Team sports.... or individual... which works?

 I don't know if you are like me and not really into "doing phys ed", so while I understand the importance of getting busy physically it's not high on my list of priorities.  How is it for you?

I admittedly bought into the hype that children HAVE to take part in team sports because it's good for them. Don't get me wrong.. team sports are good for most kids, they really are! I felt like I was doing poorly by my lad if I didn't get him into a team sport.

Therefore I put some effort into getting my lad interested in doing some type of team sport.

We tried homeschool soccer.   And admittedly there were points of success, but also had points of extreme dismay in my lad.

We stuck it out for a couple of years and the final year for soccer had my lad more interested in the toads and frogs in the local pond more than the soccer... so we called it quits.  :)

Swimming worked a touch bit better, but not a whole lot.   Having ear troubles didn't help the matter at all.   The end result was that my lad does know how to keep himself afloat in the water and that's a good thing.  Perhaps with time he'll become a more proficient swimmer... but first to fix his ears!

Then we discovered that we had a local karate club so I sweet talked my cautious lad into doing a couple of trial classes.... and HE WAS HOOKED!    He likes karate so much that he's now has his orange belt and is looking forward to testing for his advanced orange belt.

Another love the lad has is archery!   He and his dad go out whenever they can.  A local fellow has a club with erratic lessons...but a willingness to let the boys go out and shoot arrows.
I have learned something important through all of this... my lad has a distinct fondness for individual based sports.  Where he can think his way through it, learning the steps in karate, perfecting his form in archery.  These things appeal to him.   Will he sometime down the road like team sports?   I don't know, I'll leave the door open for it though....but right now...  I have a boy having fun doing sports that he likes, and I call that...Phys Ed.  :)

For other posts on the general theme of health and physical education, check out Canadian Homeschool bloggers eh?   Post goes live on the 26th.

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12 comments

  1. I think there are just some that are more inclined to team and others who are more inclined to individual. Competition plays huge roles in this, in my opinion. For the most part, my girls don't seem like to "win or lose" games. They enjoy team games at camps and church and such but there is seldom really a loser in those games. As for their own personal exercise, dance is it. All three love dance which requires work as a team but is also a very individual sport. So, take what you will from that. . .

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    1. it's nice to push yourself to do your best and to cheer on your teammates. that's whats good about those individual but team sports. The lad likes that.

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  2. This is another of those areas where we all have an individual preference. Some kids gravitate towards the team sports and some towards individual. Three of my four kids are very competitive and enjoyed team sports, and one isn't really competitive by nature, so he is okay with team sports only if it's more for fun. The competitive ones all enjoyed playing baseball and softball, and my daughter had a great time doing archery with her dad too!

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    1. i disliked team sports when I was young, but hubby enjoyed them so we really didn't know how the lad would turn out.

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  3. We tried homeschool soccer too, and it was. . .less than successful! Archery is a hit in our house, too. I've been considering karate. Now you've inspired me to look into it more.

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    1. Karate is great. Test out the class or observe it as there are different styles.

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  4. My girls enjoy archery, trail biking, and wall climbing--also individual sports. Although they really haven't had the opportunity to play in a team for long. I was considering getting them in gymnastics, but can't find a nearby place.

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    1. Wall climbing is something i suspect my boy would like too

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  5. my kids like team sports, but short of driving a really far ways away there are not many opportunities for them to do them. My son does play men's pickup basketball at a church near us, but that's about it for them. They do shooting sports through 4-H which they enjoy :)

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    1. Thats too. Perhaps in their years they'll find more they can do.

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  6. So great to see homeschoolers involved in group activities, its a real confidence booster I'm sure!

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