Best Sports for Short Kids

Let’s start this guide by asking you a few important questions:

First, who do they pick to play on the basketball team? Someone tall, right?
Now, who do they choose to play volleyball? Probably someone tall.

Lastly, who do you think they pick to play handball? Again, somebody tall.

You get the idea. Finding a sport that you can excel at as a short kiddo can be challenging.

Thankfully, it’s not impossible! Many sports focus on speed or agility instead of height as the key to success. So, we did all the heavy lifting for you and compiled a list of the best sports for short kids.

No matter your choice, these sports will help you get healthier, build friendships, and gain confidence. So let’s take a look at them!

1. Gymnastics

One of the first sports that focus on agility and strength in its activities instead of height is gymnastics.

For starters, there are “floor events,” which are a combination of tumbling and dancing that require loads of flexibility and grace.

Another activity is the “balance beam,” where female gymnasts can be seen performing intricate stunts like flips and twists over a thin beam.

For male gymnasts, you can see most of them performing things like “rings,” where two small circles are hanging almost eight feet above the ground. The male players then perform various tricks using those rings, like holding themselves upside down!

2. Figure Skating

In general, skating on ice can be a fun and healthy activity. Now, add some music and a few twists and turns through the wind, and you got yourself a beautiful sport that everyone can enjoy.

You see, figure skating is a mix of ballet, dancing, and ice skating. Unlike gymnastics, this sport isn’t all about strength but more about elegance, balance, coordination, endurance, and agility.

You can participate in this sport alone or with a companion.

Figure skating requires a lot of mental focus and stability, as you’ll always have to be aware of your movements—don’t forget you’re balancing on a blade on ice!

But don’t let this overwhelm you; figure skating is still a great choice that can help you improve your endurance, balance, and flexibility.

3. Diving

Another sport that’ll have you flying through the air—literally— is diving. This is a sport that asks for a few things, and none of them include great height!

In fact, having a small body plus loads of flexibility are excellent qualities when it comes to diving, as they’ll help you move with relative ease.

This is because small bodies face less resistance regarding the air and water, while flexibility allows them to perform twists and turns smoothly.

Also, let’s remember that all this routine happens while you’re in the air! You start by jumping off a springboard or platform and diving a couple of meters through the air into the water.

Your main goal is to execute your routine with precision, control, and a form of artistry. This is why diving as a sport is so challenging yet rewarding. It doesn’t depend on your height or physical strength but on your, technique, discipline, and focus.

4. Equestrian

Not many sports offer you the chance to play with an animal while having the time of your life. Equestrian is a sport that includes many exercises, such as vaulting with the horse, dressage, eventing, racing, and more.

These activities need three main things from the participant:

Patience

Balance
Understanding

Being an equestrian is all about riding on the horse with agility and balance to show off the horse’s skill in front of the crowd. However, this requires that you have a lot of patience so you can perfect the necessary riding skills.

Lastly, you’ll need to build a solid understanding of your horse’s tells and body language to ensure you’re both in tune.

Though equestrian isn’t as famous as other sports, it’s definitely worth a try. It’ll help you strengthen your core and burn calories while keeping you in touch with the wildlife.

5. Table Tennis (Ping-Pong)

A bit like tennis but without all the extra running around, table tennis is the perfect sport for all shorties out there. The game requires its players to stand on the opposite ends of a table and hit a small ball with a paddle back and forth.

As you can guess, height isn’t an essential factor in this sport, so you shouldn’t feel intimidated at all.

While taller players can have a bit more reach, short players can easily compensate for that with speed, agility, and accuracy. The best thing about this game is that it’s a low-impact sport.

This means you can enjoy this sport without worrying about knee injuries, back problems, or other long-term health issues. It simply doesn’t stress your body as other sports do.

6. Soccer

Every four years, the world gathers around to watch the World Cup, where players come together from all over to compete in a fierce competition.

Now, if you look among those players, you’ll see short ones that made it big! For example, the legendary Diego Maradona was only 5.5 ft, and he held the world cup in his hands!

