To wish my child was more sporty?

There’s still time! My ds was v unsporty but then picked up skateboarding age 14 and now plays basketball and has a big interest in football and cricket. Previously couldn’t care less!
let him find his own interests

Bloody hell OP.
You sound really disappointed in your longed for child. Back off a bit or you will make him feel inadequate. He is only young! Let him lead with what hobbies he wants to try.
Two of my three grown up DC hated sport at school.
They are now both slim, healthy, really successful in their careers with tons of artistic hobbies. One has recently started sailing competitively whilst the other goes to the gym several times a week.
The third child who was mega sporty at school and represented GB in his sport, hardly moves his butt these days.
Life isn't a competition.
Just enjoy him as he is.

We were fortunate to live near to a mariners base and my non sporty dc loved kayaking/sailing/climbing and swimming.
DS now 28 also has taken up running and just ran The Wall ultra marathon.
Both DC got their professional lifeguard qualifications as well

And could he cycle to school?

I'd agree with others- yes to getting outside and being active, back off on 'sport'.

Make a daily walk/scramble/vigorous gardening session compulsory, and look into scouts or Woodcraft folk. But stop trying to make him do anything labelled sport.

Does he like drama? Would he get into dance?

My older son isn't sporty he was reasonable at martial arts but that was it. He never competed. Where as my dd trains 6 times a week and competes in galas. Its her choice and both have individual interests that should be respected.

Take the pressure off. He will know you are disappointed.

Let him be him. He's not an extension of you and DH.

If you don't play sport which in itself is a great form of exercise how do you stay fit?

Well obviously a large proportion of people don't stay fit. But being active in ways other than playing sports is fine. I'm not naturally sporty. I finally got fit by running in my mid 30s, but my joints don't like it now, so I walk. Pretty fast. And do yoga at home. Some people just don't enjoy sports or vigorous exercise and will always either not do it or will force themselves to and regard it as a chore. You can't make them enjoy it.

DD wasn't sporty at all but finally at 14 has decided she wants to go to the gym. It took lots of trying lots of things.

One thing we did which other friends didn't it refuse to drive them everywhere. This means that they have to walk to school, to the bus etc. As a result they are much more active than many of their friends.

Being sporty isn't important but being active is. Being active = better health, better mental health and is so important especially in the teen years. DD is only allowed to slob if she has had at least 1 type of physical outdoor activity per day. That can be formal sport, one of her hobbies or just walking the dog.

You need to do activities as a family. DS comes on runs with me or DH (which is excruciating, he is 7 and manages about 500m before he gets bored - our record is 3k over about 90 mins). We ride our bikes places. We go swimming as a family. We play football and basketball in the park together. We do yoga together. We go to the local Ninja warrior/soft play thing together. We don’t do all this stuff every week, but often enough that the solution to being bored is usually to go to the park and do some exercise together.

He does also do gymnastics and rugby and tennis and swimming lessons (often dragging his heels, he’d rather watch tv) but the family activity is the most important for his attitude to exercise.

If you don't play sport which in itself is a great form of exercise how do you stay fit?

My kids were not sporty at all - I'm not particularly although do like to swim. They grew up in the Middle East where sport wasn't emphasised much at school and they didn't really have an interest in it. My son now loves to play football - he's not the best but he tries and that's all that matters. My daughter is now heavily into netball and has really pushed herself this year to do well despite having an horrific leg injury last year. We are fortunate to live in a country where we can be outdoors a lot and have access to a pool so we swim most weekends and weekdays during the holidays.

I wouldn’t worry. DS was the same; he didn't enjoy any of the school team sports but loved swimming and would spend whole days bodyboarding on holiday. As an older teen he joined the CCF and also did a very demanding trek in Peru.
He did some rowing in Uni, dabbled with a bit of cricket and lately he has become interested in fencing. He is now married and has a baby DS and the three if them are very outdoorsy. Lack of interest in school sport never bothered us as neither DH or I are at all sporty.

You dont need to send kids to expensive clubs. My ds goes out every night playing footie with his mates and is out for at least 7 hours over the weekend. He did 1500m at school this week for the first time and did it in 6m48 (i dont know if thats good ?). Lapped a few overweight kids 3 times. He is 11 and very slim.

I'm a firm believer in active children, but to get active kids you need active parents. So your DH needs to step up. Why does DH need to step up?

As a child I hated sport but loved being active. I wish that this could’ve been valued instead of the idea that we have to ‘beat’ other people by running after a ball or some other arbitrary pointless thing. Don’t try and force your DC to like the things you like. Embrace them for the unique person they are and the things they are interested in.

DS hated all sports and still does. Was a school refuser to avoid sports and PE .
We tried eveything.

He is now a talented musician,travelling the world and loving life.

Sports isnt everything.

I am so happy for you having your son.

Is he maybe just a bit introspective? In that case, team sports are pointless for him (as they were for me). But he may shine in a sport where he can play on his own and has a special skill. Try him out, if you can, at tennis, golf (mini golf?!), bowling, archery. He might have a good eye/hand. If so, he can channel any introspection into that.

How about just running, cycle, rollerskating? I have to say that I was rubbish at sports at the age of 10, but when I actually finished school I won a sports event (which gave me greater satisfaction than any good academic results).

Don't put pressure on your son. It may even be an "asset" to "despise" sports a little. I cannot help thinking that a lot of clever writers and other people secretly despised sports. I also imagine that wartime spies and those who had to go on solitary missions were at an advantage if they were NOT into the "team spirit". He doesn't like football (boring sport anyway)? Maybe he is just advanced for his age!

Sport isn't really the goal is it? Lifelong physical activity is, so what does he enjoy and how can you make that active? Bird watching? Rocks? Flora and Fauna? Orienteering? Geocacheing? All of these can be paired with a good walk and done into adulthood.

YABU. Why are you wishing he was different instead of accepting him as he is? That can be very hurtful for a child.

So true about sailing. I have no idea why I like it really.

Yes I do. Leaning over the edge of a dinghy in a near-calm, trailing a hand in the silky water, watching the clouds roll in again and easing the steering till the wind half fills the sail -- that's my happy place. Preferably without any other boats for half a mile, so I don't get run over while in a reverie.

It’s a hard one but it sounds like you need to find his thing - whatever that may be. Does he have other hobbies? Although I understand that you want him to be active, could you have a conversation with his PE teacher?

The best way to find your thing is to do as many activities as possible and land on something you want to do outside of its timetable. For instance I put my DD in all sorts and she found her interest in gymnastics through friends in the playground (and having a YouTUBe fascination with the sport) - so I put her in classes. And athletics but that was through school and realising she was one of the best in class.

What else is he passionate about? At least he can keep busy, even if it is art. If none of them are sport could you embed a culture at home? For instance my family would do yoga every evening when I was a kid. I have a friend that takes a walk with her children and another one whereby the parents run and the children join.

BTW I hate all of the things that have been suggested as less hateable: badminton, sailing, swimming, hiking, cycling etc etc.

Particular loathing for sailing - being wet, cold, sick, shouted at and occasionally hit round the head by the boom.

It is OK for him to not enjoy any of these things.