How to motivate kids in sports? My son has tons of potential playing football. He is 6 ft tall and 13 years old, way bigger than most of his age. He has played since he was young, but lately, I feel like he has lost the motivation to play. What can I do for him?
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Take away his gaming system.
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Donāt force him, otherwise heās gong to push away even harder
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Ask Him IF Heās Still Interested In Playing. He May Have Outgrown It.
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Perhaps he doesnāt want to play any more? Not sure if heās already made the commitment but I wouldnāt force my child to play a sport they didnāt want to. Thatās just me.
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Let him choose if he wants to do it
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Support him even if he doesnāt want to play anymore 
donāt force him because then he will resent you
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Let him play if he wants to and donāt push it. Make sure he is the one that wants it. Not you
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Find out if he just doesnāt want to play anymore. Maybe there is something else he is interested in. Does he want to play football or do you want him to? Maybe find out if he has grown into other interests and let him explore them.
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When did we start forcing kids to do things that they didnāt want to that has nothing to do with their safety or wellbeing? If he doesnāt wanna play football, donāt make him!
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The others got bigger ?
Get him new football shoes and may b sports wearā¦it might kick start/rekindle his long lost affiliation with football.
Have you talked to him about it? If heās not interested, help him find a new sport or hobby. Explain that the time he would dedicate to football has to be replaced with something other than screen time.
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Donāt force him to do something he doesnāt enjoy 
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Let him quit if thatās what he wants.
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Let him stop if he wants.
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Maybe he lost interest? Donāt force him to play. Kids change interests a lot. Maybe in a year or two he will want to play again, maybe he wonāt. Forcing him into playing isnāt going to help, and it may cause him to hate football as opposed to just losing interest, and it could cause him to resent you. Football is hard on your body. Itās not something everyone wants to do forever.
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Maybe he doesnāt want to. Ask him. You canāt make him play just because you want him to.
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Ask him if he wants to play or if he is doing it because you think he should.
It happens my son is 14 and 6.5 and excellent at football. He says he doesnāt want to play until he starts practice and a game then heās all in and having fun!
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Let him make the choice. We had a rule growing up that you had to be involved in at least 1 extra curricular. If they want to try something different, music, sports, whatever. It was always preferred to do 1 sport and 1 of something else, so we had some physical activity. But if you sign up for the season, you commit and finish out that season.
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What does he want? Why do you want him to play football so badly? You think just because he itās tall he is good and wants to play? Maybe you have pushed him into football and he never really liked it. Athletics are good for kids but when forced they will not play to the best of their ability ask what he wants. Maybe he wants to play another sport. How would you like being forced into a sport you are not integrated in?
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Possibly is burnt out, my boys wrestled from the time they were 5 until they were 13 and just didnāt want to do it any longer, pretty sure they were burnt out. We have a rule in our house. If you sign up to play you finish until the end, once the end comes and you donāt want to do it anymore thatās fine, but we always finish what we start. But I would never suggest you make him play because itās what you want.
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Make it fun. Help he remember why he started. Get some friends together and play on days he doesnāt practice. As sports get more competitive, kids often are focused on perfection rather than having fun.
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May be lost interest my soon to be 13 year old been playing soccer since 4-5 years old. Every year 2 times a year. He lost interest now he wants karate. Donāt force football if heās tired of it. And heās 5ā5ā turns 13 in Septemberā¦ he also did basketball, just bc he is tall doesnāt mean he HAS to play a sport good for height, or muscle or speed or whatever. Let him choose what he wants. My son wants karate, has nothing to do with how tall he is, itās what he wants.
I do not force my son to play sports but if heās really asked to do so and Iāve paid all the dues etc then I would make him finish out the season.
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My son was the same way. Come to find out he lost interest in football. He decided to play basketball instead and has been very happy
Maybe football isnāt his thing. Donāt force him to play if he doesnāt want to.
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I think camps are awesome. I didnāt send any of my 3 to long camps but 1-2 days. They came back full of stories and motivation. All 3 cycled through I want to quit then season started and not a peep about quitting or giving up. Football is hard hard brutal work. But none of the 3 regretted persevering.
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Donāt force him to play if he doesnāt want to. He may have different interests, such as art, drama, etc. Just because he is ābuilt for sportsā doesnāt mean he enjoys it.
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Let him make his own choice
The worst thing you can do is push him too hard. It takes all the fun out of the sport and he wonāt want to play anymore.
He just may not be interested in football anymore. Ask him what he would like to do. As parents we need to learn how to let kids decide on what sport to play and not force them to play. They wonāt be motivated to play if they donāt like the sport.
Donāt push him or he may end up resenting you. If he doesnāt want to do it anymore then he doesnāt want to do it.
My sons have played since 4 years old currently 13/14 , one child fell out as I say with football n wanted to play rugby he had session out n played rugby found he enjoys that more !! The other is still fully committed to his football , ask him if heād like to try a different sport or hobby !! See which he prefers he maybe cos heās a teenager just wants to hang with friends n do different things !! Then if he misses his football u can always go back nxt season
Why would you want him to play football when thereās so much chance of concussion and other injuries? Ask him why he doesnāt want to play anymore. Does it make him hurt? Is it too intense or time-consuming? Is he being bullied or threatened? Or is it just not fun anymore?
