EmilyGF Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 have the sort of kiddo people invented football for. He seriously runs like football players do. He tackles everything in sight. He's not yet 3 and 40 lbs of pure muscle. He's built like a barrel. He never met a ball he didn't like. He does things like climb to the top of the fridge and jump over the couch. He learned to scooter a just over two and ride a bike last summer. What do I do? (I'm not OK with football due to concussions. What sort of sport can he pursue? He needs to move and just be incredibly physical. We're really tall, too.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 tumbling and gymnastics soccer at about age 4, martial arts like taekwando. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 Wrestling, Judo, Jujitsu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 Wrestling. Tumbling, trampoline, gymnastics. Running...long distance running... :lol: He might not be built like a distance runner but it sounds like he has the energy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amethyst Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 Tennis!!!! ETA: We're opposed to football too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 soccer basketball, swimming, martial arts, biking, running hiking! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 Crossfit kids ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 In lieu of playing Football, my son has played (or is playing) Lacrosse, Hockey, Basketball, Rugby, and Soccer. None of these sports is without their own concussion risks. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyGF Posted December 5, 2014 Author Share Posted December 5, 2014 I'm okay with concussion risk, not just frequent concussion risk. Thanks for the ideas. He's learning how to swim now and rides his bike whenever the weather is good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MysteryJen Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 Judo is a great sport. Ds3 had loved rugby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 At his age, I'd just make sure he has plenty of time to run and play and climb. As he gets older let him try community sports (but not football if you don't want him to) and see what he likes. I'd think Rugby or soccer, but give him time. He's little, and he might even thin out by the time he's old enough to play a sport. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TranquilMind Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 have the sort of kiddo people invented football for. He seriously runs like football players do. He tackles everything in sight. He's not yet 3 and 40 lbs of pure muscle. He's built like a barrel. He never met a ball he didn't like. He does things like climb to the top of the fridge and jump over the couch. He learned to scooter a just over two and ride a bike last summer. What do I do? (I'm not OK with football due to concussions. What sort of sport can he pursue? He needs to move and just be incredibly physical. We're really tall, too.) Football is scary! I'm with you. I read that 9 high school players died in the past year, during or right after games. My kid played hockey for years and I was terrified, praying through all the games. I never, ever, thought, "Please let us WIN today". It was always, "Please, God, don't let anyone be hurt today." We saw a few injuries, especially in the age 11-13 age range, where you could have 6 foot players opposing 4 foot players. Having a 6 foot player was the only thing that helped me sleep at night. I'm positive I would have pulled out my 4 foot player, if I had one. One kid got injured 3 times. I guess all you can do is see if he was drawn to it, and skilled at it. Maybe he won't be. Expose him to a wide variety of things and let him choose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 For perspective, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety a total of 2,823 teenagers ages 13-19 died in motor vehicle crashes in 2012 in the US. 11,419 people in the US died in gun deaths in 2013. 100 people a year die from equestrian related injuries. 26 people have died this year after having been hit by lightening. Any loss of life is tragic. Balanced against the risks is the fact that playing football gives many young men an opportunity to release the energy and impulses that come with adolescence in a way that is both socially appropriate and also builds and shapes character. I played football for 10 years. I'm convinced many guys I knew would have had more way-ward lives if they didn't have the opportunity to play football. This would probably include me too. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
school17777 Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 I'm okay with concussion risk, not just frequent concussion risk. Thanks for the ideas. He's learning how to swim now and rides his bike whenever the weather is good. All of my kids play different sports - football, soccer, lax, etc. the worst concussion came from.....swimming! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wendy not in HI Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 We like football over here. My son was on a "heads up" football team that took head injury/concussion really seriously. (I am not sure that it was actually much different than regular midget football, but our coach really talked it up and spent a lot of time training the boys) I don't have statistics on hand, but I have read that more serious concussions are happening in soccer than in football. Here is a page of lots of articles about concussion. Concussion is a seriously scary thing. http://www.momsteam.com/health-safety/concussion-safety/general I grew up in a house of all girls (I have 6 sisters). We played sports, but we were not particularly athletic. It is kind of fun to have a strong little boy who loves to run and jump and tumble around. He has enjoyed baseball and wrestling and and soccer and football, and though I didn't think of myself as a wrestling (what is with those uniforms?) or football mom, I have learned to love it. And I know what a first down is, now! He also plays the violin and loves to read (just a reminder that boys can be athletes and smarties, too!) Anyway, just love that little guy! 3 years old is so fun! And you never know, maybe he will prefer gymnastics! (so safe ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hikin' Mama Posted December 6, 2014 Share Posted December 6, 2014 I'm okay with concussion risk, not just frequent concussion risk. Thanks for the ideas. He's learning how to swim now and rides his bike whenever the weather is good. How about triathalons? