Physical activity can be beneficial to young children in a number of different areas. Not only do sports improve a child's personal fitness levels, but regular participation can improve social skills, academic achievement, emotional well-being and even help her develop a sense of community with the various teams she becomes involved with.
Physical Impact
The United States government recommends that all young children engage in at least one hour of physical activity every day. The variety of sports available enables parents to identify what best suits their child's skills and level of physical development. Playing a sport helps to keep a child at a healthy and stable weight. Consistent exercise improves cardiovascular fitness crucial to the development of a healthy heart and lungs. Other advantages include improved posture, a regular sleep pattern, and greater balance and coordination.
The American Heart Association found that regular exercise reduced blood pressure and increased the levels of good cholesterol essential to a healthy heart.
Social Skills
Team sports usually require a child's interaction with other young children as they strive to adhere to the sport's rules. This interaction can help develop confidence, and leadership and conflict resolution skills; it can also help children understand their own competitive feelings. When children are asked to play as a team, it increases the notion of community, especially when the children become part of a team that represents their individual neighborhoods or localities.
Psychological Impact
Young children who are involved in sports activities become more confident in their own abilities to achieve goals. A consequence of this confidence is increased self-esteem and independence. Sports participation can also reduce levels of anxiety, stress, fatigue and depression. Regular exercise also contributes to greater mental awareness and personal well-being.
Academic Benefits
A secondary, but equally important, consequence of playing a sport as a child is improved concentration and memory levels. This inevitably leads to better results at school, not only due to physiological improvements, but because many children develop respect for the authority figure in their sport and can transfer this skill into the classroom.
Obesity
The basic cause of increased weight in children lies in the taking in of more calories than children subsequently expend. Type two diabetes has been directly linked to obesity in young children. Other negative health conditions associated with obesity include heart disease, back pain and osteoarthritis caused because the human body cannot naturally deal with the excess fat and lack of physical activity. The participation of a child in active sports can help control weight gain, reducing his risks for such medical complications.
References
- Berkerley Parents Network: Sports for Young Children
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Help Your Child Stay at a Healthy Weight
- Better Health Channel: Children - Getting Them Active
- National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children: The PE and Sport Strategy for Young People
- Be Active Wa: The Benefits of Physical Activity
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