You’re obviously here because you care about your kid, a lot. You’ve also ended up here because your kid is talented and you’re wondering whether they’re gifted at sport.
Every sports mum and dad likes to think that their kid has what it takes to become the next LeBron James, Caitlin Clark, Lionel Messi or Sam Kerr. But how can you actually tell whether or not your kid has what it takes to become the next global superstar?
As a parent myself I’m sure we can all agree that we all want the best for our kids. Supporting and nurturing them through sports, and getting the best out of them is a long, long journey to navigate through.
How to Tell Your Kid is Gifted At Sport
Whether or not your kid is gifted at sports, sports itself is the gift, and the life lessons that come with it are priceless. The reality is however, that only a very select few will ever become professional athletes.
How can you tell if your kid is gifted at sports? Could they become a professional athlete? What are the identifying signs of athletic giftedness in children?
Keep reading on for the ten signs that your child might be gifted at sports:
10. How Competitive They Are
Does your kid have the Mamba Mentality? Pay close attention to your child’s competitive nature and their desire to win in their chosen sport, and sports in general. Gifted kids may thrive in competitive environments and will display levels of determination, resilience, and a drive that will set them apart from their peers.
Tip: Nurturing a competitive spirit in kids can teach children important life lessons and character building. Just as importantly, teach them to learn how to lose gracefully.
9. Exceptional Motor Skills
A telltale sign your kid is gifted at sports is a demonstration of excellent motor skills from a young age. What you’re looking for are these four physical attributes:
- Jumping – does your kid jump further than other kids?
- Running – are they outrunning or outlasting others?
- Throwing – is the power in their throw dominant compared to their peers?
- Catching – how coordinated are they in consistently catching?
8. Natural Athleticism
Pay close attention to your child and to whether they gravitate towards physical activities. Gifted athletes are naturally active and often have an urge to want to play sports. They also make their dominant performances look effortless and the passion they have for ongoing participating will keep you on your feet.
Below we’ve put together four big signs that your kid is athletically gifted:
7. Early Physical Development
Do you know the story of a 15-year-old Michael Jordan? He was skinny and only 5-foot-10 at the time, and wasn’t good enough to make the high school basketball team. After a growth spurt however, Jordan grew to 6-foot-6 and became the best NBA player of all time.
Early physical development can be a sign your kid is gifted at sports. You’re looking for these three key attributes in comparison to their peers:
- Strength
- Flexibility
- Endurance
Major growth spurts can happen at any time, typically between 10 to 15 years for boys, and 8 to 13 years for girls. In the same way children go through growth spurts the acceleration can slow down just as fast.
6. Exceptional Hand-Eye Coordination
From a really young age you might be able to tell if your kid is gifted at sports by the way they catch a ball, hit a target or dribble a ball with precision. Like all other signs, children develop at different rates but remarkable hand-eye coordination is one to keep an eye on. These are three of the best sports activities to play to help improve your kids hand-eye coordination:
- Racket sports
- Swimming
- Playing catch
5. Performing Under Pressure
It’s completely normal for kids to be anxious and nervous before a game. Kids that are gifted at sports may have an edge with an ability to perform under pressure in high-stakes situations and in competitive environments.
Teaching kids the skills to remain composed, confident and resilient during competition is one of the hardest attributes to train and requires a lot of patience. Trust me! I know from personal experience.
“Pressure is something you feel when you don’t know what the hell you’re doing.”
Peyton Manning
4. Ability to Learn and Improve Rapidly
Gifted athletes often exhibit a remarkable ability to learn new skills and techniques quickly. They’re able to grasp complex movements and strategies well beyond their years and are able to retain all of that knowledge easily through consistent practice and training.
Tip: Check out our list of pros and cons for kids sports below. Nurturing kids with skills beyond their years can be fun but there can be consequences.
3. Good Across Multiple Sports
As elite athletes get older they will usually have to choose a single sport to specialize in. Before crossing that bridge, many junior athletes excel across various sports during their developmental years. Adaptability across multiple disciplines are possible signs of a gifted kid.
Young basketball players can typically slot straight onto the football field, and footballers often crossover into soccer and baseball. There are some famous examples that come to mind:
- Michael Jordan: The greatest basketball player of all time reached a Double-A level of baseball following his first retirement from the NBA, hitting three home runs for the Birmingham Barons.
- Deion Sanders: Played in 641 MLB games as a left and center fielder, and 188 NFL games as arguably the best cornerback of all time.
- Bo Jackson: The only professional athlete in history to be named as an All-Star in two Major Sports – a 1989 MLB All-Star and 1990 NFL All-Star.
2. Keen Observational Skills
Gifted young athletes will often possess great observational skills which is evident when kids are holding their own when playing against older kids.
They’ll analyze and adapt to surroundings during gameplay through tactics and reacting based on an opponent’s moves well above their years.
1. High Level of Focus and Concentration
Intense focus and concentration during sports activities is a sign your kid is a gifted athlete. What you’re looking for is if they can maintain their attention on the game for extended periods, staying engaged, and making split-second decisions under pressure.
Most importantly, if your kid is passionate about a sport, a high level of focus and concentration will be second nature. And whether your kid is gifted at sports or not, it’s their love for sport that will play a significant role in shaping their athletic journey.
“I think sports for kids is the greatest thing in the world because it teaches you how to share, about winning and losing and pressure. But I don’t think you should force your kid to become a professional athlete.”
Wayne Gretzky
Final Thoughts
Now you know the 10 signs to look out for to tell if your kid is gifted at sports:
- Competitive Spirit
- Exceptional Motor Skills
- Natural Athleticism
- Early Physical Development
- Exceptional Hand-Eye Coordination
- Keen Observational Skills
- Ability to Learn and Improve Rapidly
- Versatility Across Multiple Sports
- Performing Under Pressure
- High Level of Focus and Concentration
Whether your kid demonstrates all, many or none of these signs it’s by no means a predictor of future success in sports. Every child develops at their own pace and to get them to the next level you’ll need to help them with these fundamentals:
Motivation – which kid is going to get up early by themselves to play or train?
Coaching – a combination of both professional and personal lessons from you
Parental support – help build confidence, promote a healthy diet and training to avoid injury
Game time opportunities – finding tournaments to get kids used to real competition
It’s crucial to support and nurture a child’s passion for sports, but I personally need to remind myself to maintain a balanced approach to their overall development.
In this case, I’m talking about my 7-year old, and I’ve had to realign goals and expectations for physical and cognitive development as I expect too much for his age. Besides, the physical and mental well-being of our kids is above all else.
Whether a child becomes a pro athlete, or just enjoys sports for fun, prompting physical activity and healthy competition can have lasting benefits for their lifelong journey towards health, happiness, and success.
That’s the real gift of sports.