Sports For Kids Aren’t All About Fitness
In the current day and age, there is a big problem in our society, and this is a lack of opportunity for kids to be active and stay fit. Signing them up for sports, for kids, can have a lot of value, even beyond staying active.
Regardless whether it’s video games, homework, television, or something else, if it’s keeping kids indoors, they aren’t outside getting the fresh air and activity that they need.
Depending on your family schedule, you might need to tweak your evening routine or look for a sport that has early morning practices.
Sports for kids is about more than exercise and staying fit. It’s about having fun, learning a new game, making friends, and building life skills. Skills like teamwork, leadership, cooperation, confidence, and how to win and lose gracefully.
So, with that in mind, continue reading to discover more about some of the best sports for kids