Sports

At age 4 he will be able to play soccer. Soccer is a good sport to start him out on. They are more laid back and don't have that "we HAVE to win" attitude like other sports like baseball and basket ball so it is really good for the little ones to start out on and get their feet wet.

Hi N., my son is three and a half and he plays soccer and also does gymnastics. Where we live he will also be able to do ice hockey at 4 years old. He plays soccer through the city. He enjoys doing them all good luck.

My son is 4 almost 5 and he has been taking a karate class at his preschool for almost a year now. It is great, the program is tailored to his age group and he loves it. It has really helped him because he is very shy, and it has taught him to speak up more to adults.

My son began ice skating at Centennial in Nashville a few months before his fourth birthday. He is playing ice hockey and LOVES it. I would suggest whatever sport your hubby and you like is what to begin him in. It's VERY easy to convince your hubby to assist in coaching which brings about father son bonding time. It also preoccupies them to give you a break.

Take Care, J.

Soccer usually is a good sport to start kids out in and it usually starts as young as 3.

Unless they have changed their policy recently, AYSO has soccer teams for 4-year-olds. Keep in mind that all 4-year-olds are not created equal. My 4th child was born into a house full of pre-teen and teenage soccer players so he had been sleeping with shinguards over his pajamas for a year before he was old enough to play. I walked soccer fields with him in my arms when he was 3 weeks old. He learned to walk and dribble at the same time. A 4-year-old that is not accustomed to rough play or that is uncomfortable being in the 'public eye' may not be mature enough yet for organized sports and may need to wait longer.

Also AYSO is a totally volunteer organization and almost everyone will be expected to contribute in some way. It can be as simple as bringing drinks for the players to a game so don't back away but be aware that everyone involved is a parent like you and it only works well when everyone contributes in whatever ways they can. It turned out to be a wonderful pathway to sports for all of my children.

My daughter (only almost 2) goes to the daycare on post at Redstone Arsenal, AL. Their CYS program has sports & things that I believe most starts at age 3. Check with your post's CYS to see if they offer anything for his age. I definitely know ours has dance & gymnastics starting with age 3, and they welcome boys too!

My poor girl is still a year away from participating in anything too haha It seems like you have to be 3 for everything! :P

If he likes to run and kick, soccer starts pretty young. I don't know who operates up in the Oak Grove area, my son plays for Mt. Juliet Soccer Association. I do know that the YMCA has Youth Soccer and they might even have some soccer programs on post at Ft. Campbell. Most places have Fall & Spring soccer. I googled youth soccer just out of curiousity and there is a Montgomery County Youth Soccer that has U5 (under 5 Years old) teams.

I know that the karate studio our kids attend takes children as young as 3 years old. It teaches self-discipline, respect, and is a great energy-burner. You might also try a local YMCA. We utilized ours for classes/sports all the time when our kids were younger.

Hi N.. Don't rush it! My advice would be to let him play outside and be a kid for as long as possible. I think sometimes we want our kids to grow up quickly (especially the 1st child) and they end up getting burnt out of sports at a very young age. Maybe start him out with the little kids gymnastics at Tatarus or Premier. Good luck! K.

Find out if your community has a competive swimming program. That is any age and year around for communities that have indoor. Yon do need to start with basic swim lessons. Also golf is good to and they can start that at any age. My son started Golf at 1& 1/2 and swimming at 2

I suggest Tae Kwon Do. I started my daughter the day that she turned 4 and she has just turned 5 and still loves going to her classes. Usually the classes are very affordable and they have wonderful teachers that enjoy teaching the children the art of self defense as well as stranger danger. My little one has learned so much about 911 and how and when to use it from her intructors. They help teach children about Perserverance, integrity, patience, honor, decipline and so much more. My little one enjoyed it so much it encouraged mt to join classes and it is wonderful exercise for me as well. I am not sure of your location but the ATA Black Belt Academy in Millington Tn is a wonderful place and the Tiny Tiger instructors are absolutely AWESOME.

I have two boys, 7 and almost 4, and a daughter 14 months. My 7 year old started playing t-ball with the Lion's Club in Spring Hill when he was 4, and the now almost 4 year old played last year right after he turned 3. He loved it!! I highly recommend giving him the chance to try something...even soccer is available with some programs for 4 year olds. It's a blast for them and so entertaining for mom and dad! My husband is also in the military - he's been home from a 17 month deployment to Iraq for two years now. I'm in a group called Wives of Faith made up of women whose men in their lives are soldiers. We're having our first meeting of this year on Monday of next week...you should consider joining us. Check out the website and you can register to attend the meeting there, and you can also reserve for childcare on the website as well. There are quite a few of us in the Spring Hill/Thompson Station area who are part of the group - we'd love to meet you and help you through the deployment if we can! www.wivesoffaith.org

I had the same problem and so I looked into Tae Kwon Do and well they took him and he loves it he since tested and got his yellow belt and he will test again for his green belt before he turns 5 try it most places will let him try a class for free to see if he can handle it ( he can I am sure ) and then if you like it you can sign him up

I understand how you want your son involved in sports b/c I try to do the same with my son. He's 10 years old now. I live in Arkansas and a few sports that start at that age in our area are soccer, baseball and karate. They don't learn the fundamentals of the game at that age but it gets them involved and socializing with other children. They also love it. I hope this helps!!!

