I was athletic from an early age. Well, perhaps that needs some rephrasing. Let’s instead say I was active in athletics from an early age. My “talent” was subject to the praise of mostly my mother, but the point is, awkward and hopelessly uncoordinated or not, I played and I enjoyed it.

Learning to be a part of a team, meeting new friends, getting some much needed exercise that fosters the development of a healthy lifestyle–these are just a few of the lessons learned through participation in organized athletics. To me, allowing your child to be involved in team sports is much like hiding vegetables in their mashed potatoes. They are unknowingly taking part in something that is good for them.

Ever the over-eager one, the very day my son exhibited enough hand eye coordination to roll a ball my way I began looking up soccer teams and little leagues in our area. You can imagine my disappointment when I realized I had roughly a three year wait.  (Total malarkey, by the way. I mean, who wouldn’t want to watch a gaggle of nine month olds crawl around a soccer field? Highly adorable mental image, am I right?)

The day I helped my four year old lace up his first pair of cleats the excitement was palpable. I couldn’t wait to watch him experience that game day rush of adrenaline, the sense of camaraderie with your teammates I recalled with such fondness from playing sports as a child.

From his very first practice it was apparent, my son would have been more excited by a monotone reading of names from the phonebook. While the other kids learned to kick the ball, Anders picked and then strung together dandelions. While his team performed passing drills, Anders pretended the area beneath the bleachers was a bat cave. When his coach organized a scrimmage, Anders pretended to be caught in the tentacles of a giant squid also known as the net of a soccer goal. Though his dad and I insisted he at least show up to games and practices to support the team, the rest of the season went much like that first practice.

My son is only four years old. Though he has years in front of him to develop a love of athletics and we will continue to encourage him to get involved and  try new activities, the sometimes hard to face truth is he is his own person. I can help him shape the person he will become, but ultimately what he chooses to incorporate into his life and what he chooses to leave behind is his decision.

Did your child love sports the first time they participated in them? If they weren’t keen, did you encourage them to keep participating or seek out other activities in which they might show more interest? I’d love to hear your experiences.

image credit: Brit on Flickr

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