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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Just curious, if your son is <50th percentile still by age 7-8, why wouldn’t you pick sports (or at least one) that don’t rely so heavily on size? Seems like parents could have been a lot more proactive rather than to enroll your small for age kid in sports like football, baseball, and such with no alternative if they do end up staying small or grow very late. Seems like setting them up for failure and frustration.  I’m a big advocate for all kids, regardless of size, doing at least individual no cut sport starting young.  These tend to be the sports people participate in all their life (swimming, tennis, etc)[/quote]

Chiming in as the parent of small kids (consistently 5th percentile at 9 and 11) and they have been introduced to a ton of things (soccer, swim, tennis, golf, field hockey, track, rock climbing, gymnastics). Some things are a hit, and some just aren't. They love what they love.[/quote]

Well, but they end up loving what they are good at.  And they aren’t going to get good if they don’t stick with it.  If I knew
I had a small kid, football, baseball, basketball wouldn’t be options.  [/quote]

I think you're missing the point of sports.

[/quote]

Actually no.  The point of sports is to have fun, stay active, and be able to see the progress of hard work.  None of this can be accomplished is your child is small and benched all the time or picked over because of that. The fun is zapped and they end up quitting.  [/quote]

Well, you can accomplish all of those things without setting foot on field or the court.  But my comment was more about the parents that limit their kid's options in ES, because they expect them to be small when they get to HS.  That is 100% missing the point of sports

The people that are suggesting not to enroll your young child in a sport because they are small and won't have HS or college options in that sports are missing the point of sports.

Sports are not always about "how to proceed to the next level of competition"

It's ok to play basketball or baseball or ::GASP:: even FOOTBALL!, [b]for the sole reason that your kid has fun doing it[/b][/quote]

Sure but the point of this thread is the kid is miserable and the parents feel bad.  Are you reading the thread?  Kids crying and quitting the sport.

Definitely kids that will not care at all about what level they play the sport should play and enjoy.  [/quote]

Of course I'm reading the thread.

But like any thread (digital or otherwise) it often twists and turns and becomes entwined.

There's been a sub-thread within this one about parents not letting their kids do a certain sport because they expect their kid to have sufficient size to compete in that sport when they reach high school.

Those are the parents that are missing the point of sports.  Not letting your 7 or 8 year old play basketball because Dad is only 5'5 is missing the point of sports.

But, consistent with many things here in the DMV, if its not an option to be 'the best of the best' many people don't see the point in doing it[/quote]

That wasn't the advice from anyone I saw.

The advice I saw was don't let your kid get enmeshed in club/team sports and have it become their whole life where they are playing on a team where the only stated point is to be competitive and win and it seems likely your child will eventually get benched or not make the team.  Play rec basketball.  My son plays rec basketball both winter and summer.  Everyone gets played.  You sign up.  Fun.  He's been with the same team since 3rd grade and the core group of boys is still together in 8th.  Varying levels of height and talent.[/quote]

Back at 01/20/2023 14:52 someone suggested exactly that.  That you know where your kid will fall by 7-8 and don't let them pick a sport where size matters.  A few even chimed in agreeing, I believe.

FWIW, I think you're doing right.  Don't let them get engrossed in the culture, and let them have fun with friends.  But its clear from this thread that not everyone agrees[/quote]

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