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Old 08-18-2011, 02:21 PM
 
447 posts, read 742,799 times
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I have a 4 year old girl turning 5. She had done the local recreation classes of T-ball and soccer. She was mildly interested in the activities thus far. My question is: when is it time to sign up for a league where there is a practice and a game? Is it too much for someone just turning 5? or do I stick her back in the preschool/rec classes? What say ye?

Last edited by midlifeman; 08-18-2011 at 02:49 PM..
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Old 08-18-2011, 02:52 PM
 
Location: Fairfax, VA
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Hmm, I think I have heard of people putting kids that young into the local community leagues for either of those sports. We hadn't tried these yet. My 5.5 year old daughter has done community center dance and gymnastics up until now, and participated in soccer through a program at her daycare called Soccer Shots. See if anyone in your neighborhood has info on the local little league or youth soccer association.
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Old 08-18-2011, 03:47 PM
 
Location: South South Jersey
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You should probably ask her what she's interested in doing. My mom stuck me in both t-ball and soccer - two activities which I recall having less than no interest in - and it made for some miserable times. I didn't want to be put out into the thick of the games (I wasn't clear on the rules, and it was simultaneously scary/boring, anyway), and sitting on the bench was even more boring. I did like the break where we got to eat orange slices, as well as receiving my juice box and treat at the end, though. That's not to say I wasn't a physically active/fit kid - as regulars might be able to guess, I LOVED riding my bike around the neighborhood.
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Old 08-18-2011, 03:49 PM
 
Location: Northern Virginia
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Agreed, ask the kiddo! Maybe she'd rather take dance or karate than a team sport. I've coached a lot of youth soccer teams, and the common denominator amongst success in the sport is that the child had innate interest themselves. The kids whose parents pushed them into it rarely enjoyed themselves.
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Old 08-18-2011, 04:14 PM
 
Location: Reston, VA
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My brother took his 5 YO daughter out of soccer when they kept catching her doing cartwheels on the field!
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Old 08-18-2011, 04:25 PM
 
Location: Northern Virginia
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JfromReston View Post
My brother took his 5 YO daughter out of soccer when they kept catching her doing cartwheels on the field!
Did he sign her up for gymnastics instead?
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Old 08-18-2011, 05:02 PM
 
Location: Gainesville, VA
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My son has played soccer for 2 seasons. He gets quite frustrated by the kids on his team who just stand around and literally do nothing on the field. If your daughter is not interested in a sport, don't bother spending the money on it and save the sanity of the other people who actually want to play.
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Old 08-18-2011, 06:23 PM
 
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Default hmmm

I guess the real question I am asking is do kids really know what they want at this age? My daughter will tell me she hates something and the next day she is doing it with glee? I want to expose them to everything. I do admit that I have a hint of tiger dad in me, because I've seen them really enjoy something once they actually get the hang of it. Just takes some patience.
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Old 08-18-2011, 07:44 PM
 
Location: Fairfax, VA
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I don't think it hurts to try for a season. If she hates it, she can always move on to something else.
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Old 08-18-2011, 08:09 PM
 
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Starting too soon can turn a child off from a sport that might have worked well when she was developmentally ready for it. There is really no advantage to signing up for organized sports with regular practices and (!) games for a preschooler. If she isn't yet a strong swimmer, you might consider trying swim lessons at the rec center, which actually DO work well for most 4-5 year olds.
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