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Extra-curricular activities

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A new sport for DD 12

59 replies

drspouse · 04/11/2026 17:39

DD cycles in the summer (a racing club) but she needs a lot of physical activity to burn off energy. She wants to learn to ride but all three of the possible BHS approved stables near us have waiting lists (which she's on).
In theory she goes to a dry ski slope every other week and we could up that, or go to the indoor snow centre for proper lessons.
She's missed the boat with gymnastics and football, we fear, she's been to both in primary school but stuck with cycling much longer. She also gave up on karate so I fear any marital arts would be a hard sell.

She went up to about stage 4 in swimming and then did some rookie life-saving but she's got quite fed up of that due to not moving up to the next stage. They suggested some private lessons to move up quicker but she struggles with having too much attention just on her so says she doesn't want to do that.

So far I've thought of:
Skiing as above
Climbing
Rugby (she's quite small for her age though).
Trampolining if you can start at her age?
Cricket but she's declined before and it's another summer sport.
We don't have many unusual sports in our area as we are fairly rural.

OP posts:
Netballjunkie · 05/11/2026 18:09

Netball? My daughters love it for so many reasons - sense of belonging, community, competition, fitness. And if she’s a pocket rocket, she’ll make a great centre!

EskSmith · 05/11/2026 18:21

Rowing!
Best thing my dd ever did..

KittyStanton · 05/11/2026 18:27

@AnderNuvvaFing can you join Pony Club without a pony? Do they share the ponies out for triathlons etc?

my kids don’t have their own ponies so I just assumed it wasn’t an option, all the kids we know who do PC have their own…

OP I see she’s ruled out rugby but I was going to suggest that, a really inclusive sport that has many late starters.

Mumoftwoteenagers · 05/11/2026 23:12

Just in case she fancies a go on the velodrome.

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/329513/British-Cycling-North-of-England-Go-Ride-Track-Cluster

endofthelinefinally · 05/11/2026 23:16

Netball, squash, badminton, jujitsu or judo.

fashionqueen0123 · 05/11/2026 23:20

drspouse · 05/11/2026 17:21

Ok we have established that:
Summer cycling is enough thanks and (I'm surprised!) she has no desire to get muddy.
Anything she does at school is "boring" which sadly includes rugby and hockey.
BUT her old gymnastics club has "non competitive high school" groups so we are trying one next week. She initially objected due to not having her leotard any more (sweetest, you were 5 when you last wore it).
There's also a bouldering club with a drop in session we will try.
We are a little limited due to location and her school bus timings but those will both be good for starters.

Lots of girls that age I know like netball. Lots of teams where I am and at school.

Gymnastics is great all year round. Lots of girls carry on for longer now. What about dance?

tennis lessons? Badminton?

Does it have to be a sport if she’s looking for something extra to do?

MrsAvocet · 06/11/2026 11:03

I wouldn't completely rule out sports that she doesn't like at school as it can be very different playing in an outside club or team. My DS played his sport to regional level whilst he was at school and now is on his University team but he hated it in PE lessons and only played for the school team a couple of times under duress when someone else dropped out.
Some schools have brilliant sports provision of course but many don't and if your only experience of a particular sport is 45 mins a week on a cold Thursday afternoon, on a suboptimal pitch with poor equipment, a non specialist coach and 30 kids half of whom don't want to be there at all it's not surprising it doesn't appeal. But the same sport in an enthusiastic club setting can be very different. I'd encourage her to keep an open mind and try a few things.

AnderNuvvaFing · Yesterday 14:54

Off topic, but to clarify there are two types of Pony Club. 'Centre' which operate from riding schools using riding school ponies and do activities there, and 'Branch' which is mostly children with their own ponies and transport doing activities in a range of different locations.

With the OP saying that friends own their ponies I would assume that they're at a branch. Her daughter can join as a non-riding member and attend stable management lessons, and compete in the quiz and horsemanship competitions as well as the pc triathlons which are running, swimming and shooting, no ridden element.

It seems a perfect fit to me, does the sport, learns pony skills prior to learning to ride and is (probably) within her friendship group.

AnderNuvvaFing · Yesterday 14:57

pcuk.org/join/

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