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Sports are an important part in a child’s development. Participation in a team sports can begin at a very young age and continue through teenage years and even later into life. These group activities have many benefits to a child, including physical fitness, improved self esteem, team spirit, exposure to fresh air and quality time with mom and dad.
First, sports promote a healthy lifestyle in a time when child obesity is on the rise. The CDC, or Center for Disease Control and Prevention, recommends one hour of physical activity each day for children and adolescents ages six through seventeen. Participation in sports is a fun and easy way to achieve this amount of exercise.
Next, participation is sports help to build character traits in a child including self esteem and self confidence. Each child on a team plays an important part in the success of the group. Children who play sports will also learn how to take constructive criticism and how to cope with the disappointment of a loss. Your child will also develop perseverance and enhance their social skills.
Team spirit is a third benefit to sports for children. They will learn how to work as a group and how to support each other and provide encouragement. Many times their teammates will become lifelong friends.
Many types of sports also promote spending time outdoors in the fresh air. In today’s world, it can be hard to encourage children to spend time outside because many kids would rather sit indoors and play video games. However, sports is a wonderful tool for getting kids off the couch and into the fresh air.
Finally, sports provides a wonderful opportunity for children to spend quality time with their parents. There are many opportunities for adults to become involved with these activities. A mom or dad can spend time practicing the sport with their child or even coaching the team.
