Even before adulthood, teens who take part in sports are less likely to smoke, do drugs or abuse alcohol. Learning the rules and techniques of a new sport and training for a particular purpose can give a child self-discipline that they can employ both on and off the field.
Sports often help children learn that working hard helps them to achieve a goal. When many people think of organized sports, team sports often spring to mind.
Sports such as baseball, hockey or basketball can teach children to trust and rely on others to achieve common goals, value everyone's individual strengths and put collective needs before individual wants. Taking part in a sport can greatly improve a child's sense of self-worth. Whether it is the satisfaction of mastering a dribble or beating a personal best, sports-related exercise enables children to gain confidence in their skills. In an era of excessive focus on appearance, sports also provide an outlet for children, especially girls, to focus not on what their bodies look like but on what they can do.
This has the knock-on benefit of improved body image. Taking part in anything competitive requires an ability to handle disappointments and accept personal responsibility for any mistakes. It can take a while for children — and some adults — to learn not to blame others when things go wrong. However, organized sports can teach important lessons about the value of taking part rather than winning and about using setbacks as learning opportunities. Experts agree that it is very important not to start a child in sports too soon.
According to the Canadian Paediatric Society, "Enrolling children in sports that are beyond their developmental ability can lead to frustration and early dropout. Growing children need time to develop "sport readiness" to take part in many activities. Because of this, it is best to choose age-appropriate activities to make sport safe and enjoyable rather than a source of potential injury and stress. The following age and activity guidelines are useful.
At this age, a child's legs usually become straighter and their stride length increases. They also develop a more mature running pattern, but their balance and their attention spans remain limited. It is best to let a child practise movements through free play rather than any type of organized sport. Activities such as tumbling, throwing, running, kicking, catching a light ball or pedalling with training wheels are all useful.
At this age, a child has developed better posture and balance and is beginning to learn transitional skills, for example the ability to do two or more basic movements together such as throwing and running. They usually understand a little about teamwork and can better follow directions, although their attention spans remain quite short. If your child is ready, you can consider entry-level softball, soccer, gymnastics, martial arts, swimming, tennis or running.
Any activity should have flexible rules, short instruction times and minimal focus on competition. Also remember to buy properly-fitting protective equipment if the sport requires it.
Children at this age have usually mastered the fine motor skills needed for some sports and are improving their transitional skills.
In some communities, coaches are parents just like you, so they might ask for your help and for more information about your child's needs. You also must consider your ability to support your child's participation. Will you be able to get your child to all practices and games and provide any needed supplies? Being part of a sports team or program has many benefits, but it can also be costly. Your family will need to commit money, time, and resources, such as transportation.
If your budget is limited, ask the program organizers if fees can be waived or reduced. You might also be able to borrow equipment or buy gently used uniforms. Once your child is part of a sports program, always remember that you are an important model for your child.
Find ways to stay positive during competition. Discuss any concerns you might have about coaching style, teammate behavior, or other teams in private with the coaches. What parents usually want most is for their children to have fun and be successful at their chosen sport, but the keys to their enjoying their sports experiences lie in your hands—first by helping them choosing the right sport and then by being a good role model for sportsmanship and commitment.
But they can't control whether they win or lose. Am I getting better? The best way to win is to beat an inferior team. But what does that do for you?
When kids start competitive sports, focus on mastery of skills rather than comparisons to others to enhance their experience in sport and life. Before you put down that deposit, be certain that your child's heart is in this for real. Do they want to join a team just because their friends are on it? Or because their parents have been maybe subconsciously pushing them into it?
If they really want to push themself to the next level, great! But if they don't, they still have the option to enjoy their favorite sport on a noncompetitive or rec league, or through pickup games with family and friends. Also, consider whether team or individual competition is right for your child. Some kids thrive on team camaraderie ; others want more control over their own destiny. Some kids find being part of a team takes the pressure off.
Others feel more anxious, worried that they'll let teammates down. There's an important distinction between "competing to win" and "competing to excel. Athletes whose primary motivation is to "compete to excel" can see big benefits, according to a research study of high school athletes. These benefits include higher self-esteem and less depression.
Athletes who compete to excel are still driven to succeed. The focus shifts to using competition as a means of motivating individual achievement. Competing to excel has also been called "personal development competitiveness," "task-oriented competition," or simply the "need to perform well.
Praise your child when she achieves a personal best, even if she doesn't win a race. Notice and comment when he makes an important contribution to his team, even if the team doesn't end up with a win that day. Be sure to remind him how proud you are of practice, persistence, and effort , not just outcomes like wins and trophies.
You can encourage personal development and confidence in competitiveness by focusing on incremental improvements and skill-building. If your child joins a team, especially an elite or travel team, you'll be making a big commitment of both time and money.
Will competitive sports cut into your child's unstructured playtime too much, stifling her creativity? This isn't just important for little kids—part of the appeal of skateboarding, for instance, is its spirit of invention, imagination , self-expression, and, yes, risk. This doesn't mean you have to forego competitive sports altogether.
But you might want to safeguard your kids' schedule so they get enough free time too. Get expert tips to help your kids stay healthy and happy.
Englert C.
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