is baseball the best team sport for non-athletic boys?

[Anonymous]

My DS is 8 and hates team sports, he just never took to them. But he loves the camaraderie from them, so he sticks to track, cross country and swim team. He loves cheering for his team mates and trying to beat his own times.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hate that it's so hard for a kid to try a new team sport at age 8 because s/he is already behind!!! My daughter was never interested in soccer or swim team before but now she is begging me to join the teams her peers are on. I don't know what to do -- I don't want to discourage her but she is so far behind her friends who have been on the teams for years. I know winning is not what's important and she can learn from challenges, but she doesn't have the personality to handle repeatedly being the worst at something in a public arena. So sad!

I am the first PP after OP's original post. I think that soccer and swim team are fine for starting at age 8. I am a house soccer commissioner, so I know that quite a few kids start at 8 and it's a good sport for that. Swim team is also a good sport for starting "older" because there's usually an A team and a B team and the majority of kids are on the B team. Swim team is a great sport for camaraderie. I know that my son's in it for the snack bar!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - i appreciate all the feedback. i just want to clarify that i was not saying baseball is a sport for non-athletic kids. did that mean that at all. it's just that he's bigger and slower and compare to the other team sports he does baseball has least running involved.

to be frank - i don't understand how soccer would be a better sport for non-athletic kids to succeed. perhaps we define athleticism differently, but to me a slow kid is never athletic.

You don't have to be athletic to play soccer at that age. Its just 10 kids running around chasing the ball. It sounds like he needs to run around.

stop judging and mind your own business

[Anonymous]

If he likes baseball, then I think you should stick with it. I would follow his clues with some positive reinforcement. In our area, at around age 9 (3rd grade) the kids start tryouts for the baseball teams. I would let him enjoy it for one more year.

How does your child feel when they are unsuccessful on the field? I notice that some kids never hit and cannot play defense, yet they still seem to enjoy being there. If that's the case, then I say support the play. Other children appear very dejected when they constantly are striking out. I don't think I would have the heart to watch my child if he looked unhappy.

[Anonymous]

If he likes baseball, let him continue to play. He's 8 and should do things that he enjoys.

I also agree with PPs to look into non-team sports if you want to expose him to different things. Golf actually comes to mind first. If you walk instead of use a cart, it is an athletic sport in terms of the number of miles you are walking. It is not about being fast or dexterous the way soccer or baseball might be. Private tennis lessons or small group beginner lessons through the county.

Not to be blunt, but is he big in terms of overweight and you're looking to help him get fitter, or just on a faster growth curve than other boys his age? Best thing you could do would be to live a healthy lifestyle as a family. Have at least one physical family outing per weekend whether it's a hike, whether it's swimming at the local indoor pool, whether it's a game of tag or family soccer at the local park, or training to walk a charity 5K together.

My parents were great at giving me access to lots of sports, but didn't live a healthy, active lifestyle themselves. It wasn't until I was an adult that I realized I actually enjoy individual sports more than team sports since I'm not a great athlete. And, I still struggle with my weight because other than those 1 or 2 hours a week, we weren't an active family.

[Anonymous]

I would also encourage you to consider swimming, OP. Even for kids who will never be swimming stars, there is always a great feeling of confidence that comes from "dropping time". Kids really learn that effort pays off in improved performance and the swim team culture tends to be quite inclusive. Additionally, but not inconsequently, swimming is a lifetime sport and a survival skill.

Baseball is such a wonderful sport (both my sons played in ES before deciding to focus on swimming) , but, the nature of the game emphasizes individual performance. One of my sons has a friend who plays varsity in college and his mom tells me she still cringes when he bats.

Finally, I know a PP mentioned tennis -- my DD, a HS student, plays tennis and I played in HS and college. It's a great game and can be a lifestime sport, but you mentioned that your son is not fast and that would make it tough for him to play well. Losing consistently in tennis can be very hard on a kid. You are at least 50% responsible for the outcome of your match and you are constantly aware that the outcome of each match determines your spot on the ladder for the next one. Additionally, you don't have the rewards of incremental improvement as you do in swimming or track. It's a very tough game psychologically.

[Anonymous]

Cross country

[Anonymous]

Cross-country doesn't really get going until middle school. Like swimming, it's a great sport in terms of inclusivity. Even if your kid isn't fast and will never be a scoring runner (top 5-7 on the team), s/he can feel good about incremental improvements in time.

[Anonymous]

Is swimming really that inclusive, though? The team at our local pool seems quite intense. Yes, they all hang out the night beofre meets and have fun but I also hear a lot of talk from parents about who's fast and who isn't. Plus, I know at our pool after every meet they call out every single person's time and hand out place ribons. If your time is always 5th , isn't that almost as rough as striking out?

Don't get me wrong - I do see many benefits of swimming.

What about gettting a short/avg. height kids interested in basketball? Unless they're crazy quick, doesn't it mean they're destined for big-time disappointment when they head to the high school level?

[Anonymous]

Is swimming really that inclusive, though? The team at our local pool seems quite intense. Yes, they all hang out the night beofre meets and have fun but I also hear a lot of talk from parents about who's fast and who isn't. Plus, I know at our pool after every meet they call out every single person's time and hand out place ribons. If your time is always 5th , isn't that almost as rough as striking out?

Don't get me wrong - I do see many benefits of swimming.

What about gettting a short/avg. height kids interested in basketball? Unless they're crazy quick, doesn't it mean they're destined for big-time disappointment when they head to the high school level?

[Anonymous]

We are in NoVa can you recommend a swim team for DS in Arlington or Alexandria? Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone else think it's just sad that a child at the young age of 8 years old can't easily take up a new sport and learn it without feeling embarrassed about his mistakes as he's learning? Sports are just way too competitive for our tastes I guess.

I Totally agree. My DD didn't want to do soccer until this year (3rd grade) -- well, at the ripe old age of 9, apparently it's not really acceptable to join a team as a novice! It's great that kids are getting involved at early ages (i.e. 4), but it puts those who don't find their interest until a perfectly normal age of 8, 9, 10 in a difficult position b/c it's too late!

That's the down side to having all these preschool leagues/classes.

[Anonymous]

+ 1

I feel so much pressure to find a good sport already for my FIVE year old!!!! I never wanted to be a parent who over-schedules her kids but I feel like she needs to try things now so she's not "behind" at eight.

[Anonymous]

CURLING.

[Anonymous]

How about bowling?