Everyone talks about how important exercise is for ourselves and our kids. With the rate of obesity skyrocketing, health and fitness should be a top priority for all of us. They say that healthy children become healthy adults, but allowing your child to be on a team has much more than just health benefits. From valuable life skills to improved social well-being, your child will enjoy many benefits from being on a sports team.
Friendship
Joining a sports team gives children a sense of purpose and a great opportunity to make new friends. Being a part of a team gives kids another circle of friends outside of school to spend time with. One fourth of kids are bullied at school and joining a sports team can offer a source of social support.
Discipline
If you struggle with discipling your child or they seem to act out a lot, sign them up for a sport! Following a set of rules, taking direction from an authority figure and accepting decisions is a big part of playing sports. Players can be penalized in most sports for bad behavior, but with regular interactions between your child and the coach or referee, sports will teach them to respect their elders. Listening is another important skill that sports will teach your child.
Self Esteem
Sports can contribute to your child’s self esteem. Celebrating with their team, getting a pat on the back and a ‘good game’ handshake will all help build character in your son or daughter. Focus on their efforts and hard work during games while reminding them to have fun. Supportive relationships will positively affect them in a number of ways.
Patience
Practice plays a huge role in any active sport or activity. Patience is an important trait to have if your child is going to succeed and improve. Never encourage your child to be “perfect,” but teach them that hard work and patience will pay off. This is a valuable lesson for everyone!
Teamwork
You know what they say, there’s no “I” in team! A team can’t succeed without learning to work together and balancing strengths from all sides. No matter how good the players are individually, working as a unit is essential to success. Communication is an important part of teamwork and a skill that even some adults could use some work on.
What sport do you think is most beneficial for your child? We would love to hear your thoughts!
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Warren Academy, powered by DREAM, has been helping student athletes increase their performance, mentally and physically, since 2008. With over 10 years of service, Warren Academy has helped guide hundreds of athletes to college. Interested in learning more about Warren Academy’s youth sports training Omaha programs? Contact us today!
