I hated sport. Hated PE at school. Tried tennis on the weekend. I was like a fish out of water. But I was musical. Piano and violin practice everyday. Then got into singing and acting. That was my niche. I felt at home there. Kids have sooooo many options these days that we never had. There are more outdoor activities than just the normal run of the mill sport. There is also army or air force cadets that are absolutely fantastic for teens. Joining age is 14.
I donāt believe in forcing a child to do anything they donāt enjoy, sports, dance, music, art, etc. They will find their way and decide what is meaningful to them and then will enjoy it
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I wish parents would stop trying to impose what they like and are interested in onto their kids. What does he like to do or wants to try? Could be art, drama, debate clubā¦whatever.
Our two sons didnāt like sports. Tried baseball for them. Tried swimming. One is a physician and is into self defense. The other is a professor of chemistry and bicycles with his wife from time to time. The baseball coach told me not to expect that any one child will be good in everything. Mine were great students. Now happy adults.
Doesnāt have to be a sport. Let him pick one extra curricular activity or club. Art, music, lego scouts. If not, as long as heās not constantly on technology instead to replace it
Does your son want to take lessons for maybe a musical instrument or woodworking, something other than sports? Donāt make him, see what he wants. My dad forced me to take piano lessons for 8 years. Hated it for 8 years and did as little practice as possible. No body asked me what I wanted or gave me a choice to voice my opinion. Heās 13, let him choose what will make him happy and he will be better at it. Let him be who he is, not who you want him to be.
Sports didnāt keep me out of trouble and I loved playing my sport and was very very very good at it. My parents were huge supporters at every game, paid for away tournaments and my parents even bought a new SUV to make sure I was comfortable on my way to tournaments. Sports arenāt going to keep kids out of trouble.
If he doesnāt like sports, offer him a musical instrument, chess club, but tell him he needs an extra curricular activity. Not just playing internet games, etc.
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No he should be free to choose his own recreation One of my boys is all football and rugby and the other is all music and technology Still are and they are now middle aged and lovely
There are other ways to āstay out of troubleā music, volunteer work, art, reading.
āA man convinced against his will, is of the same opinion stillā
Maybe itās team sports he doesnāt like. If your husband really wants him to try sports, suggest or encourage cross country or track. If he is not into it, help him find another activity.
I agree that an idle child is a bored child who could end up in trouble. Most kids want to do activities if itās something they are interested in. Ask him what he likes. āNothing,ā is not an acceptable answer. He must be interested in something. My grandson took a junior cooking class. Met new friends and later became a heavy duty mechanic who knows how to cook LOL.
Iām a sports coach and so many times I have had players that are there because their parents want them to be, not because they want to be. The only things this does is let the rest of the team down! They wonāt give 110% like the others. The donāt turn up early to training and games like the others. They donāt commit like the others. They wonāt put in the work, and itās not fair on anyone, including the player being forced to play.
Please donāt force it.
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The idea is if heās into something, heāll stay out of trouble. So it doesnāt have to be sports, could be an instrument or volunteering at the animal shelter. My family isnāt a sport family but my dad took us to the park whenever he was off and I remember rollerblading, biking, scootering when I wasnāt absorbed in a book. Dad developed a strong bond with his kids to the point where he was our hero. My point is developing a bond and being able to relate to your kids as wether itās ice cream or going on walks together.
Ask your younger son what extra activities he is interested in or wants to do. There are tons of after school and summer programs that arenāt sports that will ākeep him out of troubleā if thats what your husband is worried about. This will make everyone feel heard and happy
What about karate? Thatās what my dad did to one of my brothers. My brothers were total opposites. Get him to try a lot of things , cadets was cool in our town.
Conformity is the death of individualism and innovation. He should be encouraged to get involved in activities HE enjoyes. I would suggest he get involved in some of the clubs at school whether it be science, art, drama, band etc. He shouldnāt be forced to participate in an activity he doesnāt enjoy.
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We tried to force our son to play baseball (which he loved as a spectator) but he kept asking the coach if he could sit on the bench. I dont blame the coach. You cant force a kid to play.
Try something else. Maybe he is a band kid, or acting or choir. Some people have passion for other things besides sports.
I believe there are āother ways to stay out of troubleā that could be as equally nourishing educational, and more enjoyed than something he doesnāt want to do, maybe take time to find out what HE likes, and what HE WANTS to do xx
Forced, no- encouraged, yes. And when children express interest itās fundamental that they finish a season to the best of their ability.
Just because they start ball at five doesnāt mean theyāll want to play through high school- but if you start with a team, finish the season.
