I was just talking to a client of mine about this. Her sisters kids are like that. One is very into sports and the other one is into video games. And her sister doesn’t know what to do with the video game child. I told her everyone has a different passion/interest. As a parent we need to sometimes take a step back and meet the kids where they are in life. If they are into video games that means he might be into electronics which maybe introducing them to coding or some type of video game designing can stimulate their interest in the field of engineering.
My oldest is a gamer as well as an avid reader…he played soccer, baseball & wrestled. My youngest played football & threw javelin…he’s also a gamer.
Don’t cringe so much at the video games…my sons use them to not only “relax” but to connect with others.
This is going to be a no for me. My family is super into sports. I tried different sports with my son and he’s not into it. And that fine. My son has other talents that he is exploring. He went hunting last year with my sister in law and brother. And he loved that! He’s going to go with them this year too and get his hunting license. He is also insanely imaginative and creative! So he has other areas where he excels at and is super into! Find things that your younger one enjoys doing.
I did both because I enjoyed both. I don’t do sports anymore as an adult but my love of gaming never left. Stop trying to live in the shadows of your kids. Support both and get the younger one into some clubs
Encourage something the child is actually interested in. I doubt you’d like someone else to pick an activity and push you to ‘enjoy’ it when you just don’t. Everyone is different with different passions and personalities and that’s fine.
No. I hated sports and still do. They aren’t for everyone. Videos games build skills to say nothing of programs you can go into to create them as a career or playing competitively.
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Don’t force it as it would only make things worse!
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Force? Really. Why do they have to do what u want them to do? Why can’t you accept his interests are his interests and find a group or something that he is interested jn?
My two sons had completely different interests but I did insist they did an after school activity. Whatever they picked but they needed to do something
He needs to participate in something HE is interested in, and not be compared to his brother and brother’s interests.
Knowing what I know now today with video games and how great it has become for practically anybody I would happily let my kids sit and play video games as much as they wanted the key skills they can learn from gaming alone is just a massive list all I tell my kids is to make sure they tidy up after them selves and to make sure they get there homework done and chores done first its simple really
You support your children individually, and do not force them into things that do not interest them. Just because one does not enjoy the same activities as the other does not mean he should be forced to participate. Eventually he will find something he’s passionate about. And if it’s video games, that ok.
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Video games and people that play them cringe at you too girl don’t worry.
I don’t mind what my kids do aslong as they’re happy, maybe you should take a page out of the same book.
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No, I actually had a coach say she would be better but never let her play.
You don’t force anything. If you really want him to get active though try going outside with him or doing laser tag or something that Is similar to his video games, just real life. Never force a child to do an activity they don’t like. Most of the time it makes them hate it even worse.
Maybe an art class or coding class even a gaming club to meet kids with similar interests. Something he can thrive in? Everyone has thier own special talents. Let them grow as individuals 
if you are concerned about physical activity maybe a family walk a few times a week to get him up and moving. Help your boys find their path and support them equally. Go to the games and the science fairs. Let them know you are thier biggest fan in all that they do. My oldest is an artist and writer. My youngest an athlete and a reader. They both connect with their love for special FX makeup and skateboarding. They are 16 year apart but still found something they can share as sisters.
Please don’t force a child into an activity they have no interest in. There are other options that are not sports that you can look into with your son. The rec/community centre and local library will have programs for other things … talk with your child and look into the options and let your child choose something that sparks his interest.
Find out if his school is affiliated with an esports place. I started it at my school this year, and all the kids that usually did absolutely nothing, is loving it. The social more, smile more even. Play competitions ect. Their marks has to be above 60-70% to be able to participate, to stop them from spending all their time with games.
Try 
or something …bike riding…just do an electronic detox…limit play and you will be surprised what they discover…reading…or drawing…but def encourage OUTSIDE…my NEPHEW has electronic free days and limited nightly play time now…he loves his bike and his buddies
You don’t force it…… I disliked the video games when my sons were growing up, but they both grew up to be well rounded younger men.
My brother was the same way growing up and now he is a head artist for environments at a video game making company. He makes 6 digits a year.
