Oscar, four and a half, had just passed the first two cones. At the third, the ball rolled sideways. He followed it, then kept going to the far end of the pitch, delighted to have so much space.
Julien, his dad, pointed to the course to show him where to return. Oscar waved.
When looking for a sport for his four-year-old, Julien had thought about friends, coordination and the fun of discovering something new. He hadn’t expected to spend the session wishing Oscar would stay between orange cones.
He liked the ball. The programme, less so.
Julien wasn’t hoping to raise a champion. He simply wanted to offer his son an opportunity, the sort you might regret not offering early enough.
Yet signing up had added a little goal to every Saturday: join the exercise, listen to the instructions, finish the course. Without noticing, he was watching what Oscar wasn’t doing more than everything he was enjoying.
Oscar ran, changed direction and tried to catch the ball before it reached the fence. He moved a lot. He followed very little of the programme.
When the instructor offered a few minutes of free play, Oscar rushed onto the pitch. Julien stopped beckoning him back. His son no longer needed reminding to join in.
Sport at four: what are they there to do?
This session didn’t mean Oscar disliked sport, or that every organised activity was too early for him. It mainly showed a gap between what he was asked to do and what he had come for.
One class might leave plenty of room for trying things, taking breaks and playing games. Another might spend more time waiting for a turn or repeating a movement. The name of the sport doesn’t always tell you what the session will be like.
Before renewing the booking, Julien could ask for a trial in a more playful group. He could also watch Oscar afterwards: did he want to go back, or did he just want the ball again?
For now, they had some grass and a ball. As with playing outside without an elaborate plan, that could be enough to get started.
Julien suggested:
Oscar asked whether his dad would run too. Julien said yes, then regretted not wearing his trainers.
This time, he might be the one who couldn’t manage the whole programme.
