Non-sporty boys face social and emotional challenges growing up in a culture that aggrandizes athletic prowess

Certain behaviors at school, like avoiding gym, help teachers and parents identify boys in trouble socially

Alternatives to traditional gym and recess activities are noted

Ideas to implement at home are included as well

Raising non-sporty boys in a culture that prizes athletic talent in males and rewards competitiveness and power playing is no easy feat. After all, it isn’t long before a young boy recognizes that what really matters at the bus stop and on the playground is how far you can throw, how fast you can run and how often you win.

Big, strong, athletically gifted boys have always dominated childhood’s social landscape. Their physical presence alone trumps the clout of smaller, quieter boys, but it’s their love of sports and fierce desire to win anything and everything that really jettisons these boys to the top—especially in America, home of the Marlboro Man and seven-figure pro athlete salaries, and where it is assumed that being faster, stronger, louder, or mightier is always going to be better. Unfortunately, the coolness factor associated with being athletic has created a veritable caste system, leaving many non-athletic boys feeling undervalued and marginalized.

Taking pleasure in playing sports or other types of physical games depends upon at least a few things in a child’s life lining up correctly. For one, they need a body that can run and catch and climb reasonably well. But kids with learning disabilities,........

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