Exploring the developmental benefits of sports for kids

Sport plays an important role in the physical and developmental growth of children. By encouraging your children to take part in team sports will help them learn valuable skills that will benefit them later on in life. Here are a few ways you can get your kids interested in sports.

Regular exercise has many health benefits including building bones, improving self-esteem, fitness and self-esteem. By encouraging kids to be active from a young age will help them grow into healthy adults and reduce the risks of developing chronic medical conditions including type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

Keep it fun

Don’t force your child to take part in a sport they have no interest in. It’s important to make sport and activities fun to encourage them to continue playing. Find an activity that is beneficial for their health and fitness but also fun.

You could try creating your own little game in the garden which involves kicking, jumping, throwing and catching to see what they enjoy the best. This will help you gauge their ability and will give you a flavour of what they might like to participate in, for example, football, tennis or cricket.

Reassurance

Children need reassurance when it comes to trying new things, they need to know that they’re going to be okay. Encourage your child by showing your confidence and they will mirror your emotions and this will shine through when they’re playing.

You need to explain the commitment of being part of a sports team and encourage them to take part in one season before they decide whether they enjoy it or not. Ask them about their training session or match and don’t force them to continue playing if they don’t want to.

Invite friends

Have your child invite one of their friends to join the same team as them, kids love to play together and your child might feel more comfortable and confident if they already know someone in the team. Meeting new people and creating friendships increases your child’s self-confidence and helps them deal with conflict.

Set a good example

Have a kick about with the kids and set them a good example by showing them how good sports are. Children often look up to us to learn right from wrong and if you’re not going to take part then how can you expect your children to play?

Try to incorporate exercise and sport into your every life and it will soon enough become part of your normal routine.

Don’t force it

If you overload your child’s week with too many sports activities they’ll end up losing interest and it will feel more like a chore than a hobby. Try introducing different sports into your child’s life by taking out to games, teach them in the garden or watch it on TV.

By encouraging a variety of different sports you’ll be able to see what they’re interested in and then you can enrol them into your local team. Don’t forget the main objective, your kids should be having fun while exercising.