DD (15) is super sporty. Throughout her school career she has played the major school sports (hockey, netball and tennis). She does very well at school level and is in fact captain of all three teams. She is a pretty nifty swimmer too.
Her PE teachers from age 6 onwards have tried to encourage her to join clubs to pursue these sports slightly more seriously. DD has flatly, but flatly refused to go to them all. 'Mum, I don't want to get up at 5am to go to a pool.' 'Mum, I cannot be arsed with going to a hockey club and having to be all jolly hockey sticks'. 'Mum, I don't want to go to netball trials, I'd rather watch TV.'
If you are an over eager and enthusiastic type of parent, wanting to encourage all latent potential, this attitude of DD's has been pretty incomprehensible. Until last week, when she decided to go to netball trials. She chose the premier club in the area, with lots of England players and players in something called a Superleague. Not the friendly pootling club close by. So this was a bit of a huge step. Also, go figure, some of these girls have been training intensively since the age of 10. By 15 they are hardened veterans. They have calves that are as big, hard and muscled as tree-trunks. I gulp, try to be enthusiastic and supportive, and take her to the trials. There are 60 girls all experienced netballers, aiming for 12 or 13 places.
She aces these flipping trials. She is a shooter and every shot went in, from every angle, under pressure from vastly more experienced defenders. She works her third of the court tirelessly as well. So she gets a place. The coach comes across and tells me she cannot believe in DD's talent and that DD is the most exciting prospect she has seen for years.
The training is tonight. I arrange time off work to take her to the training (it is too complicated and difficult to go on public transport). I get home in time and she announces that she'd really rather just 'slob out' and she cannot be bothered with training or in fact ever going again.
I am gutted for DD. I kind of feel that she has all this talent, but that she is just letting it all go to waste. Why would you just ... not bother?
Sorry this is a bit epic and reading it back it sounds like stealth boasting. It isn't it is just genuine - why would she just not bother. Have we not found the right sport for her?