Donāt push. This is the time to explore a million interests to find things he likes best. And ability and enjoyment are often two different things.
Finish the season but then have him pick something else to try, and it doesnāt have to be a sport. Music, painting, dance, swimming for fun, gardening, cooking classes, etc. Very, very few kids are going to be professional football players, so other activities are more relevant to his future anyway.
Tf? If he doesnāt want to play, donāt make him.
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Ask him Maybe he has no one interest in football
Seems like he doesnāt want to play any more
Stop pressuring him. Itās not healthy.
Some kids just lose interest and some play until they canāt anymore. Maybe try a different sport
Talk to your son and see what he wants to do.
Coming from someone who played a sport all throughout high school solely out of fear of disappointing my mom and suffered mentally and emotionally as a result, allow him to leave the sport at the end of the season if thatās what he wants. You could always require him to replace football with another sport/activity of his choosing in order to leave football if you are worried about him not having a positive outlet.
Encourage but donāt force. It may not be his interest right now and who knows, he may pick it back up later. But if he feels he hasnāt got a choice it may make him hate it
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Just because he has potential doesnāt mean he actually wants to play. Ask him how heās feeling. Maybe he wants to try something else. Donāt pigeon hole him into football just because heās the right size for it.
My son played baseball until middle school. Itās my favorite sport and I was sad when he wanted to stop playing. Basketball is his passion and heās not exactly built for it, but his efforts in the sport he loves far exceed his physical size.
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Just let him do what he wants. Sounds like football is what you the parent wants. But what about his interests?
Not your choice. Itās his.
Potential doesnāt equal ambitious. He may want to do something else. How about you attempt to find out what sport, if any, he would like to do?
This last year has been hard
My sons like that w baseball
Just keep encouraging him
Donāt force him to do something he doesnāt want to. Iāve taught middle and high school, and the students forced to do sports are so miserable and have no motivation to perform well in class because they want to fail out of football. Instead, allow your child to take a break and find what interests him. Maybe he wants to check out fine arts. With his size and strength, heād be great as a part of the technical side of theatre building sets. Forcing your child to do something YOU want to see them do is the sure fire way to build resentment in your child.
Talk to him, see if heās even still interested in playing
Chances are heās only playing because the people around him expect him to
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Yeah dont throw brain trauma at your kid , look in to cte before you do
I was so disappointed when my son quit doing sports. Very similar to your son he was always bigger than the other boys in his age group, and very strong. He was a state champion in wrestling and his team football team took championship several years while he played. I felt like it gave him something positive to channel his attention toward and it would help him excel academically and even maybe help with college. When he lost interest it was because of his coaches. One called him a pu**y, and another one told him he wasnāt committed to his team because he wanted a weekend off for a trip his youth group was taking. This was after I watched him lose almost ten pounds in two days to meet weight for wrestling, and play a Friday night football game with his toe bleeding after having a surgery earlier that day on it for ingrown toenail, and if anyone ever had that they know how bad it hurts and how your supposed to stay off of it. This kid had heart and commitment. I decided right then that there are more important things then sports, and my childās happiness is priority. Maybe your son has a reason that he isnāt sharing about why he isnāt interested or maybe he just wants to do other stuff.
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Give him a break and let him do something else. If he really loves it, heāll come back to it.
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Dang, if that kid is 6 feet tall already and keeps growing, he may have even better potential for basketball! Itās okay if he doesnāt love football anymore and wants to do something different.
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My nephew was the same, 6ft at 12. His mom forced him into football repeatedly, he hated it. A bigger boy from another team trampled him and broke his leg and both feet, after that he put his (broken) foot down to his mom and told her no more. It caused issues between them and now he lives with me and has for the past three years. Just bc the kids big doesnāt mean he has to be a football player, or in any kind of sport, thatās the problem with some of you parents. They are kids, let them be kids. Heās only got 5 years left, let him figure it out.
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Let him explore other sports or extracurricular activities to see what piques his interest now
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Let him decide what he wants to do. Just because he is a big guy doesnāt mean he likes football. Lots of big men do other things and are very successful.
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No child even at 6 foot should be pushed into sport or any other activity they donāt want to.
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He may be bored with it. Maybe he could try different sports, sounds like basketball would be a good option, or track & field. You can also encourage him to try other activities like art or theater. In the teenage years, a kidās interests change. Let him broaden his horizons and discover new talents!
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Football gets harder at every levelmore work condicioning itās not for everyone
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A kid shouldnāt have to play a sport just because they are the right size for it. If he doesnāt enjoy it why do it? Let him find an activity he enjoys.
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Nothing, let him make his own choice especially when it comes to football, itās not a harmless sport
Back off and give him freedom to try other things
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Itās the age. My son turned 13 and the same thing happened. Over night all he wants to do is sleep, game and and watch youtube videos. He really didnt do much of that before. Hope its a short time thing !
