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three2camp
Snowy Owl
Snowy Owl

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Joined: 16 Jan 2006
Gender: Female
Posts: 162

16 Aug 2006, 9:03 am

At 6 & 7 team sports may not be so bad since the other boys haven't quite gotten to the mean age. My son tried soccer a few times, but just didn't like it even though he played okay.

Instead, we've gotten him involved in individual sports. He's on a swim team where he can feel part of the team and loves it when they win a meet. He's probably the most enthusiastic, uncoordinated and slowest swimmer on the team, but he can see his times, he can see his personal improvements and he enjoys it.

Running track makes sense since it's on a team, but it's scored on individual performance. We're also thinking about wrestling, but the season coincides with the swim season. We also considered martial arts since they do offer matches or meets or something, but now we don't have anything in town.

Any kind of team sports during gym classes were enough to cause meltdown - the gym teacher mostly assumed he already knew the rules but he didn't. I wish we had signed him up for baseball for at least one try-it season when he was little so he could at least understand the rules. Now, he's almost too old considering how hard all the other boys would be on him due to his slowness and lack of coordination.



Rosacoke
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker

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Joined: 15 Jun 2006
Gender: Female
Posts: 58

16 Aug 2006, 10:56 am

My son played organized baseball from 6-12 and basketball from 6-10. He was never a star, but there were certain parts that he was good at, especially because he understood and would always follow the rules. We cheered him on, and he never complained, and I think it was good for him. I don't think he'll ever play team sports again, but at the time it was good for him to be part of a well-supervised group, and get some practice interacting with others.
Later he did Tae Kwon Do for four years, and that was a VERY positive experience, physically, mentally, and emotionally. I strongly encourage you to, at some point, look into it and try to find a good martial arts instructor. They teach "mind, body, and heart" - respect, health, self-discipline, self-control, and patience. The best instructors embody all of these things and are wonderful role models.



DanFlyfish
Hummingbird
Hummingbird

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Joined: 12 Aug 2006
Age: 69
Gender: Male
Posts: 22

18 Aug 2006, 12:54 pm

I played organized sports from 6 years through college. I recommend it, but keep a close watch, as I suspect you are inclined to do in any event. My experience was the predictable mixed bag--a few things l learned to do well, a few I had mysteriously--to me, teamates and coaches--no talent for, but should have given my talents. That led to predictable puzzlement of teamates and coaches. Your son may look at his team as a family extension, if it strikes him it did me. If so, his interaction may be even better than what you may now hope for.

Help his coach understand him.

Feel free to follow-up with me on a PM, if there's anything you think I could do to help him in this regard.