# Good Sports for Tall Children?



## BugMacGee (Aug 18, 2006)

My oldest DD is very strong and active. I'd love to get her to focus some her energy in a sport or activity. We've done gymnastice in the past. Alas. She did not inherit my petite frame (she's not yet 5, wears size 7, I can wear her socks)

So far I've come up with swimming, which she loves and is good at.

She's very girly and pooh-poohs the idea of soccer which breaks her father's heart.

I realize we just need to try a lot of stuff and see what she likes. I just think some activities would work so well for her (like anything where she has to be graceful, shhhhh, I didn't say that







: )


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## hollycat (Aug 13, 2008)

basketball is the obvious one, as is volleyball. show her those beach volleyball babes and she wont think thats too butch for her! otherwise, track and field and tennis also good.


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## BugMacGee (Aug 18, 2006)

It's just funny that I have such a tall kid! She would love to do ballet but she's just so strong and un-dainty.

She's been working on her cartwheels and handstands. The whole house shakes when she lands!

I though volleyball too


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## Lisa85 (May 22, 2006)

Diving...kinda like gymnastics but better to be tall than short.


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## Parthenia (Dec 12, 2001)

I'm 5'9" plus change (5' 10" on a good day). I took modern dance and ballet from age 3 to 14. It taught me to be graceful and not to slouch. I'm not a sporty person. I hated that people always said, "you'd be great at basketball, volleyball, or track." That would've been true if I wanted to play!

I have a tall cousin who is a professional ballerina. (New York Ballet I think. She started with the company when she was 17.)

My 9 yo is 4'11". She loves swimming, soccer, kickball, and it's hard to get her off her bike.

For kids, I don't think current or prospective height should stop them from trying it out. Leave the height requirements for the professionals. If they're interested in it, and you have access to it, give it a whirl. So if your dd wants to try ballet, let her try it. She'll learn the grace. It's part of learning to dance. Please, as a tall adult, don't hold her back because you think she'll end up being "too tall".


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## sapphire_chan (May 2, 2005)

I second the suggestion to let her do what she wants. Just find a good program and it won't matter what she's built like.

I trust that you haven't told her she can't do stuff because of her height, right?

That said, when she's up for branching out from things like dance, I'd recommend fencing. It really rewards longer reaches and long strides.


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## elmh23 (Jul 1, 2004)

Dh and his siblings (all really tall!) played soccer, basketball and volleyball. My tall 3 year old wants to play soccer, so we'll be giving that a try in a year or two.

But really, just let her do what she wants.


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## cedoreilly (May 21, 2005)

My DD is tall for her age (5 years) and LOVES taking dance. She has taken a pre-school creative movement/ballet type class for two years. This year she is taking tap (she watched the older kids recitial last year and fell in LOVE with it).

Let her tell you what she wants to do. The important thing at this point is she has fun. I was concerned with my DD when she said she wanted to take tap about all the noise assoiciated with tap (she is deaf in one ear which makes it hard for her block out background noise) but I let her take it anyways. She is LOVING every moment of it!!! She asks all week when she can go to tap class!


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## BugMacGee (Aug 18, 2006)

Let me make it clear, I'm certainly not excluding any activity. She's done gymnastics twice. My concern with that was that she's not the best direction follower and would go off by herself on the equipment. Not safe (I'm a former gymnast, i know what you can do to yourself on that stuff)

She's also done tap. Not very keen on that. Funny cuz she loved the noisy shoes.

One of her friends does kung-fu. She seemed sort of interested.

Never thought about fencing. Interesting.


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## bluey (Apr 28, 2004)

My oldest is very tall for her age. She has legs and arms that are a mile long so its taking her a bit longer to figure out how to coordinate them







However, she has taken ballet for the last 3 years and it really helped. This year she is opting out of ballet and moving on into hip hop- it's cooler apparently. She's also taking Karate, we'll see how that goes. In the spring she plays soccer and loves it. Luckily for me she is not short of confidence in her ability. Heck she even tried out for cross country running last week at school. She didn't make it,(she's not really that fast.) She was pleased that she wasn't last and said she'd practise and try out again next year. I love her


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## pigpokey (Feb 23, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Lisa85* 
Diving...kinda like gymnastics but better to be tall than short.

They're supposed to be short too, but it's a little less important.

Swimming, TENNIS. Rhythmic gymnasts are a bit taller. If she loves tumbling then competitive cheerleading generally starts around 4-5 at some of the cheer gyms, if you can take the perkiness. She can be on the bottom of the stunts


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## lindberg99 (Apr 23, 2003)

My DD really disliked soccer when she was 4 or 5. Then she started school and began playing it during gym class. She ended up signing up to play when she was 9 and loved it.

So tell your DH to keep his hopes up, your DD may end up liking soccer later on.


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## sapphire_chan (May 2, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *BugMacGee* 
One of her friends does kung-fu.

Me and my 3 friends in high school did Tae Kwon Do. It was really great taking classes together.


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## CarrieMF (Mar 7, 2004)

At her age there isn't anything that height should keep her from doing or that she should be doing becuase of her height.

Quote:

My concern with that was that she's not the best direction follower and would go off by herself on the equipment.
At 4 most kids aren't the best direction follower & going off by herself would be an issue in most things.

Did she like gymnastics? If so keep her in it.

Find out what she's interested in & put her in it. she may be tall now, but by a teen she may be average height.


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## phathui5 (Jan 8, 2002)

My seven year old takes tae kwon do and really enjoys it.


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## nextcommercial (Nov 8, 2005)

We tried all sorts of things with my dd, in the end she is a dance girl. She has been in love with her dance class for nine years now.

It IS a big commitment though. They work half the year on a dance for the recital, and if she drops out near the end of the year, it messes up the "team" and they have to re-work the dance before recital.

At first, I hated that she loved dancing. But, after about two years, (and a new studio) I loved as much as she did.


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## nextcommercial (Nov 8, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *CarrieMF* 
Find out what she's interested in & put her in it. she may be tall now, but by a teen she may be average height.

My dd was big until about Kindergarten, then she averaged out, now she's small.


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## AugustBlack (5 mo ago)

In fact, the only thing that is directing is basketball or volleyball. Or soccer, why not? I know that small height is important for gymnastics. I would play basketball myself, but because of an injury I can only watch the schedule on this site and just watch from the sidelines. It's sad. I wish you the best of luck with your choice!


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## yenm (2 mo ago)

hollycat said:


> basketball is the obvious one, as is volleyball. show her those beach volleyball babes and she wont think thats too butch for her! otherwise, track and field and tennis also good.


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## yenm (2 mo ago)

She can try basketball and volleyball. It's a very popular sport for girls. I also play the same sports when I was younger but now I'm into sports betting such as horse racing. As a better, it is always important to keep track of various sports results, victories and losses of teams. So I found Free Horse Racing Tips From Expert Racing Tipsters | The Shark to always be aware of various horse racing events in this sport. I think that all beginners who want to try their hand at sports betting should check The Racing Shark, as this is an excellent information resource.


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## crunchymom7 (22 d ago)

I would agree Basketball and Volleyball seem like the obvious answers.


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