Children starting sports at later ages

[TxZen]

Ok. first realize, I live in Texas, where sports can reach cult like followings and even more so, parents who are bonkers out of their mind over them.

My son, who just turned 9, came to me this past weekend and said he wants to play baseball again. He played for 3 seasons a few years back but decided he did not like it. All we asked was he finish what he started, be a team player and enjoy himself. He says he misses it and wants to really practice and try again. He NEVER asks for anything unless he really would like to do it.

Ok, I am cool with this. I call a friend, who has 4 boys and is sports mom expert, and she tells me that Spring baseball has already started and that Fall Ball would be better for him because it's less intense. Ok??? Then she says "Well he IS older. He might need to do a baseball clinic this summer and start working with him now so he has some skills. Older kids struggle." Talk about deflating the baseball balloon. Is she being serious? (And Yes I asked this question.) She was. :(

No wonder kids these days feel like they can't fit in because of dang parameters set by crazy, overbearing, OCD parents. He just wants to play for fun and he will but I hope this way of thinking does not bleed off the other kiddos. :(

[KayLR]

My DD moved to TX and has experienced the same thing with her son, 13. He has a lot of interest in sports, but lacks a lot of natural abilities, and since he's from a less-intense area (Pac NW) he has less experience, so that's going against him, too. He found a more relaxed and accepting basketball experience at the YMCA. He did get to play and had fun...less pressure.

[ApatheticNoMore]

Well you can blame the parents but if the other kids have been at it for a few years and he hasn't he will probably be objectively inferior at baseball purely from lack of practice, and maybe she's just trying to spare him from this experience. To spare him from being the equivalent of the kid no one wants to pick for their team in gym class or whatever (a new phenomena? hardly). Which might really hurt some kids, others not so much, depending on their personalities.

[TVRodriguez]

You might want to do some more research beyond the sports mom expert. She might be in tune with the more advanced leagues. There are often various levels of intensity with sports clubs, with some being purely recreational. If her kids are totally into sports, she may not even be aware of those "lesser" leagues.

[Gardenarian]

My daughter does recreational dance. A lot of the mom's are super competitive about their kid's ballet skills (or gymnastics, fencing, whatever.) I'm glad there are low-key alternatives to a lot of this stuff.