The quick list: Why sports for your kids
OK. Lets do this. I know that people nowadays are less likely to read whole articles than they are to scan bullet points. I am afraid that all my preaching has gone un-read by the busy folks that might come across Gymfinity’s blog posts. So, here is the quick version so you can get back to playing Flappy Bird.
Why is it important to enroll your child in sports?
- Physically:
- They will maintain a healthy weight, have lower cholesterol, and it reduces blood pressure.
- Exercise helps children prevent osteoporosis in later life by building bone density
- Activity as a child increases the likelihood that a person will be active as an adult
- Life Skills
- By being in sports children develop self-discipline,
- An athlete displays skill at goal-setting and develops characteristics in leadership
- Children in sports learn time management to effectively balance home, school and social life
- Socially:
- Children will learn teamwork and how to have functional positive group dynamics, they learn to rely on peers and teammates for support
- Sports help kids develop friendships
- Kids in sports feel more accepted among their peers because often other players judge each other based on their skills and effort, rather than by appearance or social status
- Sports delivers self-confidence
- Girls who play sports typically have a healthier body image than girls who don’t play sports
- Learning to win and lose are valuable lessons
- Cognitively:
- Being in sports reduces the risk of depression
- Kids in sports are more likely to get better grades and set goals for secondary education
Are there more reasons? Of course there are. Have your kids benefitted from being in sports? I would love to hear how your children developed in sports, please feel free to comment below. Then you can return to playing Flappy Bird.