Another great example is the dubbed GOAT of soccer, Lionel Messi, who’s around 5.7 ft and managed to help his team get to the World Cup and win many medals on his own.

So, as you can see, this sport doesn’t need you to be tall to be good. It offers its players stamina, endurance, and excellent opportunities while only requiring good dribbling skills, speed, and agility.

7. Judo

Not many people are as familiar with judo as with karate, taekwondo, or other martial arts. Nonetheless, it’s one of the best fighting sports that can help you develop incredible physical strength and endurance.

Judo is all about following the rules and cleanly throwing, pining, or mastering your opponent. Though this might seem easier to do if you’re taller, it’s not impossible if you’re short!

In fact, you can use your small size to your advantage by being a bit more nimble and agile! You can easily offset your opponent and take them down—all you’ll need is to put your weight in each movement and use the momentum to your advantage.

We understand that not many people prefer this sport, as it can seem somewhat violent. Yet, judo doesn’t involve any tools and doesn’t allow the players to strike each other.

That’s why it’s so unique because players need to focus on reading their opponent and subduing them without incurring any injuries or harming them.

8. Fencing

If a sport can combine the gamer and athlete mindset in one place, it’s fencing. This sport can bring out the best in kids, as it’s a form of dueling where two opponents try to score a touch with a sword while wearing protective gear.

It might sound dangerous as you’re reading this, but fencing is actually a pretty safe sport that ranks among the lowest sports in terms of injury rates.

Moreover, it’s another sport where height isn’t a main requirement as much as speed and balance. So, there’s no clear advantage regarding height, and anyone can be a winner.

It’s an excellent sport that requires a combination of footwork, blade work, strategy, and quick thinking. As a result, the game appeals to many children who have a competitive streak and a strategic mind.

9. Cycling

Riding a bike is something most of us learn by the time we’re six years old. However, taking that hobby and turning it into a professional sport is a whole other story.

Cycling is a mix of mental and physical endurance, as it takes so much out of you to stay in a race for at least 30 minutes.

There are many forms of cycling, such as mountain bike racing, BMX, and cyclocross. Each has its unique set of rules and regulations, but all are equally enjoyable.

Most importantly, they don’t depend on height as a winning factor. In fact, the only way for a cyclist to become an excellent one is through strict training sessions and the right gear. Luckily, being tall or short doesn’t matter.

Finally, the best thing about this sport is that it’s an outdoor activity that lets you enjoy the fresh air while keeping fit!

10. Archery

The last sport we have on our list here is archery. Now, this sport didn’t start out like most others here. People used bows and arrows in wars back in the day in wars.

As time passed and technology developed, they became less and less useful. However, instead of letting it go, the English decided to be the first ones to incorporate it as a sport in competitions.

The game is all about standing still, keeping your balance, and aiming for the center of the target. There’s no jumping, running, or anything that may give an advantage to tall people, so this sport does not depend on height as a factor.

The trick behind becoming a great archer is developing a proper technique that allows for consistent accuracy and precision in every shot.

Also, regular practice can do wonders as it increases muscle memory and movement coordination.

Finally, what makes archery so great is that it’s a safe, low-injury sport because it doesn’t involve any contact or collision with any player or object.

Quick Recap

So, did you find a sport you liked on our list? We sure hope you did! All of the sports listed here are great for kids who want to get a new hobby and make new friends.

To give you a quick recap, our list of the best sports for short kids started out with gymnastics, as it’s one of the most popular sports out there.

Following behind, there’s figure skating, diving, and equestrian, where all you need is a good sense of coordination, balance, and agility.

Moreover, you can enjoy ping-pong, cycling, and archery, as most of these sports don’t require a lot of physical strength or height.

Lastly, soccer, judo, and fencing are excellent choices for short kids who enjoy being active and are extra competitive.

References

The Top 7 Health Benefits Of Gymnastics For Body And Mind – The Studio Director

10+ Fun Pool Exercises for Kids to Encourage Physical Activity

A Guide to Exercising in Extreme Temperatures (Hot and Cold)

Why Has Fitness Become So Popular?

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