My 12 year old son is very athletic, but still has NO real friends. Can you give me some advice? My son is a very athletic kid, and usually that, alone, would mean that he is accepted and has SOME friends. BUT, three years ago, in grade school, he was (secretly) emotionally bullied and ignored by his "so-called friends". During that time, he became increasingly more quiet at home, and eventually more "emotional" (upset and/or crying) in class over various matters. It was very uncharacteristic. After enduring months of being ostrasized by kids who were previously his friends, my once-popular child eventually confided in me what was going on. Next day, I approached the teacher and principal. Within an hour they were able to substantiate my son's situation. The parents were never notified, as the principal thought this might make things worse for my son in the long run. Since then, he has been, little by little, shunned and ignored. Entire summers have gone by without so much as a phone call from others. This school district, and in particular this grade of kids in our community, is a very snobby group. The kids seem to relish leaving others out and acting like they are too good. Oddly, though my son is very athletic and plays on several teams, his athletic prowess has sometimes been a downfall, too. He is often considerably better at a sport, and most definitely gives it 110% when he plays. The sad part is, he is always on a team that ends up not being nearly as good, or as committed as he. So, he has NEVER been on a team that wins games...really! As the seasons progress, his disappointment has gotten the better of him and he has shown it in some ways (mostly crying due to disappointment) that make other kids want to stay clear of him. So, even in an arena where he should shine, he doesn't. He has kids he sits with at lunch time in 6th grade, none of which went to his previous grade school. All of the kids he sits with are very athletic, popular and have known each other for years. They are a SUPER-TIGHT group, and that includes the parents/families, too. Consequently, while he sits with them, his attempts to do things with them are always answered by excuses, etc. Summer is fast approaching and I am honestly beginning to dread it. I don't know what, if anything, I can do to help the situation. He has a heart of gold. Truly. He is very misunderstood by his peers and i am saddened that he has no friends. My gut (mom) instinct tells me that he has an unspoken "reputation" that has been unfairly given to him by kids, and, well, kids talk to each other. But, I read all of these articles/advice on how to help and almost every thing mentions building on one friend or one avenue of interest. He continues to see a school psychologist (going on 3 years now) ever since the emotional bullying was discovered. She has recommendations, but they seem to fall short. For example, she suggested he try participating in the intramural floor hockey, which he did. And, the very first day, the kids picked teams and he was asked to go to the "other" team, right in front of the kids he sits with at lunch. Needless to say, that broke his heart and he never went back. For my son, both he and I have done numerous things to try to turn things around and still, NO FRIENDS...NOT A SINGLE ONE!. Please, help.