Can anyone recommend a sport for DD please?

[skankingpiglet]

DD1 (5.5) is very active and loves having a go at different sports. She currently swims and does gymnastics regularly, but is getting very frustrated at her lack of progress in gym and I suspect will soon ask to do something else instead (she's been doing it for 2.5yrs). I think she's finding it hard as whilst she is very strong and has really good stamina and flexibility, she really struggles with coordination. Obviously keeping at the gymnastics would improve her coordination in time, but she's becoming quite demoralised and I don't want to end up having to force her to do something she doesn't like each week that is supposed to be a recreational activity.
Swimming has the same problem (can swim for a long time/distance for her age and size, but has struggled to grasp techniques at the same rate), but she is happy swimming as she is still 'progressing' earning distance badges, and enjoys leisure swims.

She struggles with confidence, and it would be great to have her doing another sport she really enjoys and is good at to boost this. Can anyone think of a sport that suits a younger child and is less balanced towards coordination? I thought perhaps rock climbing might work, but the nearest place is a bit of a drive so looking for other suggestions too please.

We found climbing started at 6 - we have a fairly similar DD. She's still doing swimming, but switched from gymnastics to football. I think we will pick up climbing when she's 6.

What about finding junior parkrun or something nearby. She can just try and go quicker each week.

My DDs ski (on dry slope). There are various levels to go through, they are in the top one before Race club.

If she's strong and flexible what about cheerleading? She already has the gymnastics nailed down and it's a real team sport

I would also suggest karate. My DD is 7 and started two years ago, she is really not very coordinated but has no problem following the sequences. It's great for her confidence as well.

If she fancies cricket take a look of there is an All Stars programme near you. I dont think they start until closer to the summer but they are fun sessions for 5 to 8 hear olds, going get stickers at each session (regardless of ability) and your own mini cricket set and t shirt. The kids who come to our sessions love it.

I think dancing is an odd suggestion if she struggles with coordination. Fine if she enjoys it but she will struggle to make progress, as she does in gymnastics.

How about cross country running?

Running! Junior Park Run is great! My 6 year old loves it and is interested in her time and getting better. My 4 year old has loves it, but walks quite a lot of it, and only runs when he's getting to the next marshal to high five then!! He's having fun though which is the main thing! It's free, no regular commitment if you've got other stuff in, and they can work towards wrist bands for doing a certain number of weeks.

Bouldering. I am a total convert after my lacking in confidence 9yr old started last year. Good cardiovascular and strength exercise, builds resilience plus problem solving skills. You can progress and challenge yourself to go a little bit further. My son has learned from climbing that if you can't do something, trying again will get you there.

Karate. Ds has sensory issues and some motor skill problems and he is thriving at karate. Ditto a friends son who has dyspraxia.

Also football is great if you can find a casual club. We have one where it's all a out having fun and the skills are hugely mixed. But what is great is that they all get better. We also had a mixed sport group in our area which ds did until he was 7. Really brilliant because it was super fun and taught skills but because they were doing lots of different things you didnt get this thing happening where the group quickly.splits into the "good" and "bad" ones.

Suggestion of dance was to support the gymnastic skills and develop strength. In itself there would be limitations eventually, particularly if the classes were exam orientated, but less so at 5. Even uncoordinated children can enjoy and participate in dance groups, cheerleading and activities like Zumba.

Why not try one of those multi sports classes/camps, where she gets to try out different things?

My DD did a multi-sports after school
club at that age and it was great for her confidence.

Mine do crossfit kids, horse riding and rugby

Netball. Team sport.

Coordination is something that can be improved upon though? My daughter really struggled with coordination and has some SENs but rather than avoid sports which require coordination we've sought them out!!

Tennis has been amazing in helping improve overall fitness and she can now hit a ball back which is huge progress! Also horse riding has been fab for improving overall strength.

Tbh I would focus on anything she enjoys rather than worry about whether she's likely to be 'good' at it or not.

How about Allstar Cheerleading - this is not dancing with poms poms but a mix of tumbling, stunts and a bit of dance. Will compliment her gymnastics but is far less about precision of pointed toes, is a team sport and is fun, many clubs have competition and non- competition teams.

How about water sports, canoeing, kayaking,dingy sailing etc. to begin with she would need to do tandem, but maybe something you could learn together? Contact local clubs and see what they say.

By doing gymnastics and dance together her coordination will improve quickly as both disciplines support it whilst also valuing her strengths (stamina, flexibility).

Windsurfing, kayaking, sailing. My completely uncoordinated son is a brilliant sailor.

Trampolining may work or might be similar to gym but there is less artistic foldero with trampolining and it is just one bit of apparatus. What about cycling. Lots of stamina needed but not too much hand to eye coordination.

Climbing. My girl can't catch a ball and is pants at dancing. Used to do football but didn't really like the team element. but she is strong! She's a big girl fit her age (11) but climbing is good for all shapes and sizes. Surprisingly you don't need a lot of coordination as you learn by moving one limb at a time!! Would be good to start younger too before they get the fear!!

Oh yes, Karate. It's all very guided and controled.

I’d agree with climbing. Classes tend to start at 6 but if you do an adult induction, you can take her yourself.

Ok, so maybe climbing is the way forward even with the added journey time. She is invited to a climbing birthday party soon, so will see how she gets on with that. She has tried a basic climbing wall on a day out and liked it, and she has a lean muscle-y build that would suit it well too.

She is very keen on the idea of karate, so maybe by the time gym has died a death (she's not quite reached it yet, but we are having more and more 'bad' weeks) she will be 6. We have a friend who did karate at a very high level, and he recommended not starting it until 6 at a minimum.

Skiing: we are very keen to take her, but have been holding off until DD2 is old enough for ski school. We miss skiing/snowboarding! Both DCs love throwing themselves off/down stuff and enjoyed tobogganing, so I have no doubt they'll both love it 😊

To the PP saying to pick something she loves rather than just something she's good at: that would be great, but those two things are linked in her head. If she consistently struggles at it/can't keep up/gets left behind from her friends, she just doesn't enjoy it. It is a valuable concept to do something just because you love it regardless of ability, but not one she has grasped yet and no amount of reasoning changes her mind. If it did she would still be enjoying gym, which I'd prefer as it's a great conditioning sport for the future and DD2 also does it, so less running around. I have spent a lot of time on the 'it doesn't matter' speeches 😔 She loved it until her progress stalled.

Sorry, I forgot to reply to the running and cycling suggestions! DH is very keen on both of these (they are/were both 'his' sports, along with football when he was younger and less creaky!)

Cycling: she's had a proper stabiliser-free bike for about 18 months. She mastered the cycling part straight away, but still has yet to grasp stopping and starting by herself. DH has been tasked with working on this with her, but progress has been slow. He would love to take her out with him.

Running: she seems to quite enjoy it, despite a rather gangly style. I have a complete aversion to running (happy to join in most other sports, I just dislike running!) and DH's knees and ankles will no longer let him do it. Do you need to run with them for the junior park runs? This could be a perfect at-a-loose-end weekend activity if we can stand and cheer them on.

You don't need to run with them at junior parkrun. They're set up so that there'll be marshalls all along the route and at exit and entry points to the park. The kids are like lemmings and follow each other along anyway.
You can always marshall while she runs.