Should kids be forced to play sports?

Find something he enjoys. Forcing him into something will make him miserable.

Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum! Should kids be forced to play sports?

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One of my sons was an athlete through college. One son was a dancer. My youngest son played football til he was 13, then discovered a passion for guitar and quit sports to focus on that. You have to let them find their own thing.

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Forcing a child to participate in sports is dangerous! There are other activities he could join that arent sports if you want to keep him busy.

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why do people feel the need to force their kids to do things that arent a necessity??? I hated every activity my parents forced me to do. Basketball. Girl Scouts. Tap/Jazz/Ballet. My hobby was video games. Why not let people be happy with their own interests?? Maybe we would have more well adjusted adults.

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Thats a negative. Find something he enjoys to do. Forcing a child to do something they hate. Will only build tension and resistantment.

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No. Being forced into something in my opinion can lead to resentment. I think kids should be allowed to find themselves and embrace their own interests. Even if that means band or drama or choir. My 13 has never been interested in anything sport related and I’m not about to force it upon him. He does the bare minimum for school. Oh and he does enjoy bike riding.

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Playing sports 100% does NOT keep them out of trouble. Not in any sense of the word, just makes them harder for the police to catch :joy: I personally wouldn’t force it, they’ll soon resent you if they don’t want to be doing it.

Find out what his TRUE interests are. Feed into that. I have found that kids behave better if you feed into what they love.

Forced? No. I let my kids choose their own extracurriculars…they are the ones who have to do it, not me, so why would I choose for them? Some kids just aren’t athletic. Mine prefer band, ROTC, and theater arts instead

All of the athletes at my school WERE the bullies. Sports do not factor if someone is good or not lol

Let him do what he wants. I was forced to do sports and I hated it so much. I preferred band and journalism.

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Sooooo many other things he can do. The Arts, music, building things…on and on. He needs to explore HIS own interests. You’re correct

Not forced into … But let the kid pick what they want to do …

Definitely not! While there can be certain learning advantages, such as teamwork, etc. that come from sports, there are also drawbacks that can come from sports, such as injuries that can negatively affect people in their 30s and 40s. To force someone to do what they innately don’t want to do makes you responsible for whatever damage that he may encounter. There are many other outlets a child can join to help keep him out of trouble. Also, I might suggest that in some cases sports can lead one into trouble. Who’s to say?

Playing sports ain’t going to keep you out of trouble. Look at Ben cousins. Alot of sports people on drugs. My fourteen year old doesn’t play sports. And I wouldn’t force him to.

Forcing a child to do anything can damage them. Let them do what they want. You must not come from an area with “pay to play” programs. You’d be wishing neither of your kids played sports due to the cost…

There are plenty of things he can do, to help him avoid getting into trouble. It doesn’t have to be a sporting activity. If y’all force him to do something it will only cause resentment later.

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I didn’t like sports- too many other people. I got into Irish step dance and fencing.
Find something weird he can do solo

Don’t force activities on kids when they tell you they dislike them. Instead, ask him what he would enjoy doing and get him involved in that.

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Kids should never be forced into playing sports. Encouraged yes, forced no.

I wouldn’t make a kid playbspirt but i think having some type of curricular activity is good for them.

You force a child to do something he don’t want to do his worst for him it will only cause him to get into trouble

Forcing him to do that might make him act out and thst wil get him in trouble, he doesn’t wanna play cause maybe sports ain’t his thing, maybe put him in a self defense class or something outside of sports, qor just ask him.what is he interested in he might want to like theater or something

Sometimes kids will rebel because they are being forced to do things in life that don’t fit who they are, I feel we can encourage them and show them the different things available to them but we should also show them that we are listening to them and to let us know what there passions are, what there interests are and find things that interest the child

One team sport was mandatory in our house growing up. It’s not about staying out of trouble as much as it is about learning teamwork, healthy competition, developing social skills with your peers, and learning how hard work and practice improves your abilities. The added bonus is staying out of trouble and putting more effort in your school work in order to stay eligible to play.

I was never forced to play sports. I chose to play baseball and football. I wish they would’ve pushed me to play basketball or do wrestling in the winter between the two. Looking back there’s no reason I couldn’t have done more, playing sports those were some of the best memories in my life. All kids should try. They teach you how to be coachable. How to take criticism. How to accept that no matter how good you are, sometimes you aren’t enough and need to keep pushing yourself.

