Easiest high school sport to step right in to?

[Ironmike]

This thread was on wvpreps. What is the easiest high school sport to play if you have never played in middle school etc? I say football on defense.

Football-- a good athlete who has never played a down can do just fine at WR or on defense. From a team aspect, I think pee wee football participation adds very little to the high school outcome.

Baseball--miss one year of Little League nowadays and you are not going to be very good in high school. Ask the world's greatest athlete, Michael Jordan, how hard it is to hit a curveball.

Wrestling--I think you will find that nearly every one of this year's state champions started wrestling by age 5 or 6. Hardest sport for a newcomer.

Softball--in no other team sport can one position carry an entire team like a pitcher in softball because there is no "rest" required by the WVSSAC and you can pitch every day. So, you can "hide" in left field since no one can pull a good softball pitcher.

Basketball--the emergence of travel ball means only teams and individuals that play together in the off-season can compete for a state title. I guess you could play rec or intramural ball and step into a high school position.

Track--I will leave this to cas to comment on.

[BrianGossett]

This is a great question because before 6th grade, I never played an organized sport in my life.

I never played little league baseball, peewee wrestling, flag football, etc...

When I was in 6th grade, I played tackle football for an outfit called The Young Buckeyes. First time I ever played organized sports in my life.

I started with the team as a backup Guard, ended the season as the starting Tailback.

When I entered junior high (7th grade), I played football, naturally. After football was over, all my friends were trying out for basketball, so I tried out too and made the team.

After basketball was over, all my friends went to play baseball, I hated watching the sport on TV, but I was naturally fast so I decided to try this track thing.

First time I ever played basketball or ran track was when we had the first practice my 7th grade year.

At St.Clairsville, we dont have a track field, we have a dirt field... so we practiced without lines and real distances. My first track meet in 7th grade I'm running the 100 meter dash. I guess my coach took it for granted that I'd know that you're suppose to stay in the same lane that you start in... but being that I never ran on a lined track, I didnt know any better. I started out in the 1st lane, by the end of the race, I came in first in the 4th lane. I started my track career with a DQ. lol

But anywho....

All of those sports that were my first. Track was the most easy to just walk into...

BUT oddly... I got more nervous before I ran during track meets than I did for any other sport.

[algernonsidney]

There are two sports that you did not mention--swimming and soccer.

I noticed that some good athletes actually were able to come into swimming and do well pretty quickly. It partially depended on the stroke they were swimming. Swimming freestyle is the easiest. It is still necessary to know proper form though.

[belmontmothman]

Track, if your fast, your fast.

[LineisFine]

I agree with Swimming and Track being the easiest. Wrestling might be the hardest.

[Rknow]

I know we don't have Rugby in this area, but I'd rank it up there with wrestling. I lettered 4 times in the sport, and still didn't understand half the rules my senior year. I just knew that if the ref pointed at me and blew the whistle I was doing something I wasn't supposed to be doing.

[Moondog]

its like riding a bike. like they say, once you get on one you never forget how to get off it. riding a bike

[LineisFine]

I played soccer in college. The first soccer game I ever saw, i was playing in. I don't think it was al that easy though. The rules concerning off-sides and the whole working of the offense and defense is pretty complicated. It took me several years to really understand what we were trying to accomplish.
In track you just keep turning left. If someone is behind you, don't let them pass. If someone is in front of you, pass them. Not too complicated.

[Rknow]

Golf would be another one that isn't easy to walk into.

[osu92]

I don't agree with the wrestling being the hardest. I knew some kids from the 70's who never wrestled until 9th grade and ended up being great high school and college wrestlers. They felt they did as well or better than the kids who wrestled in small fry due to being excited about the sport and not "burned out." Sports like track or swimming should be the easiest to get invoved, you can either run or swim or you can't. Then you just improve with hard work. Most team sports take hand eye coordiantion and that is hard to master if you don't have it.

[ImAClownCar]

Hmmmm

[Officer Slater]

Baseball is probably the hardest, and that opinion comes from experience. Stepping into the sport in high school without any years of little league or pony league ball is one of the hardest things I've done. From learning the rules to learning the mechanics; being able to master the throwing motion or simple glove-eye coordination. I give credit to anyone who even attempts it.

Track is probably the easiest. They're aren't a lot of schools that have middle school track programs; moreover, being blessed with the gift of speed can be utilized easily with the proper technique for track running.

[Ironmike]

Baseball is probably the hardest, and that opinion comes from experience. Stepping into the sport in high school without any years of little league or pony league ball is one of the hardest things I've done. From learning the rules to learning the mechanics; being able to master the throwing motion or simple glove-eye coordination. I give credit to anyone who even attempts it.

Track is probably the easiest. They're aren't a lot of schools that have middle school track programs; moreover, being blessed with the gift of speed can be utilized easily with the proper technique for track running.

Several excellent points, Officer. And since I now can think of at least one wrestler who did not start until 8th-9th grade and who won an OVAC wrestling championship this year, I guess I switch my vote to baseball as being the toughest to step right in to and excel with no prior experience.

[ineedaTO]

Track would have to be easy compared to others - all you do is run or throw something its not that hard to practice for. Not everyone is fast, obviously, but at most schools they don't cut for track.

Wrestling would be hard as well as golf.
Golf may be the hardest sport to get good at.

[BrianGossett]

Golf may be the hardest sport to get good at.

True...