Sports are a great way to keep your kids physically active and healthy. This is because they go beyond just flailing about. Sports teaches rules and discipline while also encouraging children to interact properly with their peers. The problem is that children can be a bit picky about their activities. Some of them are not as active as others while others still haven’t found the sport they like.
Here are a few tips on how you can encourage your child into sports:
Look Into Local Programs
There are dozens of children’s programs being run by churches, youth groups, and schools out there. All you need to do is find the right one. If there’s a particular sport you’re interested in, you can probably find about local programs by checking out a news site for that sport. For example, a youth rugby blog and news website in the UK and other countries can sometimes feature local rugby programs on their events page. Even if they don’t, contacting them would make it easy to find one.
Don’t just have your child immediately sign up though. It is best to scout out the program and see how it is run and who is operating it. This ensures that you know what to expect and whether you can trust the program to keep your child safe.
Start at Home
Maybe you’ve got a sport that you’d like to share with your child. Whether it is soccer or a bit of basketball, you can teach your child the basics in the safety of your backyard. Don’t push them, though. Introduce it as something fun and begin from there.
For teaching the basics, don’t go overboard with the equipment. Just get a basic ball or two. You can even justify it as a purchase for yourself. Show your child how to play with none of the complications. For example, when teaching soccer, just teach that you don’t touch the ball and that you just need to hit the ball into the goal.
Give Them Their Say
Consider your child’s preferences. You’ve heard about parents who’ve pushed their children into sports that they don’t like, so don’t be one of those. Just give your child choices and support them when they’ve made their choice.
Show Your Support
Children can be pretty enthusiastic once they’ve gotten interested. When a child has decided on a sport they like, buy them the requisite equipment and help them out. If they’ve signed up with a program, it’s your job to get them there regularly.
Showing support also means monitoring your child for signs of burnout. Enthusiasm can soon give way to disinterest in children. Talk to them if they seem to be becoming uninterested and try to encourage them to stay in the course, at least until the season ends. If necessary, give them a chance for a short break.
Working with your child to find a sport or activity they like can be difficult, but it can be rewarding in the end. The tips above can be a big help in making the process easier. When they’ve found a sport they like, it’s best to show your full support. With your help, your child might have found something that they will love for the rest of their lives.