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted December 6, 2014 Share Posted December 6, 2014 He's still so little that I wouldn't even be thinking of a sport like football for quite some time. Just let him be a little kid and have fun with him. It sounds like he is pretty fun-loving and adventurous, so he will definitely keep you on your toes! :) I'm anti-football because of the head injury risk, but thankfully, my ds never showed an interest in it anyway, so it has always been a non-issue for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dory Posted December 6, 2014 Share Posted December 6, 2014 We are a fan of basketball, soccer, and gymnastics in this house. Gymnastics when they are little as it helps them become very aware of their body. Basketball and soccer go really well together since one is a summer sport and the other a winter sport and soccer is often used to help young b-ball players work on being more aware of their foot work. We are anti-football in this house too, but very, very, very pro physically active. I've set a slackline with a guide line up in our backyard. We hit the climbing wall and swimming pool regularly. I have let the kids really play around with different things and then as they have gotten older we have limited them more and allowed them to pursue the things they enjoy the most. With the young kids I like to see them just be allowed to taste and play around with lots of different stuff. It's silly to make games too serious at that age. They need to be able to explore. Also, for young active kids, there's nothing like climbing trees, exploring the woods, boating, fishing and all that involved, outside, active type stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momacacia Posted December 6, 2014 Share Posted December 6, 2014 Parkour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dory Posted December 6, 2014 Share Posted December 6, 2014 Parkour. My kids dream of this. Most places up here won't train kids under 12 with it though. Perhaps it's different down there. Gymnastics is considered a first step that direction and martial arts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefgazer Posted December 6, 2014 Share Posted December 6, 2014 We're in the same boat. I have a bruiser of a son who wants to play football, but I refuse to expose him to football because of the relatively high rate of severe injury. Some injuries can permanently eliminate a kid from the armed forces, if that's a career path that appeals to them (like an unresolved shoulder injury). I flat-out told him no football and he's have to find an alternative sport. I was going to let him play flag football, but where we live there are no leagues for kids over 10, and if he really took to it...what then? So, no football, period. DS now swims, dives, and plays basketball. have the sort of kiddo people invented football for. He seriously runs like football players do. He tackles everything in sight. He's not yet 3 and 40 lbs of pure muscle. He's built like a barrel. He never met a ball he didn't like. He does things like climb to the top of the fridge and jump over the couch. He learned to scooter a just over two and ride a bike last summer. What do I do? (I'm not OK with football due to concussions. What sort of sport can he pursue? He needs to move and just be incredibly physical. We're really tall, too.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyGF Posted December 6, 2014 Author Share Posted December 6, 2014 Yeah, I know he is young, but he just looks like he's running down field with a football every time he runs (and that is all the time). It just seems that football players have a certain way of running, and that is how he does. Also, I posted this after he had run across the room to dive into bed. After going head first into a mattress that we have against the wall (convenient place to store it), he then hung from the top of the bunk bed and did a mini-flip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted December 6, 2014 Share Posted December 6, 2014 Martial arts, not necessarily one focused on sparring and wrestling at an early age. My kids do hapkido, which I gather is somewhat related to taekwondo. It's very self defense focused, but there's kicking, rolling, and striking too. It's good for channeling their energy and enthusiasm productively. My very strong daughter has an advantage in some areas, and my quick, agile son has an advantage in other areas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted December 6, 2014 Share Posted December 6, 2014 My kids dream of this. Most places up here won't train kids under 12 with it though. Perhaps it's different down there. Gymnastics is considered a first step that direction and martial arts. The parkour place that we know of takes kids as young as 4, I think. It starts slow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelli Posted December 6, 2014 Share Posted December 6, 2014 I've got a 4 year old son who's about 55 pounds so I totally know where you are coming from. He's a hardcore, rough, and tumble guy, and I've already had people ask if I was going to let him play football. Apparently I'm not the only person who can tell he's going to be one big man when he's fully grown. I've said that he can play football if he's the kicker. You're not supposed to touch the kicker. :thumbup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted December 6, 2014 Share Posted December 6, 2014 Haven't read the entire thread, but I have one of those boys. :) We don't do football, either. We are also tall. We live in a smallish Texas town where football is big. When my younger son was three, dh was in Chick Fil A with him, and a peewee football coach approached dh regarding my son playing football in the future. It was a surreal experience. What we did (because he turns 12 in a couple of weeks so I have an "end" to this story): We put him in Upward basketball starting in kindergarten. He played baseball for three seasons at age 9-10. He has a dad and an older brother who play basketball. Older brother has the basketball build - tall and thin. When older brother began basketball on a competitive middle school homeschool team coached by dh, younger brother opted to leave baseball and play "up" with his brother. He was in 5th grade by age at that point. This is his second year playing on the team with his brother and with dad coaching. Thoughts and reflections: He is not stellar at basketball - however, none of us have natural athletic abilities. I think that the sport he would probably have been best at is baseball if he had kept it up. Baseball leagues are hard to come by for homeschooled kids from 7th grade on because schools do the sports. Basketball teams are easier to find. Basketball is our "family sport", if you will. We only have so much time and energy and money to devote to extracurriculars so we have had to make choices on these as a family. I am glad that we gave ds a choice to play up with his brother on the team or to try to continue baseball