[SlinkyMalinki]

As the title, what sport do you or your kids play, and how did you get into them?

Prompted by DH wondering how some of the Olympians got into some of the less-common sports out there, like Synchronized Swimming and Rhythmic Gymnastics.

I'm not sporty myself - I was more into music/dance, but I played tennis for a couple of years, and a little bit of volleyball in highschool, though I wasn't particularly good.

DH played basketball from primary school til his mid 20s.

[JRA]

My main sports as a child were equestrian (if we are talking olympics) and netball.

Why? My family were a horsey family. Mum and dad had horses, they showed horses, they had a thoroughbred stallion. They also started the local pony club. Netball: mum played netball and coached our team/s.

DS is just finishing his 3rd year of hockey. Why? Well... he tried auskick DISASTER, any sport at school looked not a happening thing and at kelly sports they had hockey sticks and it was the first time he looked comfortable. So he joined the local club - best decision ever.

He also swims, he played basketball over the summer last year, but wants to do nippers from now on, given he loves the surf.

DH's main sports were rowing and athletics. He always wanted to be a rower, and was a pretty decent rower

[SeaPrincess]

I wasn't great at sports as a child, but I had a bash at tennis, hockey and netball. I played mixed netball as an adult too and enjoyed it much more.

All of my children currently do swimming, DS1 does karate and DD does ballet. DS2 does a multi-sports thing where they play lots of games based on skills from a number of games (soccer, hockey, football, basketball, etc). DS1 has done it as well and based on that, he wants to play footy next year.

R

[cantthinkofone]

I play soccer because I like it and it's fun. Kids don't currently do any sport but will next year.

[Kristina13]

I played netball as a child ( but was never very good) and enjoyed the later racquet sports I played - badminton and tennis. I also did calisthenics for many years which I did well at.
DH played cricket and soccer as a kid/teen in the UK.

DS plays soccer and cricket too! he loves both these team sports and is considered one of the stars in both teams!

This post has been edited by Kristina13: 11/08/2012, 09:12 PM

[Elizabethandfrie...]

Interesting topic for me as neither DH or I were sporty but I really want my daughter to get involved as she's naturally quite inactive (prefers craft, TV, Reading Eggs etc to going outside).

So far we have tried a Pre-School tennis class and Ready Steady Go and Ballet. None were a stunning success, although they all held her interest for a short while.

She likes singing so I'm going to try callistenics or a music theatre type class next year and gymnastics and maybe a modern dance.

She also does swimming.

[The 7 Dwarfs]

My kids do athletics, cross country, fencing and boxing. They also take swimming lessons in the warmer months. They have also done calisthenics before.

I did athletics, cross country, basketball and karate as a child. My main thing was athletics and cross country. I now do a bit of cross country and a bit of boxing training.

DH did athletics, swimming, basketball and boxing. He won a few national medals for the swimming and athletics, but now does boxing and cross country.

ETA: (how / why they got into them)

Athletics / cross country: Where me and DH met and something common between us obviously. Just a we did it, we'll get them into it thing. Also like that with a large family, it's something simple. It goes from 3 years to 17 years, one location, one time.

Fencing: We wanted to find something DS could do that wasn't a team sport and something rare that he could say he did, but no one else say in his class does. He struggles with sports due to his medical condition as it has impaired his physical development. I found a club, took him down for a trial and the other kids also wanted to do it as well.

Boxing: My DH is a competitor, coach and has his own club, so our children are taught by him.

Swimming: Just for safety reasons living 1km away from the beach.

This post has been edited by No Excuses: 11/08/2012, 09:27 PM

[kadoodle]

DH did the rural "footy in winter, cricket in summer" thing, did swimming lessons and got into long distance running in his late teens.

I played basketball, danced, did gymnastics, swimming, tennis and tae kwon do at various times. I got into aerobics/gym after having kids as, despite loving basketball, I've struggled with injuries as I've got older.

My older kids have done dancing, gymnastics, swimming, soccer, football and cricket at various times.

Currently DD1 and DD2 do highland dancing. DS1 is doing break dancing and just finished Auskick.

Am going to have them back at swimming and try Little Aths next term.

[Zesty]

The main sports that my kids are involved with are martial arts. They started with Taekwondo and participated with that for several years. Now we have moved to an area where that wasn't offered, they tried Judo and didn't like it and are now going to Karate.

When we move again, they have requested to go back to TKD. We got into it because we were searching for a program that would involved the personal discipline and confidence that martial arts supports.

[Beltie]

My girls will be sailing in dinghies as soon as they can competently swim.

They don't have much choice as DH is from a big sailing family and we met through the sport. I started in primary school by crewing for a friend from school. It's a great sport to get into as a family as there are lots of parent/child teams out there learning together and having great fun. As the kids develop they move into their own boats and sail with friends or siblings.