Uncoachable kids become unemployable adults.

Doesn’t have to be sports persay, but find something you’re passionate about and just go for it. Idc if it’s art, try to be the best at something

A child should never ‘be made’ to do sports if it is quite apparent there is no natural aptitude. But channel that time into something he does naturally excel at, art or music for example, or a group of some kind.
So he ‘stays out of trouble’ and is doing something he loves.

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It’s good for kids to be introduced to sports at an early age as yours were but not all children will like playing sports even though they were exposed. It does keep them out of trouble but there are other activities that they can participate in that will occupy their minds and time to keep them out of trouble.

Find out what they like to do and get them involved in an extracurricular activity of their choice, not your husband’s choice.
Forcing a kid to play in a sport won’t really keep them out if trouble, per se.

What keeps them out of trouble is their love and devotion to the sport or another extracurricular activity and if they are forced, that’s not them loving or devoting themselves to the sport. If anything, that will cause resentment which can open the door to trouble when they’re not at practice or at a game.

They’ve had a taste of playing sports and they do like it. Your husband can force them to play sports but he can’t force them to love it, or devote themselves to it, or occupy their minds with it so find out what they are interested in and give them that… whether it’s creating apps, writing books, doing research, gardening, etc.

Nope either they will and be all about it or the very opposite

let the kid decide. he’s old enough to make the decision for himself.

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Help him decide what he likes and get him involved. It doesn’t have to be sports

He should do what he’s interested in

People who play sports definitely still get into trouble

Just tell the child to do what you do do well

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There are plenty of other options

I think your husband is projecting his own troubled youth on your son. Sports doesn’t keep kids out of trouble any more than joining the army.

Dont force … support.

Don’t make him do it

find a sport he likes

Your husband needs a good smack upside the head. I have 3 boys and zero of them play any type of sports. They aren’t out getting into trouble.

What no. Its not your husbands choice.

He must have his own needs and desires

Seems like dad is gonna be the reason for kids to act out and get in trouble if he keeps it up. Definitely don’t force the kids to play if they don’t want to. Not cool.

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No. Find something else he can be interested in. Bowling, chess, debate, fishing, archery, horseback riding, climbing, building things, etc.

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i have no kids, but i think you may not want to put a kid in a sport he has no interest in, he may think he will be compared to a brother that loves it and is good at it. find something totally different for this kid, so they can both shine in their own things. the younger son make think the same sport or any sport is a recipe for disaster for him. is hard to be the second kid, when your older brother was such a natural at any particular game. i love it when all kids get to shine and all kids don’t love the same things. neither do all adults. the differences is what makes the world go around.

Don’t force the younger kid to play. You will regret it if you do.

Nope. Don’t make him if he doesn’t want to.

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No one should be forced to do anything. I’m sure he has other interests

No. I didn’t and turned out just fine.

Encourage what their interested in. I wouldn’t make him play sports.

I make mine choose something. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a sport. Can be speech or debate robotics. But they have to do something

There’s plenty of other activities to stay busy, no kid should have to hate sports because dad is forcing him. If you really want them to stay active, leave him alone, but leave the door open , tell him if he finds something he does want to do just to let you know. There’s other after school programs and summer programs they can participate in or maybe he has a friend he likes to spend time with that you’d be open to letting him go over there.

They shouldn’t be forced into sports or any other activity. They should be encouraged to find one they enjoy

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Kids should absolutely be in extra curriculars, that doesn’t necessarily have to be sports but physical activities are really beneficial.

My daughter(22) chose not to play sports and got into a lot of trouble. My son(17) was given a choice. He could chose the sport or I will. Kids need to be involved in something. Sports, the arts, whatever

I’ve seen first hand my niece get forced into softball. She loved it at the start and then hated it. There are plenty of other clubs to look into

Wouldn’t force him, find out what he’s interested in and see if they have clubs or something for it😊

If he doesn’t want to do it help him find some else he’s interested in

Kids need hobbies, interests and activities for sure. It does NOT need to be sports.

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I think extracurricular activities are good for kids. It doesn’t always have to be on a sports team/program. I think our kids these days are allowed to much time with smart phones and video games. I also think that responsibilities like chores, community services and other interests need to be considered.

