With more than 40 million youth today participating in some type of team or individual sport, according to The Center For Kids First In Sports, Health & Education, it is important for parents, coaches and mentors to understand the importance of participation in sports at a young age.
Helping form your child's core values at an early age is one of the significant impacts of youth sports participation. Those core values can often impact their future success. Discipline, teamwork, time management, communication, leadership and physical fitness are six important areas with proven benefits.
Discipline
Whether participating on a team or in a more individualized sport like golf or tennis, your child will make a number of mistakes when she first begins training. Being able to learn from her mistakes, correct them and make improvements are key concepts towards instilling discipline in her.
As she develops self-discipline and learns to overcome both physical and mental obstacles, this will improve her opportunity for success. It will also provide her with a better state of mind to handle obstacles in life.
Teamwork
Being part of team can be one of the most rewarding experiences that your child experiences. Establishing friendships, learning new skills and having fun can be the cornerstones of a successful team experience for him.
Choose a team and coaches for the team with care. Be sure to meet face-to-face with any potential coaches about their specific philosophy. With younger kids, the focus is more effective when it revolves around skill development and having fun, rather than placing a premium on winning.
A research project spearheaded by Michigan State University’s Institute for the Study of Youth Sports makes an intriguing case that while parents dream big, their children focus on the small stuff. Having fun and making friends topped the list, and those are two direct outcomes of promoting teamwork.
Time Management
When your child has her time occupied by something she enjoys doing, it has a direct ripple effect. In addition to keeping up with her studies and family activities, participating in sports gives her the direct benefit of being forced to manage her time and not be a couch potato.
According to Paul Caccamo, the Harvard-educated executive director of Up2Us, a national coalition of community sports programs that teaches young athletes life lessons, “Sports are more than a game; they are a set of life lessons. Kids who participate in sports attend school more, are more community and civic minded, get in less trouble, and tend to be more successful in the workplace.”
Communication
Listening to your parents is one of the first skills that you may have been exposed to growing up. When there is the additional influence of a coach or sports captain's voice, it can have a profound influence on a child.
In addition to communicating with the coach or manager, communication with teammates in practice, competition and outside the fields and courts can better equip a child for future situations where he is forced to communicate effectively. Without the extra benefit of sports participation, this skill may not get developed as quickly.
Leadership
Perhaps your child is a vocal leader who is always encouraging his teammates at practice and in competition, or he leads more by example through his sportsmanship, maximum effort in practice everyday and competitive spirit in games. Either way, both styles of leadership can have a dramatic impact.
Even if your child is not a natural leader, being exposed to these qualities in a structured environment can give him important tools as he forms his leadership style for life situations.
Physical Fitness
When your child is having fun and is committed to a sport she enjoys, it gives her a sense of accomplishment. In addition to the added benefits of instilling core values, her physical conditioning develops her body and promotes a healthy lifestyle.
Results from the 2007-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, using measured heights and weights, indicate that an estimated 17 percent of children and adolescents ages 2 to 19 are obese. Of those who participated in sports, the number dropped by more than half.
Parental Influence
When helping your child pick a sport or sports, be careful not to live your dream through him. Your child’s sports experience should be fulfill his dream, not yours. Not embracing this concept can quickly undermine the entire experience.
It is also important to be mindful of expectations—both yours and his. You should both be more concerned on the life lessons and skill development rather than playing time and scoring. If instilled early, this can shape a positive experience mentally and physically for him.
References
- The Center For Kids First In Sports, Health & Education: Troubling Signals for Youth Sports
- New York Times: A Survey of Youth Sports Finds Winning Isn’t the Only Thing
- Youth Sports Psychology: Five Benefits for Kids Who Participate in Sports
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Childhood Overweight and Obesity
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