The Amazing Benefits of Sports for Kids
By: Jennifer Dowd
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Looking for a sports team or league near you? Check your regional BabyZone site!
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| With a little encouragement, children will leave the TV, the X-Box, and Wii behind for busy playgrounds and ball fields. Instead of chips and cookies, they'll reach for basketballs, footballs, rollerblades, and bicycles. |
| Many parents may be wondering just how much structure to give to the afterschool activities. While numerous studies have shown that too much structured activity is not good for young children, that doesn't mean a little planning can't be beneficial. |
| What better way is there to keep your kids out of the house and away from television and computer games than enrolling them in organized group activities—particularly sports? It has been estimated that 22 million children and youth, ages 6 to 18, are involved in organized sports outside of school. |
| Research indicates that participation in sports can promote healthy development in young children. Being active in youth sports can help build a foundation for cooperative play, teamwork, and good sportsmanship while helping to refine gross motor skills in children's rapidly developing bodies.
According to an article published by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), "sports help children develop physical skills, get exercise, make friends, have fun, learn to play as a member of a team, learn to play fair, and improve self-esteem." |
| Studies have also examined how sports contribute to the development of social competence—the ability to get along with and be accepted by peers, family members, teachers, and coaches; and, self-esteem—the extent to which an individual believes him/herself to be capable, significant, successful, and worthy (Ewing, 1997). |
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According to the findings, children learn to assess their social competence in sports through the feedback received from parents and coaches (Ewing, 1997). Self-esteem, however, is developed through the evaluation of one's own abilities as well as an assessment of the responses received from others. Since our children watch our responses, and those of their coaches, for signs of approval or disproval of their behavior, it is critical that we offer as much positive feedback as possible.
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| Fair Play Learning how to play fair is perhaps the most important lesson a child can glean from participating in youth sports. "It is important to remember that the attitudes and behavior taught to children in sports carry over to adult life," according to AACAP. "Parents should take an active role in helping their child develop good sportsmanship. To help your child get the most out of sports, you need to be actively involved." This means:
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| How to Choose? If you have a child over the age of four, you know that there are dozens of activities and sports for them to become involved in. There are so many sports and physical activities available to our children that it can be difficult to choose which ones are best for your particular child. When deciding what sports to sign children up for, particularly young children, it is important to consider their personalities and interests. |
| Assertive children may be better suited for team sports such as soccer and basketball where close contact between other children is common. Less aggressive children may prefer baseball, swimming, or gymnastics where they are given more space and independence from the rest of the team. The most important thing to remember, however, is not to push your child into any activity they are not comfortable with. The result will be a stressed out child who will continue to resist you. |
| As parents of active children it is our job to look for the signs of a stressed-out child. Some examples include falling grades in school, a child who is often tired in the morning, a child that needs to be nagged to get ready for activities, or a child with an overactive concern for perfection. |
| Though we do not mean too pressure our children, we often make them feel that they must achieve for us to make us happy. It is important to offer constant support and love, while trying not to push them into too much. While we all want our children to achieve great feats of success, it is important to remember that they are still children and need freedom to learn and explore at their own pace. |
