My opinion is that traditional sports have a short window and a short shelf life unless a child has some natural aptitude and is willing to train. I'm female, however, and may not understand the dynamics of "boy" friendships and interactions to be a good judge.
cammom, I haven't finished reading all the replies yet and will post again with a reply that addresses your OP, but fwiw I did want to jump in here with a thought/perspective for you. I'm female too :), my dh is male
- we have continued to enjoy team sports throughout our adult lives. Neither one of us is athletically talented and so we weren't the kids in school going out for varsity teams etc - but I wouldn't necessarily discount participating in a team sport for a child simply because it's perceived to have a shelf life. My dh and I have played on rec leagues in our community (which offer all kinds of ability levels), teams through our workplace, and pick-up games with friends. We've played volleyball, soccer, flag football… you name it, there is almost always a league of some kind where you can play it as an adult if it's something you like to do
The other thing I'd consider is that even if you are a child and you play on a team of some sort for a short duration - even just one season - there is something to be learned and experienced from playing team sports, whether or not you use the same physical skill set ever again. And it's a way to make connections among peers, as you've noted.
polarbear
