Children nowadays prefer to sit inside their rooms all day, playing video games or watching YouTube. So, when your kid shows interest in sports, you should encourage it. There are many benefits to letting your kid join in youth sports. Here are some examples to convince you:
They Get Enough Exercise
Perhaps, the most obvious is exercise. Your child gets ample physical activity every week which will prevent illnesses from popping up now and in the future.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that children and adolescents need 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity workout each day. Participating in team sports definitely count toward the recommended amount of physical activity.
Simply make sure that your child is wearing the right protective gear at all times. Football mouth guards, knee pads, helmets, and others will lessen the risk of injuries which is common in youth sports. In the United States, more than 3.5 million kids under the age of 14 need medical attention each year due to injuries.
It Builds Communication Skills
You may not realize it but, when athletes are on the field, they are constantly communicating. Team sports involve active communication, both verbal and non-verbal, between coach to player and player to player in order to function well. When people do not communicate, their performance suffers because everyone’s movement is disjointed.
Your child learns to understand and convey verbal instructions and non-verbal cues of their teammates. There has to be honesty and openness; your child needs to share with the team the problems they experience, suggest strategies that may work, etc. These things will be useful at school when they have to do group projects and, later on, at the workplace.
It Teaches Discipline
No one wakes up one day ready to win the Olympics. Even the best athletes around the world had to go through rigorous training in order to always be at the top of their form.
Sports require discipline. Athletes have to exercise regularly and train often so they can do well when they are in the field. The same things apply to children who participate in youth sports. To win against the other team, they need to have the discipline. This trait is something that your child will carry with them forever. You will find that your child will have the discipline needed to fulfill their own personal goals.
It Makes Them Decide Quickly
During a match, an athlete is only allowed half a second to make a decision that will either bring them to the championship or cause the team to lose. Quick thinking is an important and useful skill that your child will develop through participating in youth sports. It will enable them to analyze a situation and predict an outcome at lightning speed. They are under intense pressure to make a decision that will benefit the team. Most people will buckle in similar situations, but not young athletes who are trained to make the right choice as soon as possible.
There are more benefits that your child will reap from participating in youth sports, but the most important is their enjoyment. Let them discover the sports they want to join on their own. Do not push them nor discourage them. Your only role as a parent is to be supportive.