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I don’t think so. I’m all for kids that want to participate. However, if he or she doesn’t want to, then we don’t force them to play. I love encouraging kids to grow and flourish, despite setbacks. It’s not easy but it’s do-able, and only if they’re into it. Each child is different and they shine on their own!

I have four son’s, two who were very active in sports and one that could or could no care less, the fourth lad he wasn’t the least bit interested , but his father pushed him, saying it would make him tough. He was born small and small and frail but smart and talented in other ways. Many arguments over pushing a child to do what he didn’t want to too. I finally put my foot down and said if he doesn’t want to do sports he will find his way. He did he is very talented in creating things, loves to rebuild auto’s and is very clever with his hands. He is a great father and grand father . All of my boys all four of them are good men and they find their own way . None of them got into trouble, none are into drugs or alcohol, none of them are irresponsible, but kind and loving husbands and fathers. I guess you could say I was blessed, their father was long gone before they even graduated. Just love them the way they are and help with encouragement and kindness they will make you proud.

Sports aren’t for everyone. There are other ways children can stay out of trouble. Not all children play sports and that’s ok!

No! I would encourage them to find an extracurricular activity they enjoy, it doesn’t have to be “sports.”
I never enjoyed sports. I tried them all & dropped out cause I was having NO fun. It wasn’t a passion and my parents saw that, so we kept trying things til we found activities I liked! I enjoyed dance, act one & band. Never force a child to play a sport or participate in activities they hate. Work with him to find an activity that he will not dread, but enjoy doing.

Don’t force him. Allow him to find a hobby that he actually enjoys. Not all kids like sports

No, kids shouldn’t be forced into sports that they don’t want to play. There are plenty of other things and/or clubs they can be involved with. My son didn’t like sports, but he was involved in robotics club, chess club, student teaching. He and his friends started photography together. Sports aren’t the only things that can keep kids busy.

I was friends with people who played football in high school and they got more trouble than I did and I never played sports. Sports aren’t going to keep people out of trouble. It’s their personal choices that keep them in or out of trouble. Forcing a kid to play sports or just be more harmful to his mental health than helpful. Finding something he’s interested in and trying to get him more involved in that or even trying to join him in those activities would be more helpful than forcing him to do something he does not want to do.

My son had to take swimming lessons because it saves his life. Other than that, he has enough “structured” activities at school. He is exposed to different sports and if he does not want to pursue them outside of school, that’s fine. Children grow up very quickly; I would rather spend time outside school with him, than in activities that are meaningless to him. Sometimes sports become babysitters for parents.

Maybe he’s not a sports kid, find a different activity he’d be interested in. Maybe he’d like picking up an instrument, maybe art, dancing, maybe he loves to read. There are so many options to keep a kid out of “trouble” besides sports.

Absolutely not! Do not force your kids to take part in activities that they have no interest in!!

I always wanted to do theater but my mom wouldn’t let me because she always said “I joined the theater and all I ever did was scenery” but I was an artistic kid and I would love to build and I would have loved to do theater scenery. I still regret I never got the chance…

I dont think you should force them to do a sport but children need to be involved in some type of activity. To learn how to social and work as a team. I was forced to do something as a child and I’m glad I did. It took a while to find something that I liked to do. Do t force your child to stay in something if they don’t like it. At the end of the day you are the parent and they are a child til they are 18. Just help them find there way

Support them in the direction they want to go. Encourage them to take a chance once in a while and remind them that whatever they decide to try they must complete the season!

Your son may show more interest if he can become engaged in s sport that is in sync with what motivates him, personally. As a former teacher and a mom, I discovered that some kids are strongly motivated by a team sport, like football, basketball, etc. where there is motivation to work together to win, and players have different roles. The drive is belonging to a group with a strongly shared goal. Other kids are motivated more by achieving a “personal best” like developing ability in a sport such as swimming, running, body building, skating, gymnastics, weightlifting. The drive there is to improve individual speed or strength or flexibility, whether on a team or not. Belonging on one these teams can involve working for “personal best” as well as a shared goal. Good luck.

Some kids like sports and some don’t. Try to come up with another activity that he would enjoy as a compromise to keep him out of trouble. Perhaps he would like to play an instrument? Otherwise you waste your time taking him to practice for something her won’t put his heart into.

