06 Mar Finding Your Child the Right Sporting Activity

Choosing a sport for your child takes time and a little research and observation on your part. The key thing to remember is that sports for kids can be wonderful in so many ways, regardless if the end of year trophies are involved. Here, we’ve created a great list of tips for ensuring your child finds the right sport to enjoy:

What is Your Child Interested In?

The first step is to really think about what your child is interested in. Do they love running, or do you find them dancing around all the time? Is their favourite playtime kicking around a ball or do they enjoy climbing and rolling around on the jungle gym? Sometimes it’s just a matter of seeing what your child likes doing naturally, and this will translate into what sport they will thoroughly enjoy.

Communicating With Your Child

It’s also important to sit down with your child and talk to them about what they are interested in. Are there any sports they really like playing with their friends or something they’d like to try out?

Researching Different Sports With Your Child

If your child isn’t sure, you might want to search for a number of Youtube clips that display kids participating in a number of different sports. Go through the clips with your child and see if any of these catch their eye.

Also, take note of any sports your child is interested in watching. Do they really enjoy watching their older brother play baseball? Or do they really enjoy watching their sister’s friends netball games?

Trying Out a Range of Sports

Most sports will allow your child to try out for a lesson or two to see if they are keen to keep playing. These sessions are a great way to give your child an idea of what it will be like to participate in the sport in a full time capacity.

Making a Commitment

Before signing up, your child should be well aware of the time commitment they will be required to make to the sport. They need to know that if you are going to invest in uniforms and membership fees, they need to be dedicated to playing the sport for at least the season.

Encourage Your Child

Whatever your child decides to play, you should be there to encourage and support them the entire way. Praise them for their efforts in a game and encourage them to persevere if they are having difficulties.

If they win an award, that’s great, but don’t treat it like a corporate awards ceremony or the be all and end all. First and foremost kids should play sports for fun.

Team sports can be extremely rewarding for children. Not only are they are a great way to help your child socialise and meet new friends, but they also assist children to learn about how to work in a team environment not to mention other skills which will help them throughout their schooling, and even into adulthood.