Anonymous
Post 05/21/2025 15:11     Subject: Is 15 too late to start new team sport?
I know someone who started lacrosse in 8th grade and played on a D1 team in college. It’s not common, but possible. Let her figure it out
Anonymous
Post 05/15/2025 18:51     Subject: Is 15 too late to start new team sport?
Anonymous wrote:DD is fairly athletic but she hasn't done any team sports other than rec soccer, which she is not a fan of. Swim team(B) in the summer, parkour and she goes to the gym a lot. She always had social anxiety and it was hard to get her involved, but lately she has been overcoming her anxiety and expressed an interest in a team sport. She specifically mentioned volleyball, but I think she is just looking for options that are not soccer or basketball (she is very short). Is there even a volleyball club/rec league where she could try it at this age?? Is there another team sport that you can start at 15 with zero game experience? I am open to any suggestions and thoughts. Really want to help her out. TIA


Encourage her to try it. I was an athletic kid who tried volleyball for the first time as a 15 year old and made it on a Varsity team. Cross country and track are also great suggestions. While an individual sport in nature , there is a lot of team spirit/bonding and relay teams as well.
Anonymous
Post 05/15/2025 16:25     Subject: Is 15 too late to start new team sport?
Anonymous wrote:Let her try volleyball! My college setter was 5'1 in shoes. And now that there's a libero, which is great for the smaller players who can get low and play great defense.


Soccer players make good liberos if they gained agility and speed in soccer. Also you can kick the ball in volleyball. lol.

Check out Montgomery County rec. I think they tend to run camps and leagues in the summer but you could do clinics starting in the fall.
Anonymous
Post 05/15/2025 10:28     Subject: Is 15 too late to start new team sport?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Check some of the volleyball leagues near you and see if they have beginning clinics. They often run 1x weekly sessions for new players so she could try that first. But height is important.

If she doesn't like soccer she may not like frisbee either, although I agree it's a good one to start late.

How about crew? Field hockey? Lax? Flag football?

I think girls have more leeway with starting late. And many players leave rec sports at this age so there may be more spots open.

My niece just starting playing lax her freshman year of high school and it was totally fine because they were a small team that needed more bodies.


OP, if she’s very short and tries crew, she would likely be steered towards being a coxswain (for boys or girls). Does that sound fun for her?

Crew is full of kids who start late relative to other sports.


Agree with PP. I was a coxswain. Athletic kids (which I was not) tend to get annoyed at coxing because it's not a workout at all. It's all mental.

I've known a few girls to start rec or JV softball in high school, as another possible option.


It’s ok to be a short rower in HS. I live on the west coast and am involved in a program that regularly sends recruits to top d1 programs and only the 1V (top) boat has girls who have height or look like rowers. The other boats have girls who are often shorter than their coxes.
Anonymous
Post 05/14/2025 20:19     Subject: Is 15 too late to start new team sport?
Volleyball is incredibly competitive around here, FYI.

How about cross country or track? As team sports go, they're pretty chill and there is a ton of camaraderie.
Anonymous
Post 05/12/2025 10:06     Subject: Is 15 too late to start new team sport?
Let her try volleyball! My college setter was 5'1 in shoes. And now that there's a libero, which is great for the smaller players who can get low and play great defense.
Anonymous
Post 05/12/2025 09:59     Subject: Is 15 too late to start new team sport?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I started a new sport at 18 and was on a division 1 team for it. Never too late!


What sport though?


NP but easily this could be rowing. Our college coach used to stand outside of basketball and volleyball tryouts and recruit those who got cut.
Anonymous
Post 05/12/2025 09:58     Subject: Is 15 too late to start new team sport?
Rowing is the best for this exact thing. Plenty of people I know joined in college and became excellent.
Anonymous
Post 05/12/2025 09:57     Subject: Is 15 too late to start new team sport?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I started a new sport at 18 and was on a division 1 team for it. Never too late!


What sport though?


Fencing in New England so very competitive. I was an athlete my whole life but that was a new sport.


I believe OP meant a team sport where you have to work as a team during competition to win...not an individual sport that yes has a team, but it's not like you have 3-on-3 or even 2-on-2 fencing matches (though that sounds kind of cool).
Anonymous
Post 05/12/2025 08:24     Subject: Is 15 too late to start new team sport?
Anonymous wrote:We live in Maryland and people start their daughters in lax when they are 5. I wouldn’t recommend it to a 15 year old who has never tried the sport.

One of my DDs was great at soccer, and took up lacrosse in junior college in the spring with some of her fall soccer teammates that were experienced lacrosse players.
She's pretty coordinated and in great shape. It took a little while, but by the end of the season, she was one of the best players.
Anonymous
Post 05/10/2025 15:26     Subject: Is 15 too late to start new team sport?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I started a new sport at 18 and was on a division 1 team for it. Never too late!


What sport though?


Fencing in New England so very competitive. I was an athlete my whole life but that was a new sport.
Anonymous
Post 05/10/2025 14:42     Subject: Is 15 too late to start new team sport?
Anonymous wrote:I started a new sport at 18 and was on a division 1 team for it. Never too late!


What sport though?
Anonymous
Post 05/10/2025 07:04     Subject: Is 15 too late to start new team sport?
I started a new sport at 18 and was on a division 1 team for it. Never too late!
Anonymous
Post 05/10/2025 07:02     Subject: Is 15 too late to start new team sport?
Field hockey - check out Beyond Sticks or KOA
Anonymous
Post 05/09/2025 13:26     Subject: Is 15 too late to start new team sport?
I'm adding that the ultimate frisbee world is very welcoming, and if she played soccer she probably has at least some of the basic skills (speed, endurance, field strategy). But it's a very different vibe from soccer, plus you're less likely to get kicked in the shins.

There's also the sports that are atraditional for girls like wrestling and hockey or rugby, where I think they welcome late joiners. But if she's really shy that might not be her scene.