because it was his choice and his investment. He could have played another year (two seasons) of baseball at the time before the leagues petered out due to age/grade. He has no regrets. I am a bit wistful about it because he did have a passion for baseball (thought not amazing talent). He still has a "house of bricks" build, and he is fearless. These are good qualities on the basketball court. He will take a block like no one's business and get put on his butt. He really loves playing with the older guys on ds's team. He is the youngest player on the team, which ranges from 11-14. He has a great peer group, and my boys have developed true friendships from the team members. The families are close, as well, and it is a nice group to raise our kids with. He is happy, though there is a "road not traveled" because we just cannot do everything, you know? Starting next week, dh will still coach our boys (three days a week practices/games), the boys will be playing three days a week, my little girl starts Upward Basketball practices, and my dh starts a six week long rec league. I will be the only one not playing bball. We are 5'10 (me) and 6'6" (dh). We are a basketball family. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted December 6, 2014 Share Posted December 6, 2014 He's not yet three. I suggest you let him continue on course and let him grow and develop normally. If and when he expresses an interest in organized sports, allow him to explore his area of interest. I'm coming at this from the angle of someone who doesn't understand this nation's obsession with sports. There are plenty of opportunities in life to encourage a lifetime of healthy habits, including exercise, without saturating our children with competition that is, much of the time, more interesting to the parents than it is to the children themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted December 6, 2014 Share Posted December 6, 2014 I'm coming at this from the angle of someone who doesn't understand this nation's obsession with sports. There are plenty of opportunities in life to encourage a lifetime of healthy habits, including exercise, without saturating our children with competition that is, much of the time, more interesting to the parents than it is to the children themselves. Eh, sports (even competitive ones) have many positive things to offer kids/teens. They are not a "must", but I disagree with the bolded, as it has not been our experience with our organization/team. My boys are very invested in their team and individual performance, and I have watched them and their teammates learning many lessons that go far beyond the basketball court as they grow into young men with a "village" of people to love, encourage, teach, and mentor them. While playing the sport of basketball, our team has dealt with learning both to win and lose gracefully, how to work with others, kindness and teamwork when you are with people whom you did not chose, how to relate to other teammates, bullying, leading in the good and in the bad, persevering during adversity, and gaining self-confidence. Their bodies are being conditioned, their interpersonal skills growing and, because our organization is Christian, they are also learning how to apply biblical principles on and off the court. I am a fine arts gal and not at all sporty, but I would not have missed this experience, nor have had my children miss it, for all the tea in China. :) There are other ways to have these life lessons and experiences, but sports is a very legitimate way for young men (and ladies) to have them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cafdog Posted December 6, 2014 Share Posted December 6, 2014 No boys here, but I have many, many friends who put their rough and tumble boys in waterpolo. They work hard, burn a TON of calories, and get to work aggressive behaviors out in a productive way. And swimming's easier on knees, ankles, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyGF Posted December 6, 2014 Author Share Posted December 6, 2014 He's got the build, he's got amazing coordination, and he is happier and sleeps better on days he runs around outside for a few hours. I live in the arctic Midwest and, woke it is easy to go to the park for hours each day during the summer, structure helps in the winter. I have not pushed my older kids into sports, but this kid is very very different from them. If you have a kid like this, you'll know it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpyTheFrog Posted December 6, 2014 Share Posted December 6, 2014 My 8 year old competes in gymnastics. He doesn't have a football build, but he hasn't stayed still since before birth. It's amazing to see elementary school boys get little six pack abs and such well developed shoulders and arms. My 5 year old hopes to be good enough to join the team in a year or two. He's not as active, but he's stockier and more rough and touble. We are highly in favor of sports (except no football, hockey, or boxing), but I will say that team sports are pretty much a waste of everyone's time until age 6-7. If you have a very coordinated 5 year old, they might do okay. In any case, the younger kids have a lot of trouble understanding the rules and the idea of running hard to get to the ball first seems to elude most of them. So individual sports for a preschooler might be better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cafdog Posted December 6, 2014 Share Posted December 6, 2014 No boys here, but I have many, many friends who put their rough and tumble boys in waterpolo. They work hard, burn a TON of calories, and get to work aggressive behaviors out in a productive way. And swimming's easier on knees, ankles, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted December 6, 2014 Share Posted December 6, 2014 Who needs sports when you have a refrigerator to jump off? :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErinE Posted December 6, 2014 Share Posted December 6, 2014 He's got the build, he's got amazing coordination, and he is happier and sleeps better on days he runs around outside for a few hours. I live in the arctic Midwest and, woke it is easy to go to the park for hours each day during the summer, structure helps in the winter. I have not pushed my older kids into sports, but this kid is very very different from them. If you have a kid like this, you'll know it. My oldest son played flag football for several years and enjoyed it. Some children on the team were exceptionally talented, but the parents didn't want them playing tackle football at a young age. DS played tackle football for the first time this year. The league had strict concussion rules and kept "officials" (besides the refs) out on the field to control hits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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