Kids of the modern age seem to spend less and less time playing in the real world and more time glued to their iPads and PlayStations. It will, therefore, come as no shock to you that a study by the National Trust revealed that children today spend half the time their parents did playing outside. Other surveys also suggest that the amount of children playing sport outside of school is declining year on year. As you should know, having your kid participate in organised sports outside of school can have unparalleled health benefits that will teach them many social skills that they will benefit from in adulthood. Here are just five reasons why your child should practice a sport:
- Self-esteem
Encouraging your child to play a sport is a great way to improve their self-confidence. Complimenting them on areas they are doing well in and rewarding them for wanting to improve their skills can greatly improve your child’s self-esteem. Being able to be a part of a sporting success is a great feeling as a child and teaches you how good victory can feel whilst also allowing children to learn how to apply constructive criticism to their playing style.
- Learning to Lose
As great as it can feel to win all of the time, children who play youth sports will feel a range of emotions throughout their sporting ‘career’. Being able to lose with dignity and respect is an extremely important personality trait that children should all learn at a young age. Good coaches will teach players to lose with dignity and that there is always something to learn with every loss. Things such as shaking the hands of your opponent and not blaming a loss on external conditions is an extremely important habit that all players should learn.
- Teamwork
Playing for a team will teach your child to work with their teammates towards one goal. Children learn how to encourage, motivate and practice with their teammates whilst learning about what is needed from them to make sure that their team does as well as possible. Working as part of a team is an important skill that everyone has to do throughout their life, so learning to communicate with teammates in an efficient and effective manner at an early age can benefit your child greatly.
- Physical Health
Obviously, playing a sport is a healthy and fun way to stay fit and healthy and this is no different for children. By participating in organised sports, children will be giving themselves physical advantages that will benefit them throughout their life. Ensure that your kids are excited by sports from a young age so that they will want to participate in it themselves and stay fit if that means having to pay for their tennis racquets or buying football nets for the garden, it is surely worth it.
- Social Skills
By participating in organised sports, children will develop important social skills that will benefit them greatly in the future. By learning how to communicate effectively with teammates and when to take the lead/follow the leader, children are developing skills that are important in adult life.