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For those of you who have kids involved in team sports - do you find them to be better than their age peers because they are more aware of the way the game works ? My 7 year old loves soccer, has played since he was 4, and is very good (he was just asked to join a new program that is mainly for 9 year olds, ds just turned 7 in June, and is small for his age). I can't decide if he's just really skilled at soccer, or if his knowledge of the game is what makes him so good...?

At first, DS6 was NOT good at all at baseball. He started playing at age 4. But he grasped the concept of the game, rules, etc, MUCH better than anyone else on his team. He understands where to throw a ball depending on the position he's playing and where baserunners are better than any of his teammates. Physically, he's not the best hitter or best catcher, thrower, but he does get the game the best.

I should just erase my post and quote you. haha. That's exactly how I feel about DS6, though obviously younger than your DS.

Oh, and DS6 decided NOT to play baseball this fall and try for soccer. We'll see how well he grasps the sport vs. his athletic ability goes, especially since Mom & Dad know NOTHING about soccer (other than the goalie can touch the ball).

Perspective from 11.5 also DS has played sports both team and individual. In team sports he is usually one of the least skilled players on the team. He understands the concepts of the games but doesn't have the drive to play well. However in individual sports, he seems to shine. He did very well in karate and participated in the classes for students at least 3 years older instead of at his age level. Ice skating is a new sport for him, but he is progressing very quickly and has a much better work ethic and attention to detail. This will be interesting to watch as it evolves.

In conversation with DS in the Spring, he said that he really doesn't want to play team sports since he doesn't want to compete against his friends for position and ranking. Now he is extremely social and has a large group of friends involved in a variety of activities. In fact when we are out and about the area, DH and I often start humming the Cheers theme he gets greated by so many people So, I'm not worried if he prefers individual sports. I really don't know if gifted plays into this or if it is just his nature to want to compete against himself and keep his social interactions more laid back.

Ds played soccer for a few years, rather than an interest in building his lpay skills, he spent more time figuring out the physics and geometry of how to angle his kicks and the impact of speed on the distance the ball goes. That I do think was some gifted shining through.

No team sports here, but I watch DD7's dance and swim classes, so know how she performs compared to other kids. In my opinion, she doesn't have a natural talent for either one - and you can tell which kids in her classes do. What she does have is the ability to take the instructor's verbal guidance and translate that into her own movement - her form tends to be consistently better, with fewer corrections. And she can remember the correct form from lesson to lesson.

DS6 plays soccer and does taekwondo competitively.

With soccer, I'd say that he's usually in the bottom quartile, but only because of speed. He's one of the youngest on every team due to the July age-cutoff. He's a VERY good coach and gets the game better than his peers. However, when other kids were running around the playground for hours every day in their first 5 years, he was happier playing trains and reading or making up plays. Now that he's longer, though, he's becoming a naturally faster runner (compared to the amount of time he actually spends outside running), so I think we'll see the gap close.

With taekwondo, he's the youngest in the regular youth program (ages 6+) and was invited to move up early. He really enjoys the individual goal-setting and focus, and naturally understands and memorizes his forms faster than most of the older kids. I'm not sure that he has a clear advantage by being gifted, but the tenents of taekwondo perfectly match with his personality.

DS16 has played soccer since he was 6 and he is very good at it. He presently plays junior soccer and senior soccer and personally I think it is a combination of a number of things that make him successful:

1. His extensive knowledge of the history and rules of the game. This also includes his passion in following the various clubs and leagues around the world.

2. His physical skills, which I think are not only as a result of practice but also having the ability to observe the skills of others and adapt it into his own play.

3. Thinking. This is more difficult to explain but something that has been described to me by more than one of his coaches. DS is mathematical and his present coach is convinced he sees the field as a grid and as such has an uncanny ability shoot for goal at angles that makes it difficult for the goalie to save. It also allows him to predict and direct play as he seems to sense where the other players are. I don't know if this final point makes sense but perhaps it will sound familiar to you in some way with your DS

HTH,
matmum

I played football and soccer through high school and still play soccer today.

I was much better at football that most kids up until the 9th grade simply due to my alertness and ability to read the plays and my speed. One alert player can shut down a lot of plays. After 9th grade, it became a size issue and I was never that big. Had I been 50 lbs heavier and 4 inches taller, I could have gone a lot further.

For soccer, it really came down to my speed and has always been about my speed. The top players are able to use their body to create space and their ball handling skills to control the ball both at a full run and while trying to move around other players. This where practice and drill take over. I like taking an hour to work on things, but I don't have 3-4 hours a day to work on it like other guys do. And it shows.

I think GT helps in that you can figure it out pretty quick.

But...

Being GT mitigates against being real good in sports simply because there are other interests. It takes 4-6 hours a day of practice to become really good. I love sports, but I love a good book more.

This thread jogged my memory about something DD was talking about around a month ago. We have a neighborhood full of basketball hoops; where neighborhood kids get together and play in the afternoon. DD clearly is intrigued by this and was talking about how she is good at basketball too. BTW, the kid does not play basketball but I had to pursue this conversation because I knew it was going to be good. So I questioned her on when she practices because I don't remember seeing her practice. Her response: Of course she practices ... all the time, but only in her head. LOL Valid point and I remember research done on case studies where they split a group of same ability kids into 3 groups. 1st group was required to physically practice everyday for a set time. 2nd group was not allowed practice time at all and 3rd group was required to sit and think through the shots but not be on the court. What they discovered is the 3rd group was almost as able as the 1st group due to their follow through in thought process of the ability to dunk the ball.