Certainly not all of our kids are going to grow up to be professional athletes and most of our kids won’t play sports at the collegiate level either. Even high school athletics may be out of reach for many of them. But just because you may not have the next big sports star in your family doesn’t mean that they can’t benefit from the many amazing benefits that organized sports offer. Many parents may think of organized sports teams as just a way to get their kids up and moving. This is true, but doesn’t even begin to touch upon the skills and life lessons that your child will learn when being a part of a team. Here are just a few benefits he or she will receive by participating.
– Teamwork: Your child will make new friends, practice their social skills and learn to encourage others. Many teams will also bring together kids with very different backgrounds and/or personalities, teaching them a valuable lesson in working with and alongside people who may not look or act exactly like them.
– Respect: Your son or daughter will learn to respect and receive instruction from another authority figure besides you – their coach. They’ll learn to look people in the eye when speaking, stay quiet when someone else is talking and give proper attention to the person or people in charge.
– Work Ethic: Working with others towards a common goal will certainly teach the importance of discipline, perseverance and patience. And while a losing season may not be very fun, it can certainly teach a valuable life lesson in pushing forward even when things get tough.
– Confidence: Kids will learn about their strengths and capabilities, along with their weaknesses and areas in which they need to improve. Even the latter provides a great opportunity to encourage your child to work hard to see improvement. This confidence is especially important for adolescent girls living in a world where they are constantly bombarded with messages about their appearance.
– Identification: Many young kids may struggle with figuring out who they are and where they belong. Kids who are part of a team can instantly identify with being a part of something bigger than themselves, something that will give them confidence and higher self-esteem.
– Healthy Living Habits: Active kids turn into active adults, so starting young will help them develop habits to support a future healthy lifestyle. Going to practice when they may not feel like it teaches the importance of making exercise a priority even when it’s not easy or convenient.
How have you seen organized sports help your kids? If you haven’t signed them up for a team already, go do it now!
Happy Backyards™ sells and installs only the safest and highest quality residential playground equipment, basketball goals, and trampolines for your own home. We are a local company and have been doing it for 15 years with a focus on quality products, quality service, and competitive low pricing.