Homeschool question, outside activities?

Question

Hello, I am a 17 year old homeschooler. I have been isolated at home for roughly 4 some years, and not I have decided to get off my @** and do something social. I have been wanting to the past years, but I couldn't think of what I could possibly do.

I want to participate in a sport of any kind, however I am 17, and I belong to no school specifically. So where does that leave me? I have no sport teams to join, does the 'Y' provide teams for folks my age? I would honestly prefer something with both sexes, as I would find myself extremely bored with just dudes... =.= Any ideas?

Answer 1

I just realize it's hopeless....

Where do you live?

Edit: I mean for the time being (Teenage years) that I'm pretty much alone, and that I really have no "friends"....I've lost, and missed alot of things so far, and am going to miss out on alot of things, I just realize the few things I want, or really wanted to do or have, aren't really going to happen (For the time being)....And I don't convince myself that it will when I know and tried for it....

There's nothing I hate more than false hope....

But everyone's different, alot of people love and are happy with being homeschooled, and I wish them all the best....

I wish I was more like them....

=)

Haha! I love that persons answer "I don't want to do anything about it". Well I do, and have tried....

Again false hope....

And yes, you can do all those things (Which I've tried) but it doesn't mean you're going to make "Friends" (By friends I mean people you hang out with, and talk alot, do things with)....Then again in my city there aren't to many homeschoolers....

Trust me dude, as much as I dislike homeschooling....It's taught me a very good lesson that I just learned earlier, and faster than most people....Nobody cares! You're alone. And it's a horrible feeling....

Join clubs, and stuff....I just joined a sowing club with a bunch of old ladies, haha....Or a tennis club or something....

I just (personally) don't care for clubs very much, to me it just validates (For me anyway) and enhances my loserness....

And thank you for feeling my pain, hard to find people that agree with me on some aspects of homeschooling....

=)

Answer 2

Boy Scouts.

Answer 3

Don't listen to that first answer. That guy is a bit hopeless and doesn't WANT to do anything about it.

You on the other hand have options now that you've realized that YOU need to make the effort to be social.

You can join an individual sport association. Some individual sports that you can usually find a co-ed program for are:

Swimming

Fencing (my personal FAVORITE)

Martial Arts

Boxing

Judo

Wrestling

Tennis

Track

Horseback Riding

Gymnastics

Kiyaking

Fishing

Open up the yellow pages and see what you can find. You can also check your county's Parks and Recreation website and see if they have a catalog of activities and programs you can check out.

Team sports are another option, and you aren't too old to participate. For starters, a lot of school districts are either willing to or required to allow homeschoolers to participate in their extracurricular activities. Call up the school you would normally be attending (or call the board of education) and ask them what it takes for a homeschooler to get onto a school sports team. If the public schools wont help you, a private school is much more likely to, especially if it's a school with a home education program.

Outside of school teams, you could participate on a city or state team. You will need to call up Parks and Rec and ask about age limits for sports teams. Then call up other organizations like the YMCA or a local community center. If you can't play, you might be able to do something else as well. Around here, once you're too old to play on the city soccer team you can become a ref or an assistant coach. You should also look into duel enrolling at a community college. Often, duel enrollment students may be allowed to participate in college sports and activities if they can make the teams.

There's more than just sports too. Some other things you could get involved in are:

Individual instrument lessons at a local music school or store

Group band, chorus, or orchestra classes at a music school or store (some places offer band class especially for homeschoolers as well).

Science, History, Engineering, or other special interest clubs at local museums, parks, and science centers.

Odessy of the Mind (OM). Once you start making friends, you can form your own team and enter just like any public schooler.

