CHILD SPORTS
 
Child sports can provide valuable learning lessons...
Child Sports
By Vanessa Rasmussen, © 2006-2010, All rights reserved.
Sports
provide a positive learning experience that will enhance your child's ability
to develop self confidence, good sportsmanship and teamwork skills. Sports
also teach the children to work hard and have a little fun at the same time.
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 sports, children are challenged both mentally
and physically. Coaches teach the roles of the game, strategy to win, and
how to work together. Your child will also build skills, endurance, and strength.
According to the American Sport Education Program
(1994), sports participation:
- Builds an appreciation of personal health
and fitness;
- Develops a positive self-image;
- Teaches how to work as part of a team;
- Develops social skills with other children
and adults (such as taking turns and sharing playing time);
- Teaches both how to manage success and disappointment;
and,
- Teaches how to respect others.
It is important to remember that the attitudes
and behavior taught to children in sports carry over to adult life. 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.
Here are a few suggestions:
- Provide moral support and constructive criticism
- Try to be present for your child's matches
or games and talk about it with your child later on
- Don't expect miracles from the child
- Educate yourself about the sport and encourage
your child's involvement
- Encourage the child to discuss with you
his/her experiences with coaches and peer
- Support your child during disappointments
and when he/she loses a match or game
- Teach sportsmanship to your child, how to
play the sport for the sheer joy or spirit of it and not merely to win a
game
- Be a good and levelheaded spectator and
teach the kids to do the same
Participation in youth sports provides numerous
opportunities for healthy development physically, socially, and morally. The
key to children gaining these benefits comes from coaches, parents, and others
adults not only teaching children how to play the sports, but also supporting
and demonstrating how to be a good sport. This can be done not only during
the game, but also when playing softball in the backyard.
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