1. The mini-jock. This type is made up of little kids who often look a little more muscular than average. Sometimes they're a little rougher in their play. This type of child is often one whose relatives talked about him becoming a football player or wrestler when he was only two years old. This is the type of child who amazed people with what he lifted as young as two or three years old. Mini-jocks are often natural "daredevils". Essentially, they don't tend to worry about getting hurt. Mini-jocks often seem to come from whole families of other mini-jocks, and their parents (particularly fathers) are/were often very involved in sports. Mini-jocks are often, but not always, boys.
2. The athletically-gifted-but-non-aggressive child. This group consists of children who may be extremely skilled at things like running, throwing a ball, climbing, doing back-flips, and any number of other physical things. Some tend to be slender, long-legged, kids (although being slender and long-legged tends to come to a large number of kids between the ages of 7 and 12).
Children in this group often look like natural athletes, provided they are not in a situation where athletic ability must be accompanied by "killer instinct" (in which case, children in this group can appear inept). Kids in the group have such natural skill that they are confident when they to do some new, physical, thing. While they are often not particularly reticent about trying something new, it is their confidence in their natural ability, rather than a "daredevil personality", that drives their willingness to try something new.
3. The not-particularly-athletic-child. Children in this group may be quite active - just not particularly athletic. They may actually be quite capable in many physical activities (or they may not), but they're generally not very interested in some structured sports. These are children who enjoy riding their bikes or running around the yard. If given the choice between sports and sorting out a special collection, however, many kids who lean toward being in this group would choose the latter. Like the children in the second group, many children in this group may be slight in build, but they may not have the "naturally athletic-looking" physique that athletically-gifted-but-non-aggressive children have. Like their Group 2 counterparts, these children tend to lean toward being "gentle souls", which can make some sports unappealing to them.
4. Sedentary Children. Most healthy kids will not be sedentary if given the opportunity and/or encouragement not to be. A child in this group may be (but may not necessarily be) the stereotypical heavy child, who spends his after-school hours in front of a video game, computer, or television. Some children with weight problems are socially awkward or insecure; and as a result, may not have the normal amount of friends. Particularly heavy children may have some difficulty with some athletic moves, which may be one reason they stay away from many activities. Kids in this group may be aggressive, or they may be gentle souls. Even if you have a lot of other priorities for instance, sports, extracurricular activities, etc., still you need to complete a senior project to graduate successfullyIt may be safe to assume that children in the group would, under normal circumstances, fit into one of the other three groups.
Chances are, you recognize your own child in one of the above groups. Which sport is right for which child can be a matter of sorting out not just type of boy, but type of sport.
Team sports can be broken down into two categories: Those requiring something of a "killer instinct" (those that involve "fighting" for a ball or a puck, for example); and those that tend to involve individual skill without need for that "killer instinct" (baseball, for example).
Mini-jocks usually do well in most team sports. They tend to have the athletic ability, as well as the "killer instinct", to thrive in most team sports. There is the chance that a game like baseball would be "too slow" for this type of child, because "action" is what they like. When this type of child doesn't appear to have a natural "killer instinct" it usually isn't difficult for them to develop one.
My eldest son, who fit into the second group of types of boys, used to be out on our front lawn, kicking a soccer ball. A neighbor, and coach of a soccer team, invited my son to join the team. He was amazed at my son's skill at that time. My son joined the team; and every Saturday when his father and I would go to watch the games we would feel incredibly uncomfortable for our son, as he kind of "stood around aimlessly", seeming to wait for the ball to come to him. He did manage to make a couple of goals that were noted in the local newspaper's coverage of the team; but it wasn't long before he decided that baseball was enough for him. He was a classic case of a talented kid with no "killer instinct". On the other hand, he made the All Star team in baseball, where his ability to hit and run bases were all it took to be successful.
For children who aren't particularly gifted athletically, however, team sports can offer other things that they won't get anywhere else. Being part of a team, getting the chance to try to excel and compete, and generally learning what kids learn when they participate in team sports; are all things that even the third type of boy usually enjoys. One thing that can discourage this type of child from wanting to participate in team sports, however, is when a child has very limited ability and may believe he is taking away from his team's achievement.
This is why this third type of child may do better in an activity where he is allowed to develop his skill on his own, at his own pace, and according to his individual ability. Martial arts, cycling, skateboarding, or other "lone-but-athletic" activities are often most enjoyed by this type of boy.
"Lone" sports, of course, can also be right for children of all types, as well.
Sedentary kids have the extra challenge of needing first to be encouraged to be active. Making sure they have a bicycle can at least offer boys like this some activity. Giving them a skateboard, unicycle, or trampoline may encourage some more physical activity. Inviting them out in the yard for a game of catch can help get such boys away from the video games. Little League may be right for such children, even if playing on the Farm Team is the option. Learning to play racquetball or enrolling in a martial arts course may be right for children who are not, by nature, the "team sports" type. Learning to play Golf may be right for this kind of boy.
Although it's always best for parents to try to provide a wide range of activities from which any child may choose, much of the time children tend to gravitate toward the sport that seems most right for them. Given the opportunity, some children are more than enthusiastic about trying any number of different sports; but usually, they will lose interest in those activities for which they are the least suited.
Parents need to recognize that their child is a separate human being with his own personality and nature. What was right for Dad, Mom (or football hero, Uncle Mike) is not necessarily right for him. By being given the chance to try a number of different sports, most kids will settle into the one or two that are right for them.
Finally, parents need to keep in mind that interest in sports, while sometimes requiring some nurturing, usually develops once children become at least school age. Children five and under may enjoy participating in special activities aimed for preschoolers, and they may enjoy having a parent teach them a little something about any sport. Still, parents (and uncles, grandparents, neighbors, and anyone else who thinks a four-year-old child should be demonstrating athletic abilities) should realize that most children are not sports prodigies; and most will need to be of school age before showing real interest in sports.
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