-Any track / cross country, wrestling, football; rugby or crew if HS has it, I have seen some start lacrosse late (and not overly athletic)and do ok if high school program is not competitive

- not baseball, basketball or soccer

- flag football for just fun - though not high school sport

Wrestling

Rowing is a sport that most kids don't start until HS. My DS started in MS.

Tackle football is one of the easiest sports to pick up relatively late because it requires very little in the way of technical skills (it's raw athleticism, which makes it a "pure" kind of sport), whereas baseball and basketball, to name two, require years of highly technical training to reach varsity level. Anyone who can run decently and is strong, or who simply has size, can probably find a spot of some kind on a high-school tackle football team. Flag football is a fun sport that's much safer and that, unfortunately, isn't offered much for high-school aged kids, although it can be found. Btw, some high schools allow students to lift weights and do gym workouts in a structured program that's similar to a varsity sport.

A low key, fun option in some areas is Ultimate frisbee.

My son is a good athlete (ice hockey is his favorite, but he plays rec soccer and basketball too), but never played lacrosse until this spring. He was able to make the JV team at his high school, and has a decent shot at eventually playing varsity. At some schools lacrosse is difficult to get on the team, but at many others its not too bad. At many high schools, they will take anyone who wants to play football. Crew is also a good choice. I can never understand it, but people who row really seem to love it.

Anonymous wrote:basketball if he is tall. There are NBA players that have not played basketball until high school.

Yes, there are a handful of stories of freak athletes who picked up basketball in high school and made it to the NBA. If OP's kid was one of those, she'd already know it because he would be orders of magnitude bigger, stronger, more coordinated and more successful in other sports than any other kid OP knows.

OP: depending on the school you go to, basketball can be crazily competitive in this area. Most kids who make their high school teams (other than freshman teams or teams at small, non-WCAC private schools) have been playing high level travel ball since grade school. I know of a kid who played on the _JV_ team at a local high school last year who started getting high-major D1 recruiting letters in middle school. DS knows a kid who is 6'8" who didn't even make his school team. I asked DS about it and he just said "yeah, he's big, but he can't play." This area is crazy.

Nothing is "too late" by MS for a kid whose gifts line up with what the sport requires. What are your son's strengths and weaknesses as an athlete? And what does he enjoy playing?

Lacrosse is actually possible because a lot of the good players are on travel teams and don't have time for the high school team. Of course, it depends on the high school. (Many high-end private high schools have great lacrosse teams.)

That said, my DS started playing lacrosse in 1st grade, and there are a lot of other kids like him around here.

basketball if he is tall. There are NBA players that have not played basketball until high school.

I agree that baseball isn’t a good option unless your child is planning to attend a private school without competitive athletics. My son has dreamed of playing HS baseball since K. He’s played on teams for the last 9 years and attended camps, clinics and private lessons. He now plays for BCC Select. Our MCPS HS will roster 16 players (freshman and sophomore combined). His chances of making the team are pretty slim.

I’m actually trying to steer my son towards track and cross country. I hear these are no cut teams.

Do not write off baseball. I have a friend who hated little league and picked it up again in middle school. He is playing on his schools 9th grade team now. and NO he did not play lacrosse in the mean time.

I would ask - what does he enjoy? If it is intended to be level playing ground - crew.

Never for baseball.
My son and his friends have high level played travel ball for 6 years (on top of Little League for the first 4) and we have no idea if any of them will make their high school teams.
These are kids who have lived and breathed baseball for the better part of a decade. It's just so competitive in this area. It stinks.

No way for baseball unless your son played tennis or lacrosse AND is a really tall, strong kid.
Golf is doable if your high school has golf.
Cross country is usually a no cut sport so everyone makes the team.
Wrestling
Football

What team sports could a boy start in middle school and either make the high school team or enjoy playing rec while in high school?

What about baseball? Is that too hard to catch up to? Please be honest.

(This is similar to the other thread, but for boys.)