Parents are divided when it comes to team sports. While some see it as a beneficial, in some cases, essential part of childhood, others literally see it as a form of parental abuse. While it’s true that some parents push their favourite sports on their children to vicariously live through them, organized team sports can have great benefits on the development of your child. However, it’s important that they’re actually on board themselves and get to choose the sports they actually want to pursue. Let’s take a look in Team Sports: 4 Great Benefits for Kids!
1. Team Sports Teaches Kids to Appreciate Physical Activity
One of the major benefits of team sports for children is that they’ll develop a whole different mindset towards physical activity. Children who grew up playing sports are more likely to grow up as healthy and active adults. Trying to get a child to go outside and play is much more difficult when they’ve been raised on a tablet and a smartphone. Playing sports will help them enjoy the outdoors more, and they will actually see the activity as being fun instead of a chore.
2. Sports Can be Tailored to their Personality-Type
Not all team sports are the same, and some can enhance personality traits your child already has. Many people imagine that an introverted child cannot benefit from team sports, but that’s not true. Sports like baseball, for instance, are a great option for introverts, as players don’t clash as much. This will allow them to start socializing at their pace and develop some social skills along the way.
Baseball is also great for children as it’s a relatively low impact when compared with other team sports. The risk of injury is very low as a result. However, you have to make sure that they have the right equipment both for protection and performance. So, make sure that you invest in a good helmet, cleats, and mouth guards, and also look at bats made for kids’ hands to make sure that they feel comfortable enough so that they can play well.
3. Team Sports Help Build Self-Confidence]
Team sports can also be a great way for a child to build self-confidence. Confidence is usually gained via accomplishment and recognition, and team sports offer tons of opportunities to get both. Even support players can start building confidence in their specific skills, which carry on into other activities. Others might also discover talents they didn’t think or know they even had.
It’s important, however, that you constantly monitor your child to see if they’re actually flourishing. In most cases, you’ll be able to tell after games how they actually feel. If they’re not talkative and want to retreat straight to their caves once they get home, then it could be a sign that something is wrong. While this may be temporary, it should be a concern if it’s over too long a prolonged period, so make sure that you have a talk with them and see if their heart is still in the game.
4. Helps Develop & Extend Communication Skills
No matter what team sport it is, communication plays a very important role in it. Communication skills have to be built when children are developing, so it becomes a part of their brain’s circuitry. Playing a team sport will allow them to express and assert themselves, learn how to be active listeners, and share opinions. These are all invaluable skills that will help them grow up into more well-rounded adults.