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The solution is not forcing your kids to do anything, let kids be kids, they’ll learn that being lazy in life isn’t going to get them anywhere in the future. Forcing your kid to do something that you want isn’t healthy, especially if they don’t want to do it or aren’t interested.
No need to force it…
Also nothing wrong with video games-- now if he has a fit & doesn’t want to stop for meals or something extreme like that then that’s not good, but just enjoying games is not a bad thing. There are games that require physical activity, so it doesn’t have to be inside all-day everyday sitting on a couch or in the same chair when not at school. If he enjoys it enough maybe one day he will make a career of it, or maybe it will just be a fun hobby & he will do something else.
If its gaming he likes there’s a vast majority of games out there that gets you active for example wii sports
Get him into doing outside activities but it doesn’t have to be sports let the kid be himself
We have gamer who did do softball for like 4 seasons but likes his gaming. Still plays outside, rides bike and has trampoline but loves his Xbox. Just started karate and seems excited about that. Us wanting them to play football and be a star doesn’t mean they want that. Go with the flow as they grow up fast
No. Not all kids are gifted with athletic abilities. If I had been forced to play sports as a kid, I probably wouldn’t be alive to tell about it. There are non-athletic alternatives, like Scouts and 4H.
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Try to interest him in some type of music……band, piano, etc.
Idk, I was forced to take piano lessons and today I’m glad I was
If your kid likes video games, have them look into coding.
I hated sports and my parents forced me to go into all kinds of sports.
Let your kids follow their passions and don’t stifle them. All that will do is have them resent you and whatever sports you make them do.
Physical activity doesn’t have to be an organized thing. Perhaps the younger is more a bike rider or outdoor play kid and sports just aren’t his thing.
Just let him do what he wants, instead of forcing your child into the role you want them to play why don’t you sit down and ask them what they might want to do? You’re children are people with opinions and feelings just like you this is a simple enough conversation to have but no you immediately go to “how do I force my kid to do this thing I want them to do for my own satisfaction and not theirs”
Maybe don’t force your kid to do things they don’t want to do. Not everyone likes playing sports. Forcing the issue is only going to cause resentment. Sports are supposed to be fun, not a punishment.
Don’t force your child to do something they don’t want to do. If video games make you cringe you need to change your perception of video games not try change your sons. It will be damaging to your relationship with him and he’ll resent you for it. Encourage the gaming. He could become great at it and there’s alot of money to make in video games these days. If he’s playing with friends etc he’s being social and doing something he enjoys. You can still encourage physical activities like going for walks or bike rides etc. It doesn’t have to be sports.
I grew up playing games with friends and was still an active child. Not a fan of sports then and i’m not now and i turned out well. Sports aren’t essential to anyone
Maybe instead of forcing your kid to like the things you do, you should try becoming interested in what he enjoys instead. Instead of “cringing” at it at least.
“How do I force the issue” that’s where your problem is. You shouldn’t force anything. Like you said your first kid gravitated towards sports and it came naturally. I think you should embrace his hobbies and interest, they shouldn’t make you cringe. Video games aren’t bad, a lot can be learned. He sounds like he might have a lot going on in that brain of his. Maybe he should go to some conventions. He might like the technology aspect of things. Just encourage outdoor play. Maybe skateboarding would be something he’d like if not sports. Riding a bike. You can still have him be active while liking what he likes. Maybe ask him what he likes?
Do not make the one who doesn’t like sports feel like you don’t accept them playing video games. Instead just sit down and play with them occasionally but remind them that just like sports, they have to do their work before they can play. My fiance’s parents made him unable to feel pride in himself by constantly downing him for playing video games and card games instead of being an athlete. He often feels his parents don’t accept him and aren’t proud of him which deeply impacts his mental health even as he’s 19 now. Please don’t let the same thing happen to your child because you’d rather them be athletic. Let them know you’re proud of them and accept them and their likes, just to put responsibilities before playtime.
I force one sport choice… but that includes things with teams like quiz bowl, etc. kids who learn to be part of a team tend to be more successful.