I’ve always wanted my son to play a sport, 14 years old and 6 ft tall already I always thought he would be good at basketball (he plays for fun periodically) or track but he always said he don’t want to. In March he bought a guitar and thought himself to play. Fast forward to July a bunch of his friends have an instrument of some sort and they get together and teach each other new things almost everyday. They are all very proud of themselves and enjoy playing. My son taught me a lesson … don’t try to force a child to do something, let them figure out what they like and enjoy and they will stick with it . My daughter plays sports my son plays music :woman_shrugging:t2:

If he’s artistic (drawing, painting, drama, music, etc.) Than nurture that instead. It’ll keep him “out of trouble” and give him a creative outlet.

Are there no other extra curricular activities available where these people live? Seems like daddy-o suffers from a lack of imagination.

Marching band is always great for youth.

Yes in some way, shape or form. It teaches them many things that can’t be learned elsewhere.

Maybe get these kids involved in charity work/volunteerism, instead of, or in addition to their “sports”…

If a kid doesn’t want to play a sport don’t force them let them do what they want

If he’s not good at sports, or if he doesn’t like it, he shouldn’t be made to play sports. That will create low self-esteem.

No, I don’t think he should be forced. Encouraged, maybe, but not forced.

It really should be his choice

Speech and debate are excellent activities and are helpful prep for college and life.

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not if he dont want to play

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Find him something he’s interested in.

If not sports it should be something else

Find an activity your teenager would enjoy by his choice, not by your choice. Not every child has to play the most common sport; there is a sport for everyone. You just have to find one that your child likes. There are other sports other than baseball, soccer and football. What sport then? Consider all of the vast possibilities that are included in the Olympics. The point is that you want your child to engage in physical activity for the sake of his health, not because you want him to “stay out of trouble”! BTW: Sometimes, being involved in sports could cause trouble rather than keep the teenager out of it. Peer pressure make kids act stupid at times! You should encourage the teenager to engage in an activity that would help him learn to work with others in a group and in an activity that he can work on his own to learn to be able to work independently. These are qualities that would help him when he has to go out into the world to work when he becomes an adult… Some parents also tend to program every minute of their child’s life in an effort to “keep him out of trouble”, but that is not a good thing. A child has to have some free time when he could choose how to occupy himself without someone else planning what he should do. If your son is used to having all of his time scheduled by you, he will be at a loss when he suddenly has free time; that is when he may get into trouble because he doesn’t wouldn’t how to occupy himself.

Martial arts, doesn’t matter the style is an individual sport based on the student abilities and interests.

every child is different why force any child into something they are not interested in

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No! Allow him to develop into his own person. Swimming, art, dance. volunteer with elderly, young kids, animals. There are tons of things he can do to become the man he’s supposed to be without being forced into anything… that’s what causes rebellion, depression, bullies, etc.

I have 4kids, the motto in our house was/is “we’re not quitters” they all had one week as teens to decide if they liked it and only had one week to dip out…they all played since 2nd grade… Basketball, volleyball, track and football! School work always came first and if grades dipped to low we pulled them out for a week or so to get the help they needed, some needed to pull out for a week others went to school 45min early… they all learned discipline through sports that carried on into college and university…it was very hard for them up at 4am to do thier laundry and due homework and alot of times games were 2 to 3 hours away. They would get to bed by 10pm to 3am…school policy for athletes was not a heavy homework load on game days and for every hour after midnight was a hour later they had to be at school. No kids left behind and most all teachers live in town…we never forced the kids to play but it was highly encouraged, my last one 6ft 5 so wanted to quit playing basketball his senior year but he stuck with it because once you start you don’t quit! 13 is such a tough year, very awkward time of life, you don’t want to shower in front of people, your body is awkward, boys talk bout things your boy might not want to participate in…your husbands right he needs to be doing something, not just sitting home playing video games or hanging out in the neighborhood… they need alot of direction at that age to move on…maybe join a robotics team… my last one did not enjoy sports except CC, and Track. He did robotics for 3 yrs! NO FORCING BUT HE NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING!

Forcing a kid ends in rebellion at some point t.
Hi im rebellion kid :wink:

Encourage but don’t force .

Forcing a kid to do something will only cause resentment. Instead, find out something else he enjoys and encourage him to do that! Accept your kids for who they are, not who you want them to be