If you are a parent of young children like myself, you would probably be weighing the options for signing them up for a sport. Sports offer youngsters a host of physical, as well as emotional benefits; it keeps them healthy and active, and builds up their self-esteem. It also instills their respect for authority and rules, as they are taught to respect their coaches and their opponents.
Sports can be broadly classified into two categories: individual versus team sports. While some people might prefer to start with the games they themselves enjoyed as children, some others would ask for expert trainers’ recommendations, or research what kind of sports would be more suitable for their children.
Generally speaking, both types have their advantages; knowing which sport is appropriate for your child will depend on their personality, as most people have skills that translate more towards working alone or in a team. For example, some children would thrive in a team atmosphere, whereas other find satisfaction in pushing themselves to achieve personal goals rather than relying on others to help them get there.
Individual sports combine physical fitness with mental development; they teach children how to set goals and challenge themselves to achieve their personal best. In that sense, they teach young athletes to be self-reliant and responsible for their own actions, as success depends on their own efforts and failure on their own mistakes. Since they perform alone, the players learn to be self-motivated and are forced to develop independent thinking and decision making. Individual sports also help develop the players’ characters by teaching them to be comfortable performing solo in the spotlight, which helps at school and work presentations later in life.
Team sports also have numerous advantages; from the title alone we deduce that these sports develop the child’s ability to function within a “team”. Teamwork skills imply learning how to handle oneself in social situations, maintain stronger relationships, become better communicators, and do all this with confidence. Team sports also contribute to building the child’s self-esteem thanks to very simple gestures between teammates, such as high-fives and thumbs up. Additionally, playing within a team encourages children to exercise regularly and build up their endurance. Think, for example, of asking your children to go exercise in comparison with asking them to go play with friends.
Last but not least, it is good to invest in your children, but it is never too late to start practicing sports yourself. Check out this interesting video that might help you choose the best sport for you or your children:
References
washingtonparent.com
nymetroparents.com
siplay.com
leaguenetwork.com