Why Your Kids Should Play a Sport

Many people will agree that trying or taking part in a sport or two when they were younger has had some sort of effect on them as they got older.

The reasons can range from understanding the importance of health all the way to being better at making friends.

When your child slips on their girl or boys trainers and heads onto the field or onto a court, they are doing far more than just playing their chosen sport.

Here are a few of the major reasons your child should play sports.

Physical Health

The first reason is one of the most obvious; in an age of endless TV and video games, exercise is on the back burner for many.

While there is no need to make your child run laps, sport is a fun and enjoyable way to get in a lot of exercises.

Since your child will be too occupied with their game or match, they won’t notice that they’re getting a really good workout in.

This will, in turn, build a love for working out, which can run into adulthood.

Mental Health

Exercise has been shown to lower anxiety and regulate emotions.

Even in adults, you will often hear “hit the gym” if you have had a bad day.

This is because exercise allows you to express emotion and get it out of your system.

Children often struggle with expressing their feelings, and sports can help them get it out of their system in a safe environment.

Teamwork

Everyone should understand teamwork and the importance of it.

Being able to listen to others in a group is a skill you take far into adulthood.

Sport not only teaches kids how to be part of a team but also the importance of being relied upon.

There is no “boss” in a team, everyone is equal, and each person’s input counts.

This will also teach your child not to be selfish, as they won’t be able to do everything on their own.

Discipline

Discipline is something many people struggle with.

Whether it is listening to authority figures or having self-discipline like making yourself work out even if you’re tired.

Sport teaches you that to take part and to win; there are rules that need to be followed.

These aren’t the rules of the sport, but rather listening to your coach when they tell you to do something or knowing that you need to practice even if you don’t want to.

Self-discipline is crucial for finding success further down the line.

Social Skills

In short, sport is one of the best ways to meet new people and make friends.

You will have people from different backgrounds on your team, and in time, you will learn how to communicate better with people outside of your family; this is also something that applies to both children and adults.

Hard Work

While there is an aspect of natural talent, to get better at a sport, you need to work hard at it.

Children will learn that to be the best or be successful; they need to put in the time to hone their skills and talents.

Once again, this applies across the board in life; you won’t ever get better at anything unless you work hard at it.

Self-Esteem & Confidence

One of the most important factors of playing sport is that it develops confidence in children.

This is often overlooked, but kids thrive when they receive positive praise when they do something right or do it well.

Having a coach or teammates that let you know you did a good job or you’re playing well will simply just make your child feel good and proud of their achievement, no matter how big or small. You can showcase that on the softball windscreen for your softball field.

Understanding Losing

Understanding what losing means and knowing why you lost can be challenging for young children.

However, when framed correctly, it can be a very beneficial learning tool.

If your child doesn’t win, they will be sad, but if they understand how to get better, they can only improve.

Sometimes losing is down to bad luck, but other times it is because the other team worked harder or they were more disciplined.

This is a great lesson in life, as “learning from your mistakes” is one of the oldest pieces of advice around.

It Can Lead Somewhere

There is always a chance that your child is gifted in one or two sports; this means there is a chance that they can take their talents beyond their school years and become a semi-professional or professional athlete.

Therefore, there is an added boost that if they work hard enough, they can turn this hobby or passion that they love into a career.

While this possibility shouldn’t be a reason to push them too far when they’re too young, showing them they can go further can possibly light an internal fire.

Helps With Academics

Off the sports field, court or pool, playing sport has shown to help with academics as well and just one of the Benefits of Letting Your Kids Play a Sport.

When you combine the aspect of self-discipline, respect and hard work, your child can transfer those skills into their school work.

There are many examples of athletes who shone on the field and in the classroom, and this is due to them taking their athlete mindset and aiming it toward finishing top of their class or going to a top university.