How to Make your Child Fall in Love with Organized Sports
The last few years have forced many kids inside rather than actively outdoors. But now, with things “reopening”, how do you get your children back outside, active, and specifically – interested in organized sports again?
Reasons to Put your Child in Organized Sports.
- It’s good for them.
- According to the Centers for Disease Control, children aged 6-17 need at least one hour of exercise daily to maintain a healthy mind and body.
- It creates lasting bonds.
- Children are great at making friends. If you put them in organized sports, they will likely make many friends. What is better, the competition element creates memories that hold people together for a long time.
- It’s good for their self-esteem.
- It feels good to win a game or a place on a team, but even if that never happens, the simple act of learning from your mistakes and seeing improvements in yourself brings more a lot of self-esteem. Your child will also love it when you show pride in them.
Fun fact: When choosing a team, the choice can be filled with ambiguity and emotion. Everybody wants their child to make the team. The world-class Sports Evaluations app makes selecting the right players easier. More information here.
How to Get your Children Interested in Organized Sports
Be into Sports Too
You mean a lot to your kids. More than even, you realize. Everything you do or say has some effect on them. So, if you are an active person interested in sports, they will be too. If you want your child to be interested in baseball, then you can do that by showing an interest in baseball. Most towns and cities have a public park or ball diamond you can use. If you go there and show them your love for the sport, they are more likely to take an interest.
Don’t push too hard, though. If you get so wrapped up in trying to make them love the sport you love or, worse yet, cause them to succeed at the expense of everything else, the sport will become toxic, and they will want nothing more than to escape.
Positive Reinforcement
Sometimes your child might pick a sport you are not, particularly into yourself. In any case, creating positive emotions around the sport is paramount to making children want to start and keep playing that sport. So please, show up to their games and try your absolute best to give positive encouragement in whatever they are doing.
Children are built for running around. Sometimes their levels of energy have to be seen to be believed. Children can act out or even get depressed without somewhere to put that energy. It is crucial then to be the shining example regarding your children’s athletics. By being involved, sharing the love for their sport, and positively reinforcing that love, your kids will find a love for sports that will last a lifetime.
