Do you encourage your kids to run?

Willy,

My son, now 6, started running the 1500 at weekly club races occasionally when he was 4. I made the mistake of taking him to a 5K this summer(he asked to run one), but he got bored and struggled in the middle. I think soccer is great training for most kids, then just take 'em out to run the short ones. As far as shoes go, unless there's a real reason, I'm of the good sneakers school. I trained in Converse All-Stars most of HS. Just be sure they are having fun out there. If our sport IS their punishment, they won't come back.

Wayne

My free advice:

Don't encourage it, don't discourage it. If he wants to run down the sidewalk, let him. He'll stop when he gets tired. If you go on a run with him, he'll want to do it more. Let him play soccer, basbell, etc.

Don't buy him a pair of running shoes until he's 12.

My son just graduated high school and my daughter is a jr. Both played soccer as kids up to 6th grade. they ran in all their sports and played during the day. they so me run every day but never asked to run with me nor did I ask them if they wanted too. both kids run/walked in our church walkathon to raise money, both doing 10-12 miles as 9 year olds.

after Fall soccer my son as a 9yr and 12yr ran/walked 17 and 33 miles in a 8 hour event, going as they pleased

when they went into 6th grade their friends ran XC and I suggested they give it a try. it was the first formal running they ever did. I fully supported them...but I told them they had to run in the summer if only a few miles 5 days a week. they ran with me sometimes..

they did and now 6 years later they have run every year and seem to enjoy the running...the races..well thats anopther thind

In summary, their friends were a big influence on what sport they liked, then I encourged them to treat the sport as a long term thing, fun, a good way to enjoy the outside and going easy was important

my son ran a 4:46 1600, a 2:05 800, a 10:46 3200 his senior year and my daughter ran 5:48 for 1600

I think you want to be a good example, let them see you run and expose them to it, but not pressure them into anything.

We have two boys, for which I am the stepfather. With the natural father before me, my wife took our oldest to a 5K. He finished....and he didn't like it. It wasn't the running, it was the crowd noise!

With me, things have been a little different. When they were around 3-6, they used to come with me and my wife to the track. They brought toys and weren't pressured to do anything. They messed around doing "fun" stuff (long jump in particular), and they also messed around with my starting blocks (yes, a 3-year-old running out of blocks!) and sometimes ran next to me during warmups. They don't come to the track with me any more, but my youngest has been in a running club at school since the 2nd grade (he brings the consent form to me, not the other way around), and last year at open house time, when he listed his favorite activities, one of them was "jogging" (his word, his idea). I'm really a track person but I'm doing a road race in a couple of weeks, and my 8-year-old is going to run in the kids race (once, again, because HE wants to).

I suspect that my youngest is going to compete in running in high school--cross country, if he's not fast enough to do sprints like me--but my oldest really isn't that interested (The bad experience? Maybe).

If your kids like you, they will want to do things with you. All you have to do is set a good example. When they're ready, they'll let you know. Buy them running shoes when they're ready to use them.

I got my kids into running at age 6 and 7 (boy and girl). My son is super fast for his age and my daughter seems to be tireless. They asked me if they could run with me so I took them and bought them some real running shoes (Saucony) since I feel they need proper support too. They run about 3 times a week with me for about a mile. We have fun chatting away at about 9-10 minute mile pace and then I let them drop the hammer the last 200-400 which they amaze me at how fast they can run. They enjoy that and I think they are self motivated by the fact that they can run much faster than all of their friends. Most of the kids in their school are fatties so they know they are more healthy and physically fit.

Thanks for the info everyone. I'll use the advice.

I'm now 34, but I started running on a team at 7. I still love the sport and always have. I have 2 boys (5&2), and another boy on the way. I'm pretty sure one, if not all, will be heavy into running.

I'm not trying to boast, because I think I could have been better in college, but I ran a 10:14 3000 when I was eleven (4th in the nation), 3:51 1500 as a junior in HS(4th in the nation), and I ran a 13:56 5k at the Penn relays in college (ended up being a D-1 All-Amer.). I have also done some HS coaching.

I did a lot of sports growing up, but of course running was the biggest. I took a break from running my 6th and 7th grade years. If you start kids in almost any individualized sport, and they are good when they are young, it is imparative that there is a break, or burn out is a given.

I think that the competitive running when I was young helped me immensly in HS. Running good in HS paid for my college education.

I think that starting young is not a problem if it is done correctly. Don't EVER forget that a motivated athlete will be ten times more successful than an athlete with a motivated parent or coach. In other words, if your gonna help, help them to push themselves.

I hate soccer because kids play it, like it, stay with it (usually because of their club coaches), and almost always end up riding the bench for their HS JV team. And then they are left with nothing. Happens all the time. It's kind of a trap.

Enjoy running while your kids are young. World class runners usually start heavy training at 16 to 18 years old. At that time I think athletes should be starting serious training at about 50 miles a week, and moving to 100 miles a week by 20 years old.

Good luck with your kids I hope that helps.

My daughter is 21/2 years old. She loves to run. Most of time she runs in the beach. I do encourage her to run although I never force her to run. She really enjoys herself. I am not sure whether she will be a runner, but she is really active. When she is older, I may encourage her to run too. But I will let her decide what her favourite sport is. By the way, she is a really good swimmer for her age.