If you have a kid who is not into sports, that’s great. I’ll bet you can figure out fun ways to get him or her outside and engaged in a way that will be rewarding for you both.

My daughter, Olivia, thinks her head is a “ball magnet,” so she does not participate too actively in sports. That’s cool. She does love helping people, though, so I signed her up to be a buddy in a basketball league for kids with special needs. She loves it.

Last summer, Olivia volunteered at an equestrian camp to assist kids as they learned to interact with horses. She realized it was hard work, and she definitely got her exercise.

We also love to swim in the ocean together. Every summer it takes her a few hours to get used to the size of the waves and remember her technique for diving under. Once she gets it, she’s a fish and she won’t get out of the water.

Olivia's Dad

Posted by Doug Donaldson at 01:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Summertime and the livin’ is easy? I think summer should be different for a kid than the school year is. A time when kids can try different things, explore, and just be a kid. Camping, hiking, free play. Summer can be a great break from organized leagues, formal practices, and scheduled routines.

Trying different games and activities with your kids—especially if you’re a coach or active sports parent—allows them to see you in a new setting and may help them gain another perspective on the value and meaning of play.

Posted by Doug Donaldson at 01:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Summer is great because the kids step out of the organized leagues and get to have a bit more goofy fun…lots of bike riding, body surfing and swimming in the lake and ocean, surfing, and skimboarding.

Also ladderball, which I guess is more of a game like horseshoes than an actual sport. Who know?—Let’s hear from you horseshoe pros and ladderball aficionados.

Posted by Doug Donaldson at 02:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)