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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

7yo ds, sport problems

12 replies

Camper12234 · 31/05/2015 21:19

Ds has never shown any aptitude at sport. He has been doing martial arts for 3 years yet still hasn't got his first belt. Swimming since he was a year but has only just managed to swim unaided. Plays football all the time but is very poor. He is very tall. He is fit and healthy and can walk up a hill with us or cycle 20km. Dh and I are very sporty.

What I have noticed is that he is not listening and doing what he is told by his coaches. He doesn't seem to be learning and improving at all. This is common across all the 3 main sports he does. He has no problem in the classroom with learning and listening (above average in all areas academically).

I have been wondering whether there could be a reason for the sport issues? Could he physically not be able to get his body to do what he is being told to do? Does anyone have any thoughts or advice?

Many thanks

OP posts:

Littlefish · 31/05/2015 21:20

What are his organisational skills like?

myyoungadultdaughterworries1 · 31/05/2015 21:26

Is he more an individual sport vs team?

howabout · 31/05/2015 21:37

Seems like a lot of organised sport for a non sporty 7 year old to be doing. Also he has been going to classes without much progress in swimming and martial arts since he was a toddler. I think this would discourage and switch off most children. Have you considered just letting him be active in a more self directed way for a while. My dd was a black belt at 10 but didn't start training till 7. In retrospect I think her older sister training 2 years older was better.

Original poster

Camper12234 · 31/05/2015 21:42

Thanks for the replies. Can I check what you mean by organisational skills?

The thing is he isn't non sporty. He loves sport and wants to go to all these things. He wants to be part of the team and doesn't care that he isn't as good as others. I've always thought that it was good for him to learn that you can't be the best at everything.

OP posts:

neolara · 31/05/2015 21:42

My dh does iron-man triathlons. His parents think this is hilarious as he was rubbish at sport as a youngster. But he just wasn't doing the right sport for him. Why not let your ds try all sorts of different sports. The may find one he loves, and when that happens you'll probably find he has no issue with listening.

Littlefish · 31/05/2015 23:10

I mean, if you give him instructions for 2 things at once e.g. "Ds, please go upstairs, find your blue trainers and your red sweatshirt, bring them back here and put them into your back pack" Would he be able to do that?

Original poster

Camper12234 · 31/05/2015 23:32

Hmmm littlefish I am not sure if he would. I will try it out in the morning! When he was younger I did wonder about dyspraxia but as he can ride a bike and never bumps into things I ruled it out.

I will keep trying different sports but the issue seems to be the same with everything we have tried so far (also tried cricket and tennis). I've always thought it's just his age and he's not mature enough to be 'coached' but as time goes on there is little improvement.

OP posts:

Original poster

Camper12234 · 01/06/2015 17:59

Well tried the instructions thing and he was fine. Although I asked him something a bit odd and he looked at me and asked why on earth I was asking him!

OP posts:

PandaNot · 01/06/2015 18:02

He probably just hasn't found the thing he loves. Give him some time. Also my ds looks for all the world like he's not listening when he's in his dance lessons but then demonstrates that he knows exactly what's been said.

ragged · 01/06/2015 18:04

Weird that he can take instructions in the classroom but not from a sports coach. (not that I think he has time) but does he have trouble in other clubs, Beavers or similar?

He's very very sporty, isn't he?

bigTillyMint · 01/06/2015 18:09

Could it just be a maturity thing? Does he have good hand-eye/foot-eye control, balance, etc?

Re the not listening to the coaches, DS was always like this! He drove his swimming teacher and footy coach really mad. If he hadn't listened, he just copied what the others were doing. I think it was partly to do with thinking he knew how to do it anyway and so what was the point in listening.
He has got better at listening over time and now, aged 14 is pretty coachable!

The weird thing is, he is really very good at sport

CMOTDibbler · 01/06/2015 18:17

If he enjoys cycling, and is obv good at that, I'd encourage him to participate in cycling.
My ds is pretty rubbish at rugby/football/cricket. He likes playing them, but he's just not very good.
But get him on his bike, and he's brilliant - the stubborness that can otherwise be an issue in his personality really comes to the fore, and he will tough it out for a long way (current pb is 40 miles in one morning) and can crank out the speed.
He likes doing sportives as the only thing restricting him is how much effort he puts in, and triathlon.

FWIW, I was absolutely rubbish at sport at school, the archetypal last to be picked. At 15 I got into rowing, and then competed at national level. Then from 18 did no sport till I was 40, and now do triathlons. I'm an endurance athlete type, and team sports is not my thing.

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