Just in America, almost 40 million children participate in youth sports every year. The importance of organized sports on the youth of our nation continues to grow, and the lessons that children learn from being involved with a team are lessons that they often will carry with them for the rest of their lives. Youth sports also serve as an invaluable way to keep our children in shape and healthy.
Staying Healthy
The physical benefits of being involved in athletics at a young age are plentiful. By teaching children about the importance of staying active and fit from a young age, we are helping to show them the value of exercise and staying healthy. Physical health and well-being in children is also directly related to their mental health and well-being, and active children that put their often boundless energy to use in a constructive environment are able to grow from the experience of being a part of a team.
Benefits of Competition
Not only are there physical benefits to being involved in sports at a young age, there are also many benefits that come from the competitive side of sports. Athletic competition and the values and ethics that it carries with it, is a great way for children to learn about how to compete fairly with others. It is one of the many life skills that children can learn from playing youth sports, and it prepares them for the many different kinds of competition they will face in life, as well as giving them, "an opportunity to understand the healthy aspects of competition in a friendly environment. Students of all ages who participate in sports have been found to cope better with competition in other areas of their life" (Yan & McCullagh, 2004).
Winning and Losing
One of the most important things that children can learn from participating in youth sports are the values of winning and losing. Victory and defeat are ideas that do not come as second nature to many people, and the best way to learn about them and experience them first hand at a young age is through youth sports. More importantly, the competition teaches children how to win with class and also how to lose with class. Youth sports rewards those who win, but they also acknowledge those who lose, but lose gracefully. This shows children that winning is not always everything and also teaches them how to face adversity by picking themselves up and trying again.
Being Social
Youth sports teach children how to be healthy and how to be well-balanced individuals. In doing this, they also enable children to grow socially and to learn how to adapt within a team environment. The team dynamic is a very unique dynamic that teaches children how to be a "team player" by not playing selfishly and by putting the goals of the team before their own personal goals. Besides these life lessons, the social aspect of youth sports, such as giving children time to hang out with their friends outside of school, is something which is also very valuable.
Opportunities for Personal Growth
The personal growth that many children can derive from youth sports is what makes it so important. When a child is a part of team and feels like he is valued and important, it is something that can go a long way in helping that child develop the necessary confidence to succeed in life. By excelling in youth sports, or even being able to contribute to the team in a positive way, it makes any child feel that much better about herself.
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