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Maybe they just donāt like sports and you should let them try something that interests the child
Lots of people who are ābuiltā for sports donāt always like them. If heās been playing it for years already heās probably burnt and bored with it. Heās only 13, if he really enjoys it heāll come back to it later. For now, let him either take a break as sports are strenuous and painful, or let him choose something he wants to do. And if what he wants to do isnāt sports related, then let him do it. Donāt know why everyone is so hellbent on having their kids in sports all the time. Here and there, sure, I get it, but I have a lot of injuries due to them that Iām still suffering over for as an adult. I was never a social person and sports didnāt make me anymore social. It didnāt help me gain any real friends. It made school more difficult and I was already having a hard enough time. It didnāt change a thing about me except now I hurt a little more then the average mid 20 year old. Shouldāve taken extra art classes instead of wasting time on sports, my focus was on art- not sports, and I didnāt have a supportive parent at the time that believed in that but if they did I would be in a much different setting in my life.
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Sit down and ask him what he wants to do? Do you want to play sports? My nephew wasnāt interested in sports when he was in high school but loved being on a computer, playing on his Nintendo Ds Lite. Then I got one for myself and we would play games together with his sisters. His sisters ended up playing Tennis, band practice, swimming. You allow the kids to tell you what they want to try?
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Why ??? Let your child be their Personal Best and praise efforts of their DREAMS - Where would we be w/o Our CEO Chain? Lawyes, Doctor & Etc to care for Sports Injury???
Talk to him about his feelings! If heās loosing interest in things he generally loves he may be depressed. He could also be growing out of it and wants to do something else but really the conversation could go either way. If he does tell you heās feeling down see what he thinks would help or give him ultimatums on self care or counseling if he canāt come up with anything.
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Let him do what interests him. Donāt push it if it isnāt something he wants to do any longer.
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Most important is donāt pressure him into playing let him find his way just be supportive and loving
My 9 year old has been playing hockey for 5 years, this year he told me no more and wants to play basketball, or at least try it, it broke my heart because I know the potential he has as a hockey player but I said āsure sounds greatā with a smile on my face because I am not in the position to tell him what he can and cannot play for sports, hats their choice, we as parents need to support any decision they make even if we donāt like it.
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Ask him about his coach ā¦ is the coach encouraging? Or is he only pointing out negative with no positive direction or showing him another /better way to make a play ā¦I would definitely start with questions about the coach ā¦even if he has had this coach for sometime or coach has been with school for years ā¦ as long as your sons heart is in it ā¦ I would check and see whatās going on ā¦
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13 and 14 are such hard ages. Their hormones are raging and they are experiencing so many different changes.
All you can really do is support him and talk to him to see if he knows why he is feeling the way that he is. Sometimes they have just had enough of a sport and want a change.
Iād personally prefer he didnāt do a sport where CTE is common among professionals
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If he doesnāt want to play anymore, than that should be his choice. You canāt force a kid to āenjoyā something
Let him be a kidā¦ Lol forcing kids into extra curricular activities is kinda cringe man
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Let him be. Donāt try and force him. Just because he has āpotentialā doesnāt mean he had to do it. And trying to push him into doing something will make him less inclined
Have you asked him why he no longer wants too play or if he has other interests he would like to explore, try talking too him not us
Talk to him and communicate with him. Find out if heās enjoying it. If he isnāt Find out why. Maybe he loves the sport but hates his coach. Very easy to find other teams. Maybe he has issues with his teammates. Or maybe he just doesnāt like the sport. But without talking to him, youāll never know
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Peopleās interest change.
Fact of life.
Part of growing up.
Experiencing different things help you develop & grow.
Maybe let him take the year off sports and let him choose a new extracurricular activity. He may prefer something else like art or music or volunterringā¦ not all kids like sports.
If he doesnāt want to do it, then donāt make him. Intrests and passions change. If you try and force or manipulate it, itāll just become resentment.
Let him do what he loves. Not what someone else wants him to love.
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He might not be interested anymore just let him do what he wants
Perhaps he has found something else that interests him more. My son was the same size at the same age and showed a little interest in sports but we didnāt push him, even though the coaches at the school tried their hardest to get him on their teams. He was more interested in music, working on cars, and wood shop. I was worried about injuries anyway so I was kind of relieved that he didnāt pursue sports, not gonna lie!!
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Why is the answer to teenagers issues always āsportsā?!! Maybe heās tired of being knocked about & yelled @ by adults- if heās SO much ābiggerā than the other kids, maybe he doesnāt like knocking them around!! Football is a stupid, dangerous game- maybe he likes keeping his brain functioning!! Why are YOU so interested in his playing? ~
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Ask him if thatās what he wants to do. Donāt make him do something that doesnāt make him happy
If he doesnt want to play dont force him
Maybe because youāre pushing your child for what you want them to do and not what they want to do. To literally be disappointed in your children because theyāre not good at sports or want to play sports itās straightforward toxic.
Don,t force your kids in any sports and make did like
In other words, āhow can I force my kid to play sports without feeling badā
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How about letting him do what he wants with HIS life?
Listen to him about what actually interests him and find a way for that to happen.
Leave him aloneā¦at that age their interests change.