The athletes seem to be a wide range of heights.

[Anonymous]

We live in Maryland and people start their daughters in lax when they are 5. I wouldn’t recommend it to a 15 year old who has never tried the sport.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Check some of the volleyball leagues near you and see if they have beginning clinics. They often run 1x weekly sessions for new players so she could try that first. But height is important.

If she doesn't like soccer she may not like frisbee either, although I agree it's a good one to start late.

How about crew? Field hockey? Lax? Flag football?

I think girls have more leeway with starting late. And many players leave rec sports at this age so there may be more spots open.

My niece just starting playing lax her freshman year of high school and it was totally fine because they were a small team that needed more bodies.

OP, if she’s very short and tries crew, she would likely be steered towards being a coxswain (for boys or girls). Does that sound fun for her?

Crew is full of kids who start late relative to other sports.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We live in Maryland and people start their daughters in lax when they are 5. I wouldn’t recommend it to a 15 year old who has never tried the sport.

I agree, I was shocked to hear it! But in some places it's not popular.

[Anonymous]

Does she like running? XC or track might be a good option. It is a team but really individual too. It can be social going on runs and there are definitely a wide range of abilities

[Anonymous]

OP here and thank you all for your thoughts. In addition to local volleyball, we will look into XC, ultimate frisbee and crew. We are in southern MoCo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here and thank you all for your thoughts. In addition to local volleyball, we will look into XC, ultimate frisbee and crew. We are in southern MoCo.

This time of year you could also be looking at summer camp options for volleyball. Various entities run camps for all levels. MOCO volleyball club locations should be close for you. Other clubs that might have camps fairly convenient from Montgomery county are Metro and MVSA. Also look at Zanni volleyball camps and local colleges.

As others have noted, starting at 15 is fine as long as expectations are reasonable. She probably won’t play in a a rec league or go to a few clinics or camps and make the varsity team in high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Check some of the volleyball leagues near you and see if they have beginning clinics. They often run 1x weekly sessions for new players so she could try that first. But height is important.

If she doesn't like soccer she may not like frisbee either, although I agree it's a good one to start late.

How about crew? Field hockey? Lax? Flag football?

I think girls have more leeway with starting late. And many players leave rec sports at this age so there may be more spots open.

My niece just starting playing lax her freshman year of high school and it was totally fine because they were a small team that needed more bodies.

OP, if she’s very short and tries crew, she would likely be steered towards being a coxswain (for boys or girls). Does that sound fun for her?

Crew is full of kids who start late relative to other sports.

Just to clarify...they are not starting late for Crew. The sport itself really only has any traction at like 8th grade in the DMV, so even the "experienced" rowers only have like a year on you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Check some of the volleyball leagues near you and see if they have beginning clinics. They often run 1x weekly sessions for new players so she could try that first. But height is important.

If she doesn't like soccer she may not like frisbee either, although I agree it's a good one to start late.

How about crew? Field hockey? Lax? Flag football?

I think girls have more leeway with starting late. And many players leave rec sports at this age so there may be more spots open.

My niece just starting playing lax her freshman year of high school and it was totally fine because they were a small team that needed more bodies.

OP, if she’s very short and tries crew, she would likely be steered towards being a coxswain (for boys or girls). Does that sound fun for her?

Crew is full of kids who start late relative to other sports.

Agree with PP. I was a coxswain. Athletic kids (which I was not) tend to get annoyed at coxing because it's not a workout at all. It's all mental.

I've known a few girls to start rec or JV softball in high school, as another possible option.

[Anonymous]

No, go for it. She’s got one life to live.