Kids and sports are a touchy subject for many parents as our children play fewer sports than we used to at their age. Only 38% of American children aged six to twelve played a team sport in 2018. Sadly, this figure is only getting worse.
Children aren’t as enthused about sports these days. The cost of participating in a team sport has also increased. Kids spend hours on online games, smartphones, and websites like YouTube, which was non-existent 20 years ago. This isn’t a good thing, as shown by rising obesity, depression, and antisocial behavior among children.
Kids and Sports
It may take a lot of effort and fighting to convince your children to participate in team sports. Being the parent of student-athletes requires time, patience, and money. However, the benefits children gain from sports make it worth it.
Encourage your child to be a team player; you could even order custom jerseys for your team to entice your child/children to participate in sports. Keep reading for five key benefits that kids get from playing sports so that you can ensure that your children take up a sport.
1. Promotes Physical And Mental Fitness
Team sports help your child to become both physically and mentally fit. Children in a team have to practice regularly and participate in fitness drills to be fit enough to play at team games. This helps them stay physically fit and prevents obesity.
Children that participate in team sports are also more emotionally healthy. This is because adult supervision teaches them how to deal with emotions within a safe environment. Examples of emotions that children experience during a game include anger, frustration, winning, and losing.
Kids participating in team sports have also been found to be less depressed than those that don’t do sports. Exercise is a known mood booster because it helps us to release endorphins. Being part of a team also gives your child many people to talk to in case of negative feelings.
2. Raises Self-Esteem
Being part of a sports team helps a child to develop higher self-esteem. Showing up for team practices and completing team drills and exercises helps the child see themselves as a responsible team member.
Self-esteem is also developed by making goals and accomplishing them. Children that are in a team sport are often encouraged to make goals for their sport as well as in their personal lives. Their goals are for individual and team achievement, and they feel great when they stick to and achieve their goals.
3. Increases Chances of Attending College
Children that compete in team sports have higher chances of attending and finishing college. They usually get scouted by different colleges to play the sport at their college. Also, being surrounded by other kids headed to college helps your child feel like this would be possible for them too.
Going to college is a good aspiration for a child as it shows their future thinking and planning. A child can go a long way with a good education under their belt and the networking opportunities that college has to offer.
4. Improve Grades
Kids who participate in sports tend to have higher grades than those who don’t. This fact may be due to several factors. Parents of kids in sports tend to be around the child more and are interested in their activities. Involvement encourages the child to take their studies more seriously because they know their parents are watching.
Some teams also don’t allow children to play in games unless they maintain a certain GPA. This factor forces children to focus on their studies. Being around other children doing well in school can encourage the child to study hard and attain good grades.
Being healthy and fit helps your child concentrate in class and learn better, which leads to better grades.
5. Enhances Social Skills and Peer Relationships
Being part of a little league helps children develop good friendships. Practicing drills daily with other children creates many opportunities for children to become friends. Kids and sports also have a connection regarding good social skills. Children learn to speak and communicate with their team members, competitors, and instructors.
Most youth sports teams also provide kids with little league pins, which help them feel like a team. This is great for giving children a sense of community and closeness to bond with others around them.
Other social skills that children learn while playing a team sport are fairness, honesty, and good sportsmanship. Without proper social behavior, a team can quickly deteriorate and disband. This is why team coaches work hard to instill ethical values in children.
Kids and Sports Still Work Hand-in-Hand
The rising levels of obesity in children are very startling but are controllable. You can reduce your child’s screen time by encouraging them to be part of a team sport. Taking an active role in parenting will also make your child enthusiastic about their sport activity.
Try and find out what interests your children and where their strengths and weaknesses lie. Knowing your child will help them choose a team sport they can commit to.
If your child doesn’t want to participate in team sports, you should find other ways for them to be active. This will ensure they stay fit and healthy and develop an interest or hobby outside the computer. These activities include hiking, swimming, becoming a girl guide or scout, dancing, and even joining a gym.
All these would keep your child active and healthy. For more information on kids and sports, please read the rest of our blog.