Starting Organized Sports/activities So Young

My DD is 4 1/2 and I just now got her into gymnastics. Any younger that that (for her) would have been a waste. She loves it and I'm proud of how well she's doing.

Unless the child is kind of driving organized classes or you as the mom need a break, looking back I think they're a waste of money. If your son is happy just playing outside, you're lucky! He's happy and you're saving money.

IMO, 3 and 4 are too early to expect "real" participation. 5 should be good. Let him play. Once the schedules and shuttling around really start-you'll wonder why you were in a hurry! LOL

Our oldest is nine and has never participated in team sports. He hasn't been interested. Instead, we've signed him up for classes as things come up that interest him. He did karate for a while, lost interest, then Parkour for years, lost interest. He's now in a Japanese animation drawing class and it's only a month long ... perfect!

At three, it's hard for any child to stay focused and interested. It may be several years before he finds something he really wants to do.

I don't believe in overbooking kids. Ours are in one activity at a time. It's never felt like they were missing out on anything because they weren't interested in team sports or staying with one activity over the long term.

I think that one cannot say "he's too young", OR that he's the right age, because there's not a magic number where everyone on earth is suddenly old enough to be into it.
It depends on your child's interests and ability to listen to directions, and it depends on your child's coach as well. There's so many different thoughts out there, so it really depends on the mentality of the coach, the other parents, the other kids, all that.
There's nothing wrong with team sports (I think they're SO important in many ways, if done well). But what we try to do is give team AND individual activities for them to be more well rounded. But you don't have to pay a league at 3 years old.....just look for other outlets. I'll tell you that my 5 year old can't really tell you much that he did at 3. We provide opportunities because it's fun for us AND them. The lessons learned aren't necessarily how to do a front right cross or to sweep the field. The lessons are more intangible at that age.....and can be made in other ways with family and friends. But don't accept a broad general answer of "he's too young" or "he's old enough". Only you, the parent, can see what's going on with him. But for our personal experience: our eldest was great at 4, our youngest is 2 1/2 and we are NOT shopping 3 year old leagues for him yet. He may be more interested in individual stuff, where our oldest loved the team stuff.

This is coming from a HUGE sports fan! (adding that I also coach sports)

Our daughter started soccer at four...she wanted to, so we gave it a shot. She's now almost 7 and plays on a competitive team. We weren't sure about going competitive but she wanted to play on an all girls team...so she tried out made it. They were HORRIBLE last fall. This spring after playing indoor they are improving at a phenomenal rate.

Our son just turned four in January. He is not ready! He plays, practices with his sister...but he's not ready. We are shooting for the fall when he's closer to five.

You and your little one are not missing out on much. If you feel he's not ready hold off til he's closer to five. Many coaches at that age are just parents who got roped into it. They more than likely have no idea what they are doing. So your child is not missing out.

I think he is too young. My son just turned 4. My theory is let them have fun for now. There will be plenty of time later. I won't start mine until about 6 or so I think

We tried my son at 4, just not ready for it - it is a personal maturity thing. I would stop signing him up for these things is you feel no one is actually getting anything out of it that you can not provide at home.

In our area they can't start soccer until they are 4 1/2. T-Ball is younger and most of the appeal of the game is the kids sitting around digging in the dirt then noticing the ball rolling past them. The look on their faces is so funny.

Most of the time at the age of your child the whole thing is about learning a few rules and starting to get the idea of team sports, not actually play them to win.

I think that some sort of class is good so the kids at this age can start learning to listen to someone besides mom and dad. The pre-school thing will fill that.

We do gymnastics for the youngest group. Ages 3-4 and a few 5 yr. olds. They play during warm up instead of sitting and stretching, like they will do frog leaps instead of sitting and stretching out their backs and legs, they will run to the other side of the room to get their muscles moving, they act like a bear to move their shoulders and stomachs, etc...it is geared to be fun and not boring for this age group.

My son will be 4 in May. He attends preschool and LOVES sports too. He has particpated in group swim lessons for the last 18 months and it's great- low pressure, no competition... "group", but not really. We also do a monthly "story hour" at our local library (30 minutes, but 15 of that is arts-and-crafts). We have signed up for bambino soccer (ages 3-5) as a one week soccer camp in June. He really wants to play soccer, but I'm not sure he's ready for a team sport- hence, one week camp. If he loves it, great. We'll sign up for the fall league. If he doesn't... it's only $100 down the drain instead of $200 and every Saturday morning for two months!

My sisters and I were all around 4 when we started taking lessons. Before that, it's hit-or-miss. Some kids are ready, some are not. If he's not into it yet, no biggie!

i did T-ball in kindergarten.. 1stgrade was soccer (until sophmore year of highschool) and little league and tumbling-which was like little kid gymnastics.. 3rd grade they finally had softball so i switched to that and played through highschool .. kindergarten tball was a little nutty and thats older than your son is now.. no1 really paid attention all everyone wanted to do was hit the ball it just gave us all the idea of how you play baseball for the next year ..iwouldnt worry about it hes still young.. just because hes not totally following along doesnt mean he doesnt like it or want to continute to do it .. he obviously likes sports from the way he is at home but i wouldnt overload him either ,dont just sign him up for all this stuff because everyone else does let him do the sports he likes and thats it

I felt the SAME WAY!!!!!!
I signed my son up for karate when he was 3.5. I "thought" he was going to have a blast, WRONG!!!! After the 3rd class, I was forcing him into the car... He HATED it... I had to fight with the owner to get me out of the 6 month contract I signed, ughhhh...
I then would try him with FREE first classes through the YMCA... He would go once, I would "think" he'd like it, and then he told me he didn't want to go again.... I tried convincing him because his friends were doing sports, and he didn't care... All he wanted to do was play with his friends in/outside our house/their house...
After speaking with my good friend that's a teacher and teaches parenting classes, "he" is just to young.. Some kids LOVE IT, some are just not ready for it, some will never be ready for a "sport"....
My son is now 5.5, I ask him each season if he's ready to play, and the answer is still no....
I will give him until 1st grade and hope he changes his mind...

At three my daughter was in swim lessons and a dance movement class. My daughter was (still is) really into structure and loved participating so it worked for us.

I would think that is a little young to start orginized sports. I would say swimming would be the best kind of class to get him in at that age. That does not take working withi a "team". My children never did orginized sports when they were little. My oldest has never done them and my youngest is in gymnastics and didn't start till he was 8 1/2. He's not one that would do well on a team that they have to work together like soccer, baseball and stuff like that. The team he's on is great. They encurage eachother but they work at their own lvl. Yes he is on a team well pre team. He's only done one compation which will change next year. If he's not inerested it's a waist of money