Sports for homeschoolers in high school

[LNC]

My daughter is in 7th grade, rising 8th grader. She is ending dance after 7 years due to femoral anteversion - her femoral bone is set inward in her hip socket. Feet turned in. She's 5'6" and very lean.

 

So, we would really like to find something to do for her to maintain her excellent fitness level and to remain well rounded in her high school years. The trouble is she hates all team sports. She loves the art, beauty and musicality that ballet provides along with conditioning and cardiovascular fitness. Our homeschool sports league has girl's basketball, volleyball and soccer (middle school, jv and v teams). I offered to send her to a volleyball camp then try out for the middle school team. She was excited about it at first until she watched youtube coaching videos about volleyball. She thinks throwing balls around is "stupid and pointless". Many of you suggested martial arts, but that doesn't appeal at all either. I wish our homeschool athletic group offered track, but it just has a running club that runs at a park informally pretty far away. It seems pointless without providing competition, she can run around here.

 

I know most people will suggest she stay with a form of dance that doesn't require turnout. However, this pre-pro school requires ballet as the foundation of all other forms of dance. She would have to stay in the int. level all through high school with middle school girls. She also feels she isn't coordinated enough in general to advance in contemporary anyway - it is such an advanced school. She is strongly opposed to going to a casual dance school after attending this one for 7 years.

 

She will continue with piano all through high school. We would like to switch to a teacher that offers festival opportunities in high school. She plays in Alfred Masterworks Classics 7 with advanced theory. She would like to add chords and voice training to her lessons as well. She will begin theater next year to, with opportunities to perform.

 

Her orthopedist suggested running, particular sprints, as the most suitable form of exercise for her body type. She is going to start couch to 5k after her final spring ballet performance.

 

Do you think running in high school informally, entering a variety of races, would count as an athletic extracurricular for college aps? Any suggestions to pursue running as a homeschooler?

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Short answer is yes. There are some homeschool teams in my state that compete in AAC events. I found them on a list from a state homeschool group by searching homeschool sports and my state.

 

There are also lots of running groups that meet at running stores and community centers.

[Candid]

I'm going to assume you will be focused on a team sport with some view to continuing on into college. If this is only for exercise then, obviously your daughter can run on her own with no problems beyond those of actually doing the running.

 

Before you settle on a sport, I would make a careful survey of the teams available to your daughter in your area. Ask a lot of questions. Are they open to home schoolers? Are they open to someone just beginning in the program? What travel time commitments are there? What monetary commitments? How difficult is it to make the team?

 

As you get honed in ask more detailed questions, find former players and talk to them about the coaches, learn the schedule of involved athletes, etc.

So, we would really like to find something to do for her to maintain her excellent fitness level and to remain well rounded in her high school years. The trouble is she hates all team sports. She loves the art, beauty and musicality that ballet provides along with conditioning and cardiovascular fitness. Our homeschool sports league has girl's basketball, volleyball and soccer (middle school, jv and v teams).

 

 

Do you have a synchronized swimming group nearby? Those girls are tough!

[regentrude]

I don't see why running should not count as an extracurricular.

 

My kids dislike team sports, too. They ride horses and rock climb - both excellent sports which they can continue their whole life.

[SkateLeft]

Absolutely. I think running would count. As someone else suggested, I'd look into local running clubs. Triathlon is another option, and there are a growing number of triathlon clubs around too.

 

Another thing to consider might be figure skating, if you've got a rink anywhere near you. Figure skating is related to dancing, and her dancing experience and fitness level would be a tremendous asset.

[Jenny in Florida]

I always get irritable when people post responses to questions that challenge the basic ideas of the original post. So, I can't believe I'm actually asking this, and I apologize up front if it's dumb.

 

I know you said that the dance school your daughter attends requires ballet as a foundation, but is there another, more recreational dance school she could investigate?

 

I don't think "other" has to mean "less." And, just because a school isn't ballet-centric and pre-pro doesn't have to mean it's "casual."

 

For background: My son has danced for years, but never with an eye toward going pro. He just loves it. He was at the pre-professional school here for several years, but it became clear his heart just wasn't in it. Specifically, ballet just isn't his thing. He's much more interested in musical theatre dance and tap. (Yes, I know ballet is foundational for those, too. But, as I said, we're not talking about going pro, and he'd had several years of ballet, already.)

 

Eventually, when the number of required dance classes began to really get in the way of him doing other things he loves (like theatre), we made the decision to pull him from that school.