I wish my parents had the decency to ask themselves if forcing me to play sports is good or not 
now as a 23 year old I don’t care for sports at all not even watching sports on tv interest me and that’s probably because my parents forced me to do sports when I didn’t want to. Bottom line, DO NOT force your kids to do sports if they don’t want to. Why do you care if their passion is video games? If that’s what he loves to do let him do it it’s not like a life of video games is gonna make him do hard drugs or join a gang 
you parents need to realize times are changing not every kid wants to play sports for a pass time and video games are not harmful at all. If you’re worried about your son just “being lazy” and gaining weight well then maybe you should do some physical activities with your kid from time to time like bike riding, walking trails, swimming etc.
Doesnt like sport, why force him, find something hes actually interested, communicate with your son, noone should be forced into something they dont want to do, would you like that
I’m not saying it’s right or wrong. But I was forced to play football and I’m thankful for it.
Exact same situation over here! My youngest though (14) just took a little longer to mature and find his groove. He is very artistic and creative. Give it some time Mama. Let them find their way. 
If you want to help your kid, seek therapy. You want to force them and are comparing to the other child 
Limit screen time to two or three hours a day or he’ll end up with a spouse on a gaming addiction support group like some ladies I know
A child should never be forced to do anything
Try fencing, karate, swimming horses. Anything to get him away from screens
How are video games “cringe” exactly? If practiced he could go into tournaments and become successful (besides making money you meet good people) if its that big of an issue find something that he’s curious about and make a deal, like " give it a try and see if you like it for a month and if you don’t like it at least you tried " if your kid isn’t the “sporty” type, thats okay. As long as he’s a good kid it shouldn’t be that big of an issue.
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Short answer: no. Longer answer: there are tons of activities for kids to try. Have you tried anything beyond sports? Musical instruments, choir, dance, drawing, pottery, painting, theater, computer programming, coding, robotics, other STEM activities. In addition, you and your son should research gaming scholarships for college. They do exist. Like any competition, many will enter, few will win but definitely worth checking out.
Don’t force them to do something they don’t really want to do. Try other activities, help him find something he is passionate about. Videogames are fine, but try other things like arts and crafts, dancing, horseback riding, archery, axe/knife throwing, etc
Get him off of his butt or when he grows up he’ll weigh 400 pounds and only want to play video games and live in your basement until he’s 50
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No but teaching kids to be fit- exercise, get outside and play, ride a bike, go for a hike- that is more important!
You don’t! Let him be him. Two different individuals with different tastes and paths in life.
Nobody should force their child to do sports if they dont want to. Not every kid is into sports
Nobody should be “forced” to do anything
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My video gamer child used his knowledge to go into information systems technology in a tech school and excelled to winning first place in humanoid robotics in a state tech school competition.
Look at it this way. A lot of doctors who are now surgeons using the robotic equipment learn their skills playing video games so. Go figure.
No every one has different talents in life.
Why would you want to force your kid to do something that they don’t want? They’ll end up being pissed about it later
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No not everyone is cut out to do sports.
Does you little enjoy art and music as well?
Video game developers can make more than athletes. Just saying.
If he likes video games, see if you can get him into game/app development, programming, ect.
Everyone is going to be different.
Perhaps encourage other outdoor activities that aren’t team based. I’m sorry, but I HATED almost anything involving being on a sports team in school. Yeah. Yeah, team building and all that. but let’s face it, sports was basically just a bunch of bullying if you weren’t good at it from the get-go, even in something that didn’t matter, like gym class. Like, Playing basketball in gym class for instance. you’d think we were in some high stakes MBA game the way some classmates acted.
The only slight exception for me and my hatred of team sports was Badminton and that’s only because I happened to be fairly good at it, so I didn’t get much crap when we did that.
But, I liked most individual sports like ice skating, swimming, walking (probably not really a sport but much of a runner, lol)
now, I like archery, kayaking, fishing (although, that’s not THE most physical sport ever, but it’s still outside)
Just encourage him to do healthy things, even if he isn’t into traditional team sports. Don’t force it though, just encourage alternative without being too aggressive on how good he is at them.
No. Not all kids like sports. What a dumb question. Find what the child likes.