What does your son want to do? We started our son in soccer at age 4, to help his coordination and for him to get some exercise, because he preferred to look at books and play with Lego. My (now ex) husband was a very talented soccer player who had wanted to go pro, so he wanted our son to do soccer too, while my opinion was to leave well enough alone. Well, guess who ended up taking Son to all the practices and all the games. Guess who showed up for about 3 games in 3 years. He said he "couldn't relate" to soccer on that level. The difference in the players, even at ages 4 and 5, was so obvious. There were some kids who were just driven to excel, and would score goal after goal and run circles around the others. My son was just half-hearted the entire time though he did like the little trophies they all got at the end of the season; I remember one time he was goalie and he was much more interested in stomping in a puddle next to the goal than trying to defend the goal, so the other team scored over and over - that pretty much said it all to me. Finally he begged to quit, and what a relief. He is a superior student who just finished his second year in college, and never participated in any sports other than what was required at school, and he's quite fit.

I'd say try your son at soccer or T-ball and see how he does and if he likes it. If you have to drag him to practice every time, I'd say wait a year and try again or find some other kind of activity.

What's your hurry? Let him rip and run in the back yard.

We put my son in T-ball when he was 4. The games get a little boring for the parents, but the kids learn so much. We tried soccer at an early age with our oldest daughter and that just didn't work. You may have to try several sports, but ours is T-ball. I pray everything works out for you.

Age 4 is a great time to introduce T-ball. You can check with your local park or Little League organization. They start to learn about teamwork this way. They don't know much about the game, but these are the best games you will ever see. Be sure to bring the camcorder, as you never know what will happen, and it's a great memory to look back on later.

I think it's great to get children involved in sports and there are a lot of sports for your son at this age. There's soccer, t'ball(baseball), bowling, basketball, golf, most any sport has children younger than him playing. You can also try gymnastics, karate or even dancing(patrick swayze), fencing or horseback riding. You can call parks and recreaction in your area for classes or even the YMCA may have some sport related activities. I hope this helps give you a few ideas.

Many churches do a sports program called Upwards. It is soccer and/or basketball. Some of them will take 4 yr olds. It's up to the individual church to decide. It's an EXCELLENT program. You can look here http://www.upward.org/ to see if any churches in your area participate and to see more about how the program works.

We experienced the same thing several years ago when we discovered BMX bike racing. As long as they can ride a bike without training wheels they are eligable to ride. The track is at Oak mountain state park and it is a wonderful family centered activity. If you are interested in learning more just let me know and I will get you the contact info. My son is now 9 and we are going into our 4th year.

He can still get involved in sports. Tennis and golf can be started at age 3. I used to give tennis lessons to three years olds, it was a lot of fun. It is mainly just teaching them hand-eye coordination and how to hit the ball. How to the hit the ball correctly comes later. You can check out your local USTA program at www.usta.com. I will be putting my son in lessons as soon as he turns 3.

There is always the Dad & Me baseball league.. They can start at 3 and the parents are actually on the field with them teaching them individualy as they learn. It's a great way to get them started.

OH! Also, as the wife of a wrestling coach. Mu husband has had some boys that started that early. It's a really fun sport to watch. If you are interested, email me and I can give you some contacts to check in to it.

Alot of people aren't crazy about wrestling because it's seems barbaric.. but once you get into it and learn more about it. It's a sport that builds character and discipline.

Good luck!

There are sports and activities available for his age. Spring starts wee-ball (before T-ball). My son is three and we are planning on letting him try it out. My neighbor kids loved it! Area GYMS have activities too. Court South has Kids in Motion, which includes pre-soccer, pre-karate, and other kids activities. Good luck in finding the right one for your son!

You could always check out The First Tee of Central Arkansas for golf. That's something you could all enjoy as a family when your husband gets back.

Good luck

A lot of churches do upward basketball. Redoubt does soccer starting at age 3. The little Gym offers alot of different options for kids.

I have had my daughter envolved in something since 12 months. She loves feeling like she is a part of a team.

Good luck!

My son played t-ball at 4, but now their is upward basketball. Which is going on now at your local churches.

In the Tri-Cities area, he can play t-ball, flag football, soccer and all the upwards sports!!