Late to sports

[Anonymous]

Softball
vollyball
track
cross country
tennis
golf

[Anonymous]

Start with basics. For a kid who is 12/13 and “behind” in athletic ability I would do two things:

1. Join a gym and get him some private lessons on using the equipment and proper form. Work with a trainer. Start now and go through winter for sure. Maybe longer, but that will build strength and confidence. Big things needed for any sport.

2. Swim. Find a local swim club/team or maybe just the Y. Swimming is both a life skill, and great for getting in shape. Again both a good for strength and confidence.

Now - as he gets in shape start looking at team options based on interest and his own abilities. Look at the varsity sports offered in the high school he will attend. Some may will be out of reach depending on the area. Example; you are not going to make a high school varsity soccer team in this area starting at 13. On the other hand - if he is big then basketball and football are still options. Tall and skinny? Look at cross-country. Small and likely to stay that way? Wrestling is a good option.

Keep options open. But remember - middle school sports are NOT well organized and NOT played by many of the kids who will show up for high school tryouts. They are, however, good for a test run at something.

[Anonymous]

7th grade is actually a perfect age to start tennis or golf.  My son started tennis and golf at 7th grade but he was doing physical training hard in 6th grade.  I spent quite a bit of money for him to train in both tennis and golf from 7th until the beginning of 9th grade.  He made the varsity golf team as a freshman and played the #1 position in 10th through 12th grade.  In FCPS, golf starts in the fall season.  He also got to play varsity tennis, playing #3 single as a freshman and #1 in 10th, 11th and 12th grade.  The key here is to make sure you train him properly so that he has the physical stamina and strength.  Once that is done, he can pick up golf and tennis very quickly. FWIW, my DS is now playing golf at a D2 school.

[Anonymous]

One suggestion — I think signing your kid up for a rec sport that they are unfamiliar with and expecting them to learn everything through that venue is not going to be a good experience for him. Doing some small group or individual skill classes in the sport first will make the experience much more fun and successful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:7th grade is actually a perfect age to start tennis or golf.  My son started tennis and golf at 7th grade but he was doing physical training hard in 6th grade.  I spent quite a bit of money for him to train in both tennis and golf from 7th until the beginning of 9th grade.  He made the varsity golf team as a freshman and played the #1 position in 10th through 12th grade.  In FCPS, golf starts in the fall season.  He also got to play varsity tennis, playing #3 single as a freshman and #1 in 10th, 11th and 12th grade.  The key here is to make sure you train him properly so that he has the physical stamina and strength.  Once that is done, he can pick up golf and tennis very quickly. FWIW, my DS is now playing golf at a D2 school.

Lol you said d2. This is not good advice to start these sports so late generally

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:7th grade is actually a perfect age to start tennis or golf.  My son started tennis and golf at 7th grade but he was doing physical training hard in 6th grade.  I spent quite a bit of money for him to train in both tennis and golf from 7th until the beginning of 9th grade.  He made the varsity golf team as a freshman and played the #1 position in 10th through 12th grade.  In FCPS, golf starts in the fall season.  He also got to play varsity tennis, playing #3 single as a freshman and #1 in 10th, 11th and 12th grade.  The key here is to make sure you train him properly so that he has the physical stamina and strength.  Once that is done, he can pick up golf and tennis very quickly. FWIW, my DS is now playing golf at a D2 school.

Lol you said d2. This is not good advice to start these sports so late generally

PP. He started late because he had other interests besides sports, and we were very well off financially so he wouldn't need any athletic scholarships. His main passion is music so he is a music major in college. He figures he will attract more pretty women as a musician even though he is a good athlete, enough for D2. You don't make enough money to live even at D1 level.

[Anonymous]

OP here - FWIW, I just want my kid to have an organized sport for the social & health benefits. His personality is not competitive, so I'm looking for a way to be in an organized sport without the harder edged competitiveness that I've seen so far even in rec leagues.