 

He spent last year at a smaller, less intense studio, which was fine but not exactly what he wants. He was frustrated with the fact that he was in their highest level tap class and ended up teaching the instructor steps she didn't know. He was frustrated that some of the students clearly didn't want to be there and had no interest in working hard.

 

At the beginning of this year, he attended a couple of master classes at another studio and fell in love with the place. He is now taking tap there once a week and continuing to dance with his original tap teacher in her "adult" class whenever he can make it.

 

Next year, he hopes to dance at the new studio more and possibly join their competition tap group. The other students in his class work very hard and take dance very seriously. They challenge him to be a better dancer. The teacher is also the owner of the studio, and tap is her favorite style. She is friendly with professional Broadway dancers and brings in people to teach master classes a few times a year.

 

It's just a great fit for him, allowing him to keep doing the dancing he loves without the pressure to be someone he isn't interesting in becoming.

 

Obviously, our situation was different, because he made a choice to take a different path, rather than being forced to do so. But I wonder if there is any possibility your daughter could keep dancing, if she loves it, but at a different school with different goals?

 

I wish her -- and you -- the best as you make this transition. I hope you find something that makes her happy.

Edited April 20, 2012 by Jenny in Florida

[LNC]

Do you have a synchronized swimming group nearby? Those girls are tough!

 

That probably requires turnout too though right? I don't think advanced choreography is in her reach anyway.

[LNC]

I always get irritable when people post responses to questions that challenge the basic ideas of the original post. So, I can't believe I'm actually asking this, and I apologize up front if it's dumb.

 

I know you said that the dance school your daughter attends requires ballet as a foundation, but is there another, more recreational dance school she could investigate?

 

I don't think "other" has to mean "less." And, just because a school isn't ballet-centric and pre-pro doesn't have to mean it's "casual."

 

For background: My son has danced for years, but never with an eye toward going pro. He just loves it. He was at the pre-professional school here for several years, but it became clear his heart just wasn't in it. Specifically, ballet just isn't his thing. He's much more interested in musical theatre dance and tap. (Yes, I know ballet is foundational for those, too. But, as I said, we're not talking about going pro, and he'd had several years of ballet, already.)

 

Eventually, when the number of required dance classes began to really get in the way of him doing other things he loves (like theatre), we made the decision to pull him from that school.

 

He spent last year at a smaller, less intense studio, which was fine but not exactly what he wants. He was frustrated with the fact that he was in their highest level tap class and ended up teaching the instructor steps she didn't know. He was frustrated that some of the students clearly didn't want to be there and had no interest in working hard.

 

At the beginning of this year, he attended a couple of master classes at another studio and fell in love with the place. He is now taking tap there once a week and continuing to dance with his original tap teacher in her "adult" class whenever he can make it.

 

Next year, he hopes to dance at the new studio more and possibly join their competition tap group. The other students in his class work very hard and take dance very seriously. They challenge him to be a better dancer. The teacher is also the owner of the studio, and tap is her favorite style. She is friendly with professional Broadway dancers and brings in people to teach master classes a few times a year.

 

It's just a great fit for him, allowing him to keep doing the dancing he loves without the pressure to be someone he isn't interesting in becoming.

 

Obviously, our situation was different, because he made a choice to take a different path, rather than being forced to do so. But I wonder if there is any possibility your daughter could keep dancing, if she loves it, but at a different school with different goals?

 

I wish her -- and you -- the best as you make this transition. I hope you find something that makes her happy.

 

I completely get what you are saying and thanks. She loves classical music (piano for 7 years as well) and loves classical ballet, particularly Balanchine. She extremely dislikes jazz - the costumes, the choreography, the music - everything about it. She does like contemporary at our school - has a very Balanchine ish quality. But, she would have to continue with ballet at the int. level and she doens't want to. When she demonstrated her recital dance, I hear her hips pop over and over. Her knees hurt after class. I just can't do it. I want to listen to the dr. who said that running suits her hips, you know. She loves being outside and hiking long distances. This may suit her...

[LNC]

Absolutely. I think running would count. As someone else suggested, I'd look into local running clubs. Triathlon is another option, and there are a growing number of triathlon clubs around too.

 

There is a running club - with adults and youth. I see that you can join USA Track and Field as an individual and go to meets. Maybe if she does well and enjoys it she would join that in 9th grade.

That probably requires turnout too though right? I don't think advanced choreography is in her reach anyway.

 

I don't think it requires turnout, just the ability to do the 'eggbeater' movement with the legs. And I doubt you'll find more rigorous cardio.