Is she in school? Between PE and recess she’ll get a taste of team sports, enough to know if she wants to try more.

Two of my kids played soccer, one didn’t. For one who played soccer, that was her “thing” into college, she just enjoyed it. The other soccer player was a dabbler - played different sports (only one per season) as well as other things like girls scouts/music. The third never expressed interest in soccer - she enjoyed watching her sisters play but the idea of running around a field after a ball had no appeal to her, but again she has her own interests. DH & I were both involved in track & field, so the sport with a ball wasn’t something we were into. I’m in the camp that if OP’s child plays soccer great, and if not that’s great as well, but it comes from your child’s interest not because everyone else is doing it.

We tried soccer when my DS was 3, which is barely soccer. He hated it and we never tried it again. We later tried one season of T-ball, which he also didn't like, and then we stopped trying team sports. He's now 12, and a happy well-adjusted kid who does many activities, just not soccer or other team sports.

I never saw a point to sports. My kids are thin and healthy, and I don't feel like shuttling them around to useless activities. To be honest no childhood activities pay off as an adult, except maybe music if you're really into it (just for fun)

My son has never done soccer. He was just very shy and timid and hated any kind of team sport. I really tried, but couldn't get him to participate without a lot of tears. We ended up in swim instead. However, his current school has no swim team and there are obviously no after school swim clubs, but there is always soccer. I do wish he could play a little, because it seems to be the one sport that there are a lot of opportunities to play around here.

No. All three of my kids did soccer at some point. One child stayed with the sport and loves it - will probably play in college. The other two weren’t into it after a couple years.

Swimming is non-negotiable. Piano is non-negotiable until high school. Everything else they can drop after they finish the season or the class commitment. But I enrolled them in lots of outdoor sports.

Your child may love soccer, OP. Why not try it?

I posted upthread but am curious. DS did a year of soccer at 3, when it's basically just herding cats. But now he's almost 8 and is interested in trying it. Where can rising 2nd grader start introductory soccer in MoCo? We did Takoma Soccer back then, and on their website, it isn't clear if there is an introductory level for kids as "old" as him.

2 of our 4 kids never did soccer. We offered but they were never interested. Not even a little. So we didn’t push it. One is now a dancer and the other is a gymnast.

3rd and 4th children, twins, did a few sessions of soccer when they were 4 and 5 yrs old; one was more interested in doing cartwheels and picking dandelions than playing— she’s a dancer now.

The other twin seemed amazing for her age at soccer— fast and quick and aggressive and super competitive— but… she burst into tears after every single practice. So that wasn’t going to work. We switched her to swimming for a while and then to tennis, and that’s still her primary sport.

The interesting thing is that the 2nd twin, the crier, is now 12 and she returned to playing rec soccer last year, at her request. She’s still fast and aggressive but doesn’t cry anymore so she has fun and plans to stick with it. So you never know what they’ll decide they want to do.

My daughter (11) was never interested in soccer so she never played. She’s not a team sport/ball sport kid. She swims (for fun not swim team) and is on a rec climbing team. She’s trying track this fall/winter.

The “everyone plays soccer” thing dropped off a lot for the girls in her grade after 2nd or 3rd when the stronger players start moving out of rec and onto more competitive teams. She just finished 5th and there were a handful (4-5) girls who play travel soccer and none playing rec anymore.

Anonymous wrote:My kid has never been particularly interested in soccer. She's 6. She has several other activities, including dance and swim, that she really enjoys. Everyone does soccer and I'm feeling guilty that we haven't done it. She's also never done a team sport and I feel like that would be useful, but just don't know that soccer is the right option for her -- while she can play, bike, and dance for hours, she gets tired after running for like 5 minutes.

Should we do soccer anyway even though she doesn't have any interest and (I anticipate) won't like it? To get her team sport experience and to stretch her endurance and skill set? Or should we double down on the stuff she already does and really likes?

If your kid never did soccer, did you regret it? Anyone else thinking about skipping it?

No do not sign her up for soccer if she has zero interest. I assume she will be exposed in school and if she says she wants to play than you sign her up. Follow her lead. It is very simple.

How would you like it if your spouse signed you up for something that they thought you would like or was good for you? Yes, kids are minors but, the majority of their life is controlled already. For free time they should be able to choose.

Mine is 10 and has zero interest in sports. The most I’ve gotten her to agree to is 1 week of horseback riding camp a year. She can swim at least, and she’s in every non-sport club at school — chorus, drama, math, news, and student council. I’m not complaining that my weekends and summers are free.

None of my kids have ever played soccer. We have 0 interest in soccer as a family. They play another travel sport, but have never played soccer. I never played soccer as a kid, I played hockey and ran track. I don't understand why you feel like she's missing out on anything, when she's already doing something she enjoys?

Mine never did soccer; hated all sports until he started running at 13. Now runs D1 track and field.

3 kids. None have done soccer. I find it the practices and game schedules just don’t work with my family’s schedule and life style

Mine play tennis and do swimming. They have not “missed out” socially by not joining a soccer team in any way.

My older kid tried soccer for one season because it seemed all of the kids around here played, but it wasn't a hit. That's the extent of her experience with team sports and she's a college sophomore now. Instead, she's focused on martial arts for the last 12 years.

My younger kid never played soccer. She does swim, but didn't join the local summer team until she was almost 12. I have zero regrets about never signing her up for soccer even though so many of her friends played.