Quita los videojuegos de tu casa o limita mucho las horas de juego
You shouldn’t force kids to participate in activities that they aren’t interested in. Different kids have different interests, and instead of cringing about his interest in video games, maybe you should try and learn about the games he likes. Don’t push him to play sports if he really doesn’t want to do it.
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Maybe he’s creative that’s why he’s attracted to video games
Hard to imagin a kid NOT wanting to play sport
Not forced but encouraged
Lol imagine thinking your child’s personal interests are “cringe” who cares if he plays video games, do you know there’s a thing called Esports? You can get college scholarships from being apart of an esports team. Maybe, instead of comparing your children like an asshole, you SUPPORT your child’s interests and push them to express themselves and do what makes THEM happy. Because it’s not all about you, just because you had those children doesn’t make them direct extensions of yourself that you can control like a minion. Bad take.
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Look into E sports, lots of competitive video game stuff he might enjoy.
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Encouraged, yes. Forced, hell no.
Don’t force it. My kid doesn’t like it either. But he is 7 years old and a superb drawer. Find what he likes. I would limit screen time and encourage other stuff. Legos and magnetix. Things like that.
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Wii sports so he has to move around!
Maybe a science or technology camp may be something that interests him? Find things like that, perhaps.
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Take him to jui jitsu. It’s good for the body mind and soul.
And no one should be forced to do anything. Just make it clear that it’s available to him. Or even set rules, that there is no usage of electronics during this timeframe. Please find something productive to do with your time. Or there will be consequences.
Send him to Data Camps…make him learn to code…you’ll be thanking me when he makes over 200k a year
Go play at the pool, kick a ball on a beach etc
We have put our children in everything we can over the past year. They have loved every bit. We only ask that they stick it out through the season and if they don’t like it they don’t have to do something.
I do expect commitment when they start something, but other than that no forcing them
I hated when my mom forced me to do sports. If you’re not into it. You’re just not. Dont force them to be someone they dont want to be
No. Not all kids need to do sports. Forcing a non athletic kids into something they hate and aren’t good at would be the same as forcing you into a competition for something you hate. It will be horrible for their self esteem. If they are bad at it they will be ridiculed and it will be the parents fault. Let them choose their own extra curricular activities and interests. There are hundreds of them and any one will teach the same teamwork and other lessons that parents claim children must do sports to learn.
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Don’t force a kid who doesn’t like athletics to participate in things involving athletics
Nurture and value the hobby they love. There are billionaire kid gamers.
No. You don’t force sports. I don’t even like sports
Why don’t you just look into the arts, or different clubs? Not all kids need sport in their life they can do other hobbies.
You need to forget your ideal of children and accept your son as the individual he is. You’re typing this on technology that someone who was into “cringey” videogames created. You’re the problem, not him.
I wouldn’t necessarily force sports, but maybe limit time on video games and help him find some new hobbies.
Skateboarding bike riding skating surfing skiing sailing rock climbing water skiing all sports…softer activity sports like jujitsu can be non competitive sports he may enjoy…running jogging …so many ways to enjoy using his body out of his brother s realm of team sports.
No. Although encourage the kids to be active.
Get your youngest intrested in coding and computer science.
Glad my Dad forced me.
Equal time doing athletic activity to time spent video gaming.
I don’t think kids should be forced to do anything. Encouraging is fine if your forcing something on your child is just abusive
Not everyone is into sports! I wish parents would quit living vicariously through their kids 
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You don’t. Don’t force your kid into something he hates. He’ll resent you
You don’t force the issue. Get over yourself. The end.
Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. Should all kids be forced to play sports? - Mamas Uncut
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No of course not, not all kids are sports oriented. Find something you child truly enjoys, and help cultivate that.
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Don’t “force”, it makes you a shit parent.
Secondly, every human being is different. So why would your kids be exactly the same?
They’ll makes their own choices, mistakes and all.
Were you into sports when you were younger?
Put yourself in his shoes for once.
Please realize that your children are 2 completely different people from each other, they wont like or do the same things as the other sibling. This is also how comparing kids causes problems with the kids inside the house and in their sibling relationships. Every child is different, and you CANNOT force a child to do something they dont want to do. Maybe find something video game based he could get into, work with your children Not Against Them.