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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Mom of a very short boy here.  Would tennis be a good sport for a short boy?[/quote]

[b]I’d say yes but he’d need to do extra work to achieve superior skills to compete with taller kids [/b]whose long limbs are advantageous in serves and baseline strokes which is 75% of the game nowadays.[/quote]

np  Since when does every activity mean it is going to lead to scholarship in college or the Olympics?  Why can't her son play tennis for fun and exercise?[/quote]
 :?:  :roll: 
chillex! she asked if it’s a good sport for a short boy. Nobody said anything about scholarship or the olympics.[/quote]

:roll: What does "superior skills" mean to you?[/quote]

What does “good sport” mean to you?  :roll:  :roll: [/quote]

I think I get what PP is asking.  It's not about a scholarship or the Olympics.  It's about making the school team in middle school and high school if they want.  It's about being able to participate/make the team when things get more competitive.  Given their size, this is easier to do with some sports than others.

That said, we exposed our (short) kids to a ton of different sports and then let them choose what they wanted to do.  10 yo DS loves soccer, and that's going well, and as he's getting older he's learning to develop skills that suit his body/role on the team.  Will he need "superior skills" to make the middle school team?  Probably.  My sense is that coaches tend to prefer bigger players, all things being equal.  Even if it's not intentional/conscious, that's how it tends to work.  So DS will likely have to be a bit more skilled (and have a stronger work ethic) to distinguish himself.  It is what it is.

That said, if your short son loves basketball, so be it.  Will he make the NBA? Likely not. ;)  But if he wants to continue to play, it makes sense to do what you can to help him build "superior skills" to overcome the height disadvantage and compete with bigger boys.  (There are a ton of great videos on YouTube with skill building drills etc. for short basketball players, by the way.  I know we're talking about our sons, but DD is under 5'0", obsessed with basketball, and truly busts her butt with all sorts of extra training and practice in order to compete with the girls at her middle school who are 5'6" - 5'9".  Is it the ideal sport for her? Nope. But she's choosing it, learning to succeed with hard work while recognizing the obstacles, and having a great time with her friends.

My sense is that's what most kids want more than anything else - to play sports or do activities with their friends. If a parent wants to help steer their kid to something they're more likely to succeed at, I get it.  My sense is that's what PP was talking about.  [/quote]

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