[Anonymous]

Does your kid want to do a sport?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:7th grade is actually a perfect age to start tennis or golf.  My son started tennis and golf at 7th grade but he was doing physical training hard in 6th grade.  I spent quite a bit of money for him to train in both tennis and golf from 7th until the beginning of 9th grade.  He made the varsity golf team as a freshman and played the #1 position in 10th through 12th grade.  In FCPS, golf starts in the fall season.  He also got to play varsity tennis, playing #3 single as a freshman and #1 in 10th, 11th and 12th grade.  The key here is to make sure you train him properly so that he has the physical stamina and strength.  Once that is done, he can pick up golf and tennis very quickly. FWIW, my DS is now playing golf at a D2 school.

Nice! I have a kid that needs a second sport. He's finding it too hard to play two competitive team sports that both require ~ 10 month commitments and thinking an individual sport where we have more control over the schedule would be easier to manage with main travel sport. I was worried we were too late for tennis, but this gives me hope.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:7th grade is actually a perfect age to start tennis or golf.  My son started tennis and golf at 7th grade but he was doing physical training hard in 6th grade.  I spent quite a bit of money for him to train in both tennis and golf from 7th until the beginning of 9th grade.  He made the varsity golf team as a freshman and played the #1 position in 10th through 12th grade.  In FCPS, golf starts in the fall season.  He also got to play varsity tennis, playing #3 single as a freshman and #1 in 10th, 11th and 12th grade.  The key here is to make sure you train him properly so that he has the physical stamina and strength.  Once that is done, he can pick up golf and tennis very quickly. FWIW, my DS is now playing golf at a D2 school.

Lol you said d2. This is not good advice to start these sports so late generally

PP. He started late because he had other interests besides sports, and we were very well off financially so he wouldn't need any athletic scholarships. His main passion is music so he is a music major in college. He figures he will attract more pretty women as a musician even though he is a good athlete, enough for D2. You don't make enough money to live even at D1 level.

I think you missed my point braggart

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:7th grade is actually a perfect age to start tennis or golf.  My son started tennis and golf at 7th grade but he was doing physical training hard in 6th grade.  I spent quite a bit of money for him to train in both tennis and golf from 7th until the beginning of 9th grade.  He made the varsity golf team as a freshman and played the #1 position in 10th through 12th grade.  In FCPS, golf starts in the fall season.  He also got to play varsity tennis, playing #3 single as a freshman and #1 in 10th, 11th and 12th grade.  The key here is to make sure you train him properly so that he has the physical stamina and strength.  Once that is done, he can pick up golf and tennis very quickly. FWIW, my DS is now playing golf at a D2 school.

Nice! I have a kid that needs a second sport. He's finding it too hard to play two competitive team sports that both require ~ 10 month commitments and thinking an individual sport where we have more control over the schedule would be easier to manage with main travel sport. I was worried we were too late for tennis, but this gives me hope.

Tennis is not the sport for a kid to just pick up be proficient at

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:7th grade is actually a perfect age to start tennis or golf.  My son started tennis and golf at 7th grade but he was doing physical training hard in 6th grade.  I spent quite a bit of money for him to train in both tennis and golf from 7th until the beginning of 9th grade.  He made the varsity golf team as a freshman and played the #1 position in 10th through 12th grade.  In FCPS, golf starts in the fall season.  He also got to play varsity tennis, playing #3 single as a freshman and #1 in 10th, 11th and 12th grade.  The key here is to make sure you train him properly so that he has the physical stamina and strength.  Once that is done, he can pick up golf and tennis very quickly. FWIW, my DS is now playing golf at a D2 school.

Nice! I have a kid that needs a second sport. He's finding it too hard to play two competitive team sports that both require ~ 10 month commitments and thinking an individual sport where we have more control over the schedule would be easier to manage with main travel sport. I was worried we were too late for tennis, but this gives me hope.

Tennis is not the sport for a kid to just pick up be proficient at

Yes, you can if you put in a lot of work.  Tennis for 11 and under is pretty much useless because almost all of them are just hitting moon balls.  It is about the age of 13 and older that you will start seeing separation between the good and not so good one.  There are so many kids who were good at 12 & under but they just gave up at the age of 15 because other kids can physically develop and they can hit the ball harder.  My kid started at the age of 7th and by the time he finished high school, his tennis UTR is 11.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:7th grade is actually a perfect age to start tennis or golf.  My son started tennis and golf at 7th grade but he was doing physical training hard in 6th grade.  I spent quite a bit of money for him to train in both tennis and golf from 7th until the beginning of 9th grade.  He made the varsity golf team as a freshman and played the #1 position in 10th through 12th grade.  In FCPS, golf starts in the fall season.  He also got to play varsity tennis, playing #3 single as a freshman and #1 in 10th, 11th and 12th grade.  The key here is to make sure you train him properly so that he has the physical stamina and strength.  Once that is done, he can pick up golf and tennis very quickly. FWIW, my DS is now playing golf at a D2 school.

Nice! I have a kid that needs a second sport. He's finding it too hard to play two competitive team sports that both require ~ 10 month commitments and thinking an individual sport where we have more control over the schedule would be easier to manage with main travel sport. I was worried we were too late for tennis, but this gives me hope.

Tennis is not the sport for a kid to just pick up be proficient at

Yes, you can if you put in a lot of work.  Tennis for 11 and under is pretty much useless because almost all of them are just hitting moon balls.  It is about the age of 13 and older that you will start seeing separation between the good and not so good one.  There are so many kids who were good at 12 & under but they just gave up at the age of 15 because other kids can physically develop and they can hit the ball harder.  My kid started at the age of 7th and by the time he finished high school, his tennis UTR is 11.

Age of 7ty?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:7th grade is actually a perfect age to start tennis or golf.  My son started tennis and golf at 7th grade but he was doing physical training hard in 6th grade.  I spent quite a bit of money for him to train in both tennis and golf from 7th until the beginning of 9th grade.  He made the varsity golf team as a freshman and played the #1 position in 10th through 12th grade.  In FCPS, golf starts in the fall season.  He also got to play varsity tennis, playing #3 single as a freshman and #1 in 10th, 11th and 12th grade.  The key here is to make sure you train him properly so that he has the physical stamina and strength.  Once that is done, he can pick up golf and tennis very quickly. FWIW, my DS is now playing golf at a D2 school.

Nice! I have a kid that needs a second sport. He's finding it too hard to play two competitive team sports that both require ~ 10 month commitments and thinking an individual sport where we have more control over the schedule would be easier to manage with main travel sport. I was worried we were too late for tennis, but this gives me hope.

Tennis is not the sport for a kid to just pick up be proficient at

Yes, you can if you put in a lot of work.  Tennis for 11 and under is pretty much useless because almost all of them are just hitting moon balls.  It is about the age of 13 and older that you will start seeing separation between the good and not so good one.  There are so many kids who were good at 12 & under but they just gave up at the age of 15 because other kids can physically develop and they can hit the ball harder.  My kid started at the age of 7th and by the time he finished high school, his tennis UTR is 11.

Age of 7ty?

typo. 7th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:7th grade is actually a perfect age to start tennis or golf.  My son started tennis and golf at 7th grade but he was doing physical training hard in 6th grade.  I spent quite a bit of money for him to train in both tennis and golf from 7th until the beginning of 9th grade.  He made the varsity golf team as a freshman and played the #1 position in 10th through 12th grade.  In FCPS, golf starts in the fall season.  He also got to play varsity tennis, playing #3 single as a freshman and #1 in 10th, 11th and 12th grade.  The key here is to make sure you train him properly so that he has the physical stamina and strength.  Once that is done, he can pick up golf and tennis very quickly. FWIW, my DS is now playing golf at a D2 school.

Nice! I have a kid that needs a second sport. He's finding it too hard to play two competitive team sports that both require ~ 10 month commitments and thinking an individual sport where we have more control over the schedule would be easier to manage with main travel sport. I was worried we were too late for tennis, but this gives me hope.

Tennis is not the sport for a kid to just pick up be proficient at

Yes, you can if you put in a lot of work.  Tennis for 11 and under is pretty much useless because almost all of them are just hitting moon balls.  It is about the age of 13 and older that you will start seeing separation between the good and not so good one.  There are so many kids who were good at 12 & under but they just gave up at the age of 15 because other kids can physically develop and they can hit the ball harder.  My kid started at the age of 7th and by the time he finished high school, his tennis UTR is 11.

Age of 7ty?

typo. 7th grade.

11 UTR is ok I guess if you want to play at George mason