Best Competitive Sports for MilKids

By Sarah Pflugradt

Military kids move a lot and they also want to fit in as soon as they get to a new duty station. For many MilKids, sports are a way for them to have a constant and familiar activity each time they move. Unfortunately, competitive sports are well, competitive — and that means if you are moving to an area that is more competitive, they may have a hard time finding a team.

When moving to a new place, it’s important for kids and adults to have realistic expectations about making a team right away. Talk with your child about what happens if they don’t make a team they tried out for.

Talk about having a back-up activity that they love just as much. Let’s say they don’t make the travel team for soccer or baseball, but there is a rec club that they could join to keep up with practice until next year. Take that opportunity to keep skills sharp, meet other like-minded sports families, and learn the ins and outs of sports in your new home.

It can take time to break through in competitive team sports, such as soccer, baseball, volleyball, lacrosse, and football. In competitive areas, the tryouts can be intense.

These sports were chosen for their uniqueness in being both an individual and a team sport. Individual scores are objective and for these sports, it’s all about how the individual scores add up to benefit the team – so naturally the team wants whoever can give them a win.

Of course, this is my number one best sport for MilKids. Most areas have a swim team — club or school, and our favorite saying every time we move and try out for a new team is, “A time is a time, and it doesn’t lie.” Our kids have easily transitioned to different swim teams and the best part about tryouts is when you write down your time. It’s objective and gives an immediate snapshot of their ability and how they will contribute to the team.

Much like swimming, getting individual times as a track or cross-country athlete is an immediate piece of information that can be given to a coach to indicate how that athlete compares to their current roster and how they will be able to contribute to the team.

If your child’s new school has a tennis team and your kid plays tennis, you are in great shape. Tennis isn’t as popular in some areas as others, so this is a sport that your child has the potential to really excel in. Once again, individual ability will determine their chances of making the team, rather than any notion of familiarity or personal bias from coaches.

Wrestling is becoming more popular at younger ages, and there are more opportunities for girls than ever before. Individual skill is going to set your child apart when they move to a new wrestling team. This can also be a huge advantage to challenge them with new opponents.

High school golf teams may not be common everywhere, but if your kid plays golf, you can be sure their talent will shine on the green, and a coach will be more attracted to their ability rather than the number of years you’ve lived there.

1. Do your research — if your child plays a sport, any sport, do a quick search of the area and see how competitive the teams are. This will give you a sense of expectation when you move there. This can also help if you were thinking of doing some private lessons to brush up on skills, especially if their sport is not offered year round where you currently live.
2. Contact the coach — Always! If you have a kid who is planning on trying out for a team when you arrive at your new duty location, you want that coach to know who your kid is before they even walk in the door. That means, letting them know you’re coming and ask if there’s anything you need to do to prepare, and giving stats/times if they want them.
3. Keep the pressure low — You’re stressed, your family is stressed, and your kid is stressed. There is a lot of new happening when you move and switching teams for an athlete is stressful. Keep the pressure low with positive reinforcement, realistic expectations, and a good night’s sleep.