Skip to Content

5 Reasons Why Your Kids Should Play Sport

5 Reasons Why Your Kids Should Play Sport

Getting kids to play sport has never been harder. We live in a world of social media, the internet and video games, in which kids can be entertained for days on end without ever needing to the leave the comfort of their own bedroom or the sofa.

This isn’t good. Playing sport has a whole host of benefits for our kids lives, far beyond the obvious of do ensuring they are fit and healthy. Sport can help our kids learn about the importance of teamwork, build their confidence and resilience and even improve their future education prospects.

Here are five reasons why your kids should play sport.

Sport improves physical health

The most obvious benefit to sport is that it improves your kids’ physical health. One in three American kids is considered overweight or obese and it is childhood obesity that is now the number one concern among parents, ahead of both drug abuse and smoking. Playing sport will help your kids avoid the range of problems that come with being overweight, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and elevated cholesterol. It will also help them avoid the psychological effects of being obese, which include low self-esteem, negative body image and depression.

Sport teaches the importance of teamwork

Playing sport as part of a team while teach your kids all manner of important life skills. They’ll learn to communicate effectively in order to succeed, listen to others as part of a group and ultimately discover that life is so much easier when a group of people come together to work as a team to achieve a common goal.

Sport can boost confidence and self-esteem

Sport is a great way to boost your kids confidence and self-esteem. When a kid looks up to a parent or coach and that parent or coach offers them praise or encouragement for doing something well, it can be a real boost to their confidence. The same goes for earning respect from team mates and peers. Winning can also help – there is nothing better for the self esteem of a kid than knowing that they’ve played a part in a success. The boost to their confidence it gives will translate into many other areas of life.

Sport can boost kids’ education prospects

Many colleges don’t just look for academic grades these days, but sporting achievements as well. Being a sportsman shows that your kid has interests away from learning, is a team player and a determined person at that. Some top scholarships such as Wendy’s Scholarship even explicitly state that they are more likely to consider applicants with a strong sporting background.

Sport can help your kids make new friends

Finding a sport that your kids enjoy playing will mean they are meeting likeminded kids who they have something in common with. If your kids play for an out-of-school team or club, it’s extending their friendship base beyond the school yard. A friend met on the soccer pitch or basketball court – with the bond that brings – can turn into a friend for life.

 

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.