13yo wants to play a sport but can't find one she likes

[Anonymous]

cricket

[Anonymous]

She sounds like me around her age. I settled on crew and loved it. Rowed in college and everything.

[Anonymous]

7th grade dd just joined mountain bike team last year - she had never done it but was looking for a sport, liked riding her bike, and figured she’d try it. National organization is NICA. She now even knows how to do some basic bike repair/ maintenance and really enjoys it. The team is very inclusive / encouraging and (at least where we are) has coaches who teach you everything you need to know. You can participate in races or not and choose how seriously to take it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Her attributes are many in my biased opinion but not so much in the athletic realm. She is small and light for her age, pretty slender, she does have long arms and legs (proportionally, she's probably around the 20th percentile height wise for her age). I had wondered about track or cross country because I think she is reasonably fast but she just doesn't enjoy running. I think there are ways she likes the spirit of a team but she finds it stressful too. I can see her in more solitary sports in a way. I'd hoped rock climbing would be a hit but I think she just doesn't love it, though doesn't hate it either.

If she's small, but likes team sports what about being a coxswain in rowing? The DMV one of the few areas where rowing/crew is a sport that is available to HS kids.

[Anonymous]

Is there a ninja gym near you? My girls go to one (not in the DMV) and LOVE it. Rock climbing is part of it, but not all of it. Being fast and light are definitely attributes. It's an individual sport but with other team members cheering you on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She sounds like me around her age. I settled on crew and loved it. Rowed in college and everything.

Same except I didn’t row in college. In college I joined group exercise classes and then went to regular Zumba as an adult before life got busy in recent years. I especially liked the group classes for being social and a lot of fun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Her attributes are many in my biased opinion but not so much in the athletic realm. She is small and light for her age, pretty slender, she does have long arms and legs (proportionally, she's probably around the 20th percentile height wise for her age). I had wondered about track or cross country because I think she is reasonably fast but she just doesn't enjoy running. I think there are ways she likes the spirit of a team but she finds it stressful too. I can see her in more solitary sports in a way. I'd hoped rock climbing would be a hit but I think she just doesn't love it, though doesn't hate it either.

If she's small, but likes team sports what about being a coxswain in rowing? The DMV one of the few areas where rowing/crew is a sport that is available to HS kids.

Former coxswain here: if the point is to be athletic, this is not it. My fellow coxswains would get so frustrated that they never got a workout.

I didn't want to be moving all that much (but loved using my mind...and my voice), so I was happy as a clam. I would love my retirement career to be coaching one of the local hs teams.

[Anonymous]

Parkour or cycling come to mind. You can race as a competitive cyclist, just need a good road bike, good endurance.

What is it about rock climbing that is going as well as she hoped? My kids are both very into it, but hated sports like soccer.

Oh, and what about golf?

[Anonymous]

What about weightlifting? You said she values fitness and she might like the structure of that sport. Plus being small and light is fine since it's weight-based categories.

[Anonymous]

My first thought was ultimate. My less athletically inclined kid is really good at it. And it’s just a lovely sport - they don’t have refs and work out fouls on their own and they have a spirit circle after games where they point out good things other players did.

https://www.wafc.org/

[Anonymous]

Is she going into 8th grade?

So far, I love the suggestions of mountain biking and being a coxswain.

But I would encourage her to keep an open mind about XC and track. At many high schools, those teams attract fantastic kids, not all of whom are superstar athletes. I'd encourage her to give it a shot as a freshman. It might blossom into a sport for high school (or life in general!). Even if it doesn't, I predict that she'd have a good experience.

[Anonymous]

OP back and so sorry to disappear! There are many wonderful ideas here, thank you thank you. She is going into 8th grade. I will encourage an open mind about activities including track and cross country. Really grateful for these many suggestions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Coxswain for crew, flag football, or taekwondo

Definitely a cox!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is she going into 8th grade?

So far, I love the suggestions of mountain biking and being a coxswain.

But I would encourage her to keep an open mind about XC and track. At many high schools, those teams attract fantastic kids, not all of whom are superstar athletes. I'd encourage her to give it a shot as a freshman. It might blossom into a sport for high school (or life in general!). Even if it doesn't, I predict that she'd have a good experience.

Agree. And maybe give swimming another look. Even if you're not a star in these sports, you real great benefits (ie fitness) and you'll probably make friends and over time, who knows, maybe you become more competitive.

[Anonymous]

Girls Flag Football is growing in popularity. But this not for all girls.

When she plays team sports, does she get into "the mix" playing the middle, making plays and runs ~or~ is she on the periphery not really involved in the play, lookin at her watch waiting for practice to be over? The former would indicate she is suited for team sports but the latter would suggest team sports are not for her (unless she is doing it with a friend).

Rec sports environment is very fluid, I would just keep trying her at different ones she is interested in. Maybe she should join one of the school teams to fit in with her peers?

Also, you could sign up for an athletic gym like D1 training, just to get some workouts in and build confidence. After she might feel more motivated to try again.

Keep encouraging her and Good luck!