Dd is involved in various sports, and we have come to the conclusion that she may never be really good at sports where she has to directly confront other players (soccer and basketball, for example). It’s too bad, because she’s tall and we thought she would do well in basketball. She shies away from direct confrontation, though.

She excels in swimming, and wants to play volleyball when she’s older.

It’s not just athleticism that counts; there are other factors at play that determine whether someone will succeed in a sport.

Strength, stamina, and inner drive transfer the best.

I am always surprised to see that strength training seems to be very neglected. I see lot of kids who cannot even squat properly. Decent basketball players with stiff hips and hammies because their glutes are weak.

There are many reasons for kids being grouped by age, strength being one of the most important ones. I always played with older kids and strength was what I had to work on the most to keep up.

Strength, work ethic, eye-hand coordination, fitness, yes.

Specific skills, no.

A good athlete in pretty much any sport will have a leg up leaning the next one over some average joe. But after that, it depends. Some are closer than others.

Anonymous wrote:Of course. Good athletes have transferable traits, but there is not doubt that things like coordination, speed, and stamina are helpful when learning a new sport. You're going to notice some differences, naturally, when trying a new sport but the learning curve is a lot less steep for someone who is already a good athlete in one sport, especially if the sports are related (e.g., racquet sports).

+1 for this. I second the suggestion that you want to be careful in pairing sports. Tennis and baseball aren't good matches in terms of hitting - in tennis you want/need to swing at every ball that comes your way while in baseball you need to be much more selective. However, there is a high level of correlation and transferability between skills in ice hockey and lacrosse. Additionally, our kids have excelled at soccer, lacrosse and basketball because all three need strengths in field/court sense, and their participation in the sports reinforced the skills.

Anonymous wrote:Often! Basic athleticism + work ethic can make it easier for a kid to pick up a new sport and do well.

+1

Sure. That’s why being “athletic” is a thing. I don’t really understand the question.

My daughter is good at soccer and she is good at basketball for the same reasons she's good at soccer. She's got good athletic conditioning so she doesn't tire easily, which is helpful for both sports. And she's scrappy and resilient, so when she gets fouled or accidentally injured, she barely reacts.

Obviously footwork and shooting skill aren't comparable skills, other than a willingness to keep trying and practicing.

Of course. Good athletes have transferable traits, but there is not doubt that things like coordination, speed, and stamina are helpful when learning a new sport. You're going to notice some differences, naturally, when trying a new sport but the learning curve is a lot less steep for someone who is already a good athlete in one sport, especially if the sports are related (e.g., racquet sports).

Anonymous wrote:Lacrosse goalies make me laugh. I'v eoften wondered if it's against the rules for them to hold their stick similar to a hockey goalie. Could prove helpful if above board.

Really?? Have you ever watched Lacrosse? The goal is 6’x6’ does not transfer. Box lacrosse on the other hand is very similar to hockey. However I have heard that hockey or box lacrosse is not good for field goalies. Most pro’s do not play both whereas the field players do.