My 11 year-old daughter plays soccer, swims and runs xc. She really likes the first two sports, but really doesn't enjoy distance running. We really don't push her to run because we want her to learn to like to run. not dread it. So, does anybody have any advice on how to nurture a love for running in the long-term for an 11 year-old?
11 is still very young to start running, and it might be best that you don't encourage her until a few years from now. I have witnessed numerous kids start running from an early age and then quit during high school, where it really starts to matter.
So my advice is not to push it. If she wants to run though, absolutely let her, but don't have her overtrain, or even train consistently.
It would be highly unusual for an 11yr old to like running (track or XC) over soccer, softball, basketball, or swimming. Leave it alone.
Personally, I hated running up until high school. I ran cross country and track one season each in middle school and despised it. My dad is a life-long runner but he didn't push me into it at all. Sophomore year I decided to go out for cross country to get in shape for baseball and fell in love with it. Just give her time, I don't really know what else there is to do
She will love it or not. Do you think you can be made to like a sport?
let her follow her inner directives
within a controlled structure of course
can't make someone like something they don't
And why does she have to learn to love running? Just because you do? You sound like a real jerk. Did you know that it is impossible to raise VO2 max in a prepubescent girl? It is physiologically impossible. So why is she running distance? Maybe she's a sprinter. ALL children of this age should be doing sprinting. And the focus should be on fun.
You don't "get" someone to love something. You can create positive associations, but it's either going to happen or it's not. You can't force it.
This is just sad. Let her be what she wants to be.
Read previous posts. Give it time. She is young. I' have spent over 35 years running long distance, and hated it before I was 15.
Ease her in to it. Let her see the success of some girls that she is better than. Maybe take her to a road race where she gets a nice shiny trophy.
I used to tell my high school xc runners about their odds of playing basketball or soccer in college compared to running xc in college.
Treat this like a marathon, not a sprint. Gradually plant the seeds.
So why is she doing it? Are you making her? Man, that would be the #1 way to make me hate it.
10/10
Look at all the responses you got!
You HAVE to be a troll, because NO PARENT would in all honesty write that.
Good show, brother!
Hawkeye 48 wrote:
My 11 year-old daughter plays soccer, swims and runs xc. She really likes the first two sports, but really doesn't enjoy distance running. We really don't push her to run because we want her to learn to like to run. not dread it. So, does anybody have any advice on how to nurture a love for running in the long-term for an 11 year-old?
It's very important that you make your kids like the things you do, and not the things they want to.
Threaten your child with punishment if they don't show a marked increase in appetite for running, and hit them if they don't. It would be even better if you could sexually interfere with them as well.
solid effort wrote:
Hawkeye 48 wrote:My 11 year-old daughter plays soccer, swims and runs xc. She really likes the first two sports, but really doesn't enjoy distance running. We really don't push her to run because we want her to learn to like to run. not dread it. So, does anybody have any advice on how to nurture a love for running in the long-term for an 11 year-old?
It's very important that you make your kids like the things you do, and not the things they want to.
Threaten your child with punishment if they don't show a marked increase in appetite for running, and hit them if they don't. It would be even better if you could sexually interfere with them as well.
Exactly! Personally, I've decided that my son is going to be an M.D. Of course he hasn't been born yet (actually, he hasn't been conceived yet (actually, I don't even have a girlfriend)), but when the day comes, dammit my son WILL go to Harvard Med. This desire comes mostly from the fact that I failed out of premed and I need to live through my son (when I have one). I was a C student, but there will be hell to pay if my son doesn't rock a 4.0 from kindergarten through college on his way to a neurosurgery fellowship.
I can't wait to start pushing desires that are borne out of my own insecurity on my child!