Clubs and activities for teenagers at the local library (check out their website)

Clubs and activities for teens at a local community or youth center. (call or look online)

Art class/club at a local studio (yellow pages)

Orienteering

Organizations like People to People Student Ambassadors

All sorts of camps and conventions and programs you can attend. (some universities offer fun and educational programs for teenagers to attend)

Drama club at a local theater

Volunteering at an animal shelter

Volunteering at a hospital

Volunteering at a school or library

Volunteering just about anywhere

And when in doubt, look up any homeschool groups, co-ops, or organizations in your area. Just google <city/state> homeschool groups. These groups offer clubs, some classes, sports, field trips, dances, prom, holiday socials, grad night, yearbook club, newspaper, and so many other activities for homeschoolers of all ages. Check one out. If they don't have something for you, join and start it yourself. And remember, once you start making friends, you don't have to be in a structured setting to socialize. Go to the movies, the mall, an arcade, a park, a go-cart track, the gym, the library, anywhere that people go and that you're interested in, and just be social. Good luck!

Answer 4

have you tried enrolling in your local community college?

Answer 5

That's about the same time I swapped to homeschooling (middle of 7th grade), but it was of my own free will--I hated public school and finally convinced my mom to listen to me. Maybe if you really don't feel that homeschooling is working for you, you should see about going back to public school. It seems to me some kids are made for it, and others aren't.

If you do like some aspects of homeschooling, but just want more socialization, why don't you try looking for groups in your area? We don't have a YMCA in our area, but we do have a few rec centers that provide classes and team sports for teens/adults--ours only offers basketball, raquetball, and tennis though, among other classes such as gymastics.

Some gyms offer classes that would give you the chance to socialize, such as spinning, water aerobics, yoga, regular aerobics, etc. That may be worth looking into, but may be expensive as most gyms charge a monthly fee.

Martial arts or fencing may be another thing to look into. Try looking in the phone book or online to see if you have any places holding classes near you.

If you're artistic, many craft stores offer multi-week classes in which you can learn to carve, paint, draw, scrapbook, etc. There are usually many like-minded people in those types of classes you can get to know.

The library is also a great place to look for chances to socialize. They often offer all sorts of classes! The one near me offers everything from knitting to kick boxing! I was in a teen creative writing club from ages 16-18 at my local library, made some great friends and even got to do some public reading at community events. That was pretty cool. So I'd check with your library and see if they offer anything you'd be interested in.

You may also try volunteering somewhere, depending on your interests. Perhaps volunteer at a vet clinic, nursing home, homeless shelter, thrift store, etc. I'm sure you can find something that would suit your interests, and often those types of places will have other teens volunteering as well, that you'll get to know.

Good luck!  

Oh, something I just thought of! The local highschools here will let homeschooled students participate in their band if they want to (I found out about that, because I have a homeschooled friend who's in their brass band)--you may want to see if yours would be willing to work with you in some way and let you be on a sports team if possible. I know that's probably pretty far-fetched though.

Answer 6

Try joining a social help group. I'm part of one for girls.  Maybe find a subculture you like, that helped me. Or find a cause, like human or animals rights.

Answer 7

Unknown is an actor that was homeschooled so he could pursue his career; for some reason, events in his life have left him at a point where he doesn't feel that he *can* get out and do everything.  Apparently, homeschooling is 100% to blame for this...couldn't be anything else, you know.

Yes, there are a lot of things that you can do.  I would suggest getting in touch with a homeschool group in your area, they generally have a pretty sizeable resource list for different age groups.  I know in our area there are both competitive and rec sports for all ages (including high school), various clubs, lessons that you can participate in, volunteer opps, game nights where you can hang with other kids your age, and lots of other things.  You should be able to join these at any point in the year (except sports teams whose registration dates have passed, of course), and there is often a wide range of things to choose from.

Just Google the name of your city/county and "homeschool groups", then have your folks email the leaders.  They should be able to provide you with some good ideas.

No, it's not hopeless :-)  There are tons of things to get involved in.  Hope that helps!

Edit - Max, there are plenty of people who care.  They are out there, but in the world of acting, they are few and far between.  Earlier in your life, you and your parents chose a route - film acting - that took you out of a normal childhood and put you into the pseudo-society of the entertainment world.  I've worked closely (when I lived in LA) with many people in this industry, and it's a whole 'nother world.  That is likely what separated you from a lot of people, honestly, rather than homeschooling.

And I understand that homeschooling where you are, in So Cal, is very different from where I am in the midwest.  However, I have a lot of friends there who homeschool, and their kids find plenty of activities to be involved in.  I'm really not trying to belittle your feelings or put you down - truly, I'm not - but you should realize that the industry that you've grown up in has likely done a lot more to place you in the position you're in than homeschooling has.  It influences you to grow up too quickly, deal with adult things, and to see the hopeless fringes of life much earlier than you should.  It also isolates you from kids who either think that you're "so cool" (like putting you on a pedestal) because you're an actor (I've read the comments on your IMDB page) or who just think that you're unapproachable for that same reason.  I know that that's got to be hard to deal with - it's one of the reasons I pulled my son from professional acting - but that's not necessarily because of homeschooling.  Trust me, kids in entertainment who go to public/private schools deal with even more garbage every day.

Answer 8

swim team!!! duh!!

Answer 9

Congratulations to you for deciding to take this step.  

In my neck of the woods, many homeschool kids are active in Martial Arts.  Since you are 17, you have the opportunity to take teen and teen/adult classes.

Martial Arts will do more for you than just provide an athletic/social outlet.  It is an amazing way to discipline your mind and really raise your self esteem.  And yes, lots of teens begin Martial Arts at your age.  

Again, well done!  All the best.

Answer 10

I was homeschooled the last two years of high school.  I loved it.  It actually gave me the time to go and pursue other activities.  Take this oppurtunity of time to be very active.  there are many things you can do.  Fencing is great, but there may not be girls there.  Do you know where the girls are?  Dance class.  It's not g*y.  I danced in high school, and all the guys got the hottest girls there.  There's a big dance craze going on in America right now with Dancing with the Stars, etc.  What better way to meet chicks than to hold them in your arms.  Try a ballroom dance class, like salsa.   Girls will love a guy who learns how to dance.

I live in Dallas, and I attend a local country dance club.  Many men stand off to the side and watch, but the ones who are getting the girls and getting dates are the ones who ask the girl to dance.  

It's NOT g*y!!!  Patrick Swayze was a ballet dancer.  Clyde Drexler in the NBA was a ballet dancer.  Look at them now.

And don't say that you don't know how to dance. My husband did not know how, but after practice, we're having so much fun dancing together.  

Other sports ideas to meet people would be to go to your local YMCA and play a pickup game of basketball or racketball.

I don't know if NYC has this, but in Dallas there are indoor and outdoor volleyball leagues.  You can sign up by yourself and they'll put you with a team depending on your level.  Volleyball is very co-ed too.

Cities usually have sports leagues, like softball.  I had a girlfriend who was homeschooled with me and she was on a softball league for the city.

Just some ideas.  Homeschooling can be the best experience of your life if you make the best of it.

Also, you can attend college early if you want, and sign up for some recreational classes.

Answer 11

This isn't a sport, but the Boy Scouts of America have a program called Venturing, and it's co-ed.  That would be a great organization, as would 4H (co-ed also).

You could volunteer some place.  I just answered a question about that with some ideas.  Find something that interests you to see if you really want to do that as a career.  Or if you're undecided, do a bunch of stuff and see what "fits".

Yes, your YMCA should have sports.  In our area, the YMCA has a co-ed swim team that's mostly HS'ers.  We also have lots of sports teams through our parks & recreation department and at the local university athletic club.  The private athletic club has tennis for HS'ers.  The uni one has soccer, flag football, and basketball.  Our HS co-op has Karate, PE (presidental fitness program), and chess.

There must be some activities in your area.  We live in a small city, but we actually have more HS sports options than when we were in a huge city.