Sports and band forever changed both my kids- I never had to force, encouraged early and they ran with it thanks to wonderful coaches and band director. Those activities made their school experience much more positive than it would have been without those activities that led to friendships beyond them.
Husband and I arguing over same thing, our sons donāt want to play, I feel if itās forced on them, they wonāt enjoy it nor have funā¦ itās supposed to be funā¦ Iām with u on this! Totally!!
If u force ur child to play sports he will most likely not do well and he will be doing it for u, not himself and worse, Dad will be disappointed in him. Find something else he can do.
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Not everyone is into sports. Get him a fishing pole or an art set or a computer design program, whatever he is into. There are plenty of ways to stay out of trouble! Instead of pushing him into sports, help him build on what he already wants to do!
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He shouldnāt be forced, but definitely find some kind of activity that he does enjoy. Art, music, something to keep him focused but donāt force the kid not all kids are the same and forcing might cause more trouble
Dont think sports should be forced on a child. Most of the time this stuff is for the parents not for their kids
My kids will do jiu jitsu and kick boxing. Itās not a negotiation. It keeps them physical but also teaches them discipline over body and mind, respect, communication skills, gives them a place outside of the home that they can form friendships and life long friends and itās a great community to be apart of, and self defense and confidence. Itās year round so I do give them off weeks if they want/need them. They can try anything else they have internet in too but if they sign up for a seasonal sport they finish the season. Weāve tried gymnastics, acting classes and soccer.
I think his personal interests should be given room to cultivate and nurture and that can be activity to ākeep him out of troubleā
Yeah force your kid to do something that they donāt want or donāt have any interest in usually works out well. Or I mean just talk to him and see what he does enjoy and help with that if possible. There are more ways than just sports to āstay out of trouble.ā Also kinda weird thats where husbands mind went 1st and not something like help build character, friendships, and learn about teamwork or anything really but to stay out of trouble.
If they want to play sports great! If they say they donāt then respect that. I hated that I was forced to play basketball and refused to do so in high school & it pissed my mom off constantly. She wanted me to bc she did 
it doesnāt keep them out of trouble if anything that would make them more likely for it in my experience, itās the kids who play sports who do a lot of sketchy shit.
we had six childrenā¦they were all differentā¦at one point the two oldestā¦one played hockeyā¦one did notā¦He was into gamesā¦and computersā¦The other one then switched to skiingā¦Later the other fourā¦Three when they were youngā¦played T ballā¦two dropped outā¦one played baseballā¦and later switched to wrestlingā¦and the others switched to riflesā¦and shootingā¦We did not force them to any one sportā¦but wanted them to enjoy what they were doingā¦Our youngest daughterā¦(she is an adult now) still can shoot better than her older brotherā¦boy was he surprisedā¦!
They shouldnt be forced to do anything they dont want to do but i also wish i was encouraged to stick with at least something competitive
Sports are not for everyone. My son 15 finally found musical theater.
Yes. Or some kind of physical activity for exercise. Thatās very important for childrenās health especially.
Let him try out something he is interested in. Not all of are athletic or enjoy them.
I played soccer my whole childhood. Loved it and I still play recreationally. But sports arenāt the only way to stay out of trouble. Have you tried music lessons? Or library programs? Lots of libraries have reading clubs, language learning and other programs for kids that are just as fulfilling. Or maybe your local community centre might have something. See what your younger son likes to do and find a community that fosters that interest.
One of mine is athletic and the other a book worm. Let their talents shine where it comes naturally. They will become the people they were meant to be. Not the ones we think they should be. 
How about you tell your husband to go out every other day n get involved in something he doesnāt like , just so heās not idle and getting up to no good ā¦ your son is old enough to choose a hobby that he likes .
No, but I tell my kids they should be in something; band, art, etc. And a regular form of exercise is very important even if thatās swim lessons or karate, gym membershipā¦
As an almost 30 year old whoās body is already breaking coz she never did any sport, and has trouble entertaining herself coz she never got into any hobbies early, I suggest talking to your son about the future and how doing sport or any hobbies will help him when heās older to not feel so sore/to have things to enjoy and keep him occupied. I wish someone talked to me about that when I was young. I quit everything I ever tried and my.parents never pushed me to do them. I wish they did
Thereās so many other activities that he could be interested in that donāt include sport and that can give him a good support network/role models. Find what heās interested in and harness that, being forced to do something you maybe arenāt good at or donāt enjoy can be pretty damaging.
Coming from a child who was forced to play. I hate the sport now and picked flowers the entire time I was on the field. There are other choices than just sports.
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I think he needs to do something. If not sports then a club or special activity. It builds character and team building skills.
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Theres other thgs he cd do that he likesā¦math tutorials, piano lessons, volunteerism
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No Each child is unique . If a child is forced it makes for a sulky unhappy child. He might not like the actvity but has a talent for something else. Investgate what he likes and nurture that talent. He misses nothing by playing a sport but you might have an artist, musician in the making. Sport is not everything. I know. Been there, done that. Go well
Never force a child to do an interest/hobby that they donāt want to do. Just find out what he enjoys and support him in that.
Sports can do life-long damage to a personās body. Why in the world would you even consider forcing your child to do strenuous physical activity to stay out of hypothetical ātroubleā.
And for the record, many of the ātroublemakersā in high-school were the jocks.
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Sports should not be forced. He might enjoy something else like piano or guitar!
If your son knows what he likes to do let him do it. Itās not that activity that builds confidence itās the act of feeling successful that builds the man!
Art, languages, scouts, theater, student govt, volunteering, all things that arenāt athletic to tryā¦
I donāt think he should be forced into it but I do have a policy of my kids have to be involved in some extracurricular activity. Any kind of active club or something is just as good as sports in my opinion for keeping them out of trouble and also just helping them make friends with similar interests.
Shouldnāt force. Let ur kids b who they are. He maybe talented in art will still stay outta troubleā¦ Maybe your husband needs realise your children actuallt fall into wromg groups of friends regardless of how well theyve been bought up. If theyre gonna get in trouble theyre gonna get in trouble x
As my kids were growing up I ALWAYS encouraged them to play a sport every season here in NZ ( Rugby, Netball, Basketball, Touch Rugby) from a young age. But realised one of my kids wasnt very sporty, so I put her into a āGleeā club that did , Singing n dance.
She Loved it
Was a very busy Mama
You create more trouble forcing a kid to do something they donāt want to do. Instead encourage him to find things he enjoys
I donāt think any child should be forced to do anything they donāt want to do. Me and my kids dad are debating this also and this is what I think and he believes otherwise
If they sign up for something, they should be forced to finish the season and then pick something they like better next time. If course, there can be exceptions
No, donāt force him into sports if he doesnāt want to. Ask him what he likes to do and encourage him to join that club at school or somewhere in the community
My son is 10. All he wants to do is play video games. I said, there is more to life than video games. So we put him in a TYFA, a Texas youth football league.Not into it at all. He told me he rather play basketball. So, we will do that. It is best to put him in something that they like and enjoy. Donāt force something they will
not have fun with.
There are other ways to stay out of trouble. What other interest does he have?. He needs something, but it doesnāt have to be sports.
No. I played sports when I was a kid, but I wasnāt interested in it much. I did get into gymnastics for a while, but I lost my passion for it after a while. No matter what I did, my parents always let me decide whether I wanted to continue with it or not. If heās into some other extra curriculum thing, then let him pursue that. Sports arenāt everything and the only American pastime (:
Let him find something he loves outside of school. Sports, music, horse riding, doesnāt matter but something he loves enough that even practicing is fun.
Encourage academics , music , etc. Too many people have done serious damage to their bodies trying to succeed in a sport they probably werenāt talented enough to succeed in and didnāt get anything in return .
Not forced but encouraged as it can be so good for future work skills too, teamwork, discipline, communication! Also great for fitness! Donāt just look at the usual sports, you can try martial arts, swimming, dry skiing, rock climbing! The list is endless! If he absolutely hates them all then Iād suggest looking at his other interests and try getting him involved in one of those! Xxx
My mom made all of her kids play softball because she had to cut her softball career short because she destroyed her ankle. The thing is my little sister was beyond the best and she quit because my mom forced her to have private coaches and most of us quit because we couldnāt live up to what she wanted us to be. I think its a bad idea because its not gonna help keep the kids out of trouble. Let your kids do whatever they want to do.
No force.
High school age, be involved in something. So much is offered to explore.
If not get a job.
I too have two boys, one athlete played high school and college and one who did sports at the younger age and moved on to other activities, boy scouts.
In high school he joined tech crew from that he got a little weekend job at our local stadium.
We are so lucky to have so much available to all of all interest. Gotta try to find joy in what you like and even what you may become.
I wish I was forced to play sports so that I wouldāve been good at sports lmao. If you notice, the kids that are good at sports are kids that have been forced to play since they were small.
No you shouldnt force himā¦there are plenty of other things he can join you just have to find something that interests him. Maybe band, choir, theater let him find what he likes
Shouldnāt be made to play sports, Iām sure there is something else that he likes!
My kids signed up for sports the first thing Iād say to them is that if Iām paying money for this you have to finish playing this year & you donāt have to play next year. I donāt think he should be made to do something that he isnāt interested in. Making them play sport will not necessarily keep them out of trouble as well as them not play either. There so many different kinds of sports & as well as other activities to possibly do. Let him choose.
No they shouldnāt be forced to play sports.It should be there decision,not the parents.If they donāt like something, donāt force them to do it either.let the play it, cause they wanted to.
As a mother of six kids three boys and three girls and just got the youngest one graduated forcing a child to do something they donāt like itās going to backfire in your face I promise and and making them play a sport to stay out of trouble itās not going to happen either itās you need to find what he likes to do
Find something youāre husband doesnāt like to do and tell him you are going to force him to do it. If he doesnāt like the thought of it, ask him why would he want to force his son to do the same
I believe getting into some sort of sport can give kids a great healthy hobby that will hopefully keep them from wandering off down a seff destruction path. Karate for example has always been a great confidence builder for kids
Not everyone is the sameā¦help him with something he enjoys.
I donāt think he should be forced to play sports but should do something if not sports, clubs, if not that a job
Find out what his interests are. Itās not going to keep him out of trouble if he doesnāt want to do it.
There are things other than sports to keep him out of troubleā¦ try asking him what heās interested in!
How about finding out what he is interested in and cultivate that ,Classes, suppys ,voice coaching ? Ask him .And thatās not to say just let him Langer if he doesnāt know .But forcing someone to do something they donāt like will make them hate it and maybe you
Thatās a wild question your really ganna force your son to do something he really might not want to do. Staying out of trouble doesnāt = sports could be art, music, cooking, basically anything
My sons didnt play team sports but enjoying hiking, camping in boy scouts and love of both now as adults
Never force your kid to something like that. Iāve seen it backfire.
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No. They need to do some form of exercise (sports, walking, biking, whatever they like) and Iād encourage them to join an activity. They get to pick the specifics
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Same here my oldest played sports all his lifeā¦my other son was into painting and wrighti
I would never force a child into extra curricular activities that they donāt want to be a part of. That being said, there are other hobbies besides sports. Find out what interests your son (besides video games) & get him into doing it. Does he want to learn an instrument? Is he a writer? Does he like woodworking or auto mechanics? What about photography or painting? There are classes & groups for just about every hobby you can imagine. Your husband is very narrow minded, sorry to say.
Never force a child to do any extra activity, they do not love!
Defo not sport if he doesnt like it. But certainly something else he does like. Wht ha he tried???
There are a lot of different things a child can get involved in to keep him āout of troubleā Music , science, cooking, baking, school band, debate team, carpentry, bird watching, kayaking, astronomy 
etc etc etcā¦
Forcing your child to play sports is good way to make them resent you
And if you think being forced to play sports is gonna help him āstay out of troubleā then you are severely under-equipped to actually help him stay āout of troubleā
Not forced but outside activities should be strongly encouraged
No ā shouldnāt be forced to play sports if not interested. Plenty of other ways to āstay out of troubleā
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I think all kids should be encouraged to find an activity to keep them busy.
During the summer months my kids have to pick 2 things theyād like to try that yearā¦
Whether it be music classes, sports, swimming etc. Something that keeps them busy and off electronics
No not forced, but needs to get out and do something, maybe other group activities.
I was forced to play sports my whole childhood and adolescence by my parents, which was fun at times but I now have chronic joint problems in my major joints, including my knees, hips and i also have premature arthritis in my feet. So by all means allow your kids to play sports but pay attention to the possible consequences of them participating and avoid pushing them too hard.
No child should be forced to do anything they donāt want to doā¦period point blankā¦plus at that age they are just going to rebel and all that it should be up to him and itās not always a given that if they play sports they wonāt get into trouble just saying
No I donāt think anyone should be forced to do anything they donāt want to do. He might like other activities. Playing instruments etcā¦
Sometimes younger siblings find the pressure of following their older brother and sisters hard, introduce him to something heās siblings donāt do, let him find heās niche. Have you tri d watersports?
At 13, he is old enough to decide if he wants to play a sport or not. There are other ways to āstay out of troubleā. Chorus, band, orchestra, art, gaming, designing, academic clubs, volunteering, etc.
There are other things besides sports to keep a kid busy. Look into it.
I think extra curricular activities are great as long as kids arenāt overloaded and running everywhere. Martial arts, sculpting, dance, scouts, all wonderful outlets that build confidence 
There are other activities besides sports that can keep a kid out of trouble.