Parents who encourage their kids to sign up for sports may not know how much it can benefit them as they get older. In fact, organized sports can benefit children in so many different ways. From soccer to basketball, sports provide young kids the opportunities to learn and master basic skills, develop and work in teams, and experience the thrill of competition.
Not only do kids learn essential life skills such as teamwork and trust, but they also develop physically through sports. In particular, playing sports helps build up the young bones in the legs and hands, giving them increased strength as well as better agility. In addition to having the right amount of bone density, kids who play sports regularly often have higher muscle counts. This allows them to engage in weight-bearing activities right from a young age.
Parents should let their kids get involved in as many sports as possible because this will develop their physically active skillset. For example, if your child is interested in basketball but doesn’t want to play organized ball, he/she is still going to have a lot of fun physically active activities that will be building on their basketball skills. On the other hand, parents who let their kids play organized sports may not be able to give their children the right to exercise or exposure to the right type of exercises that are beneficial.
Some of the best sports for kids are team sports. Youth players, especially those between the ages of seven and eight, tend to be very physically active and are able to engage in both repetitive and alternating movements well into their adult lives. Playing soccer is a good example of a team sport. Although most kids begin playing this sport as a fun, easy, low-impact activity, the sport can quickly transform into a high-intensity, low-repetition, high-energy sport when the kids start getting really good at it.
Kids can begin engaging in organized sports at age seven or eight. At that point, you should introduce them to the basic instruments (balls and shoes) first. This should set the stage for their lifelong love affair with sports. In first grade, kids should be encouraged to take turns and try their hand at different sports. If you don’t want to take turns, teach children how to “give” and “take turns.” This is a great way to motivate them to do physical activities during their spare time.
Your children’s primary interest, however, should be in soccer. Your kid should learn early on that soccer is a team sport, and they should do their best to be part of the team. It may be tempting to let them play with their friends and their toys but ultimately, kids need a sport that makes a difference.
When kids play sports, especially soccer, they become aware of camaraderie in a very big way. Friends groups for both sexes can provide a sense of support, which is imperative to youth development. With a friends group, your kids will learn how to stand up for themselves and support each other. They’ll learn what makes a friend stand up for himself and how he plans to stand up for his friends.
You should also teach them to embrace their differences. It’s easy to accept the idea of your child being the small person in a big group, but they need to realize that they have their own unique qualities, strengths, and weaknesses. Teach them to embrace these things, like their strengths and weaknesses, and to strive to overcome these things. It’s OK for them to make mistakes because this is the only way to learn. Remember, signing kids up for sports will increase their self-esteem, be physically ready, emotionally ready, socially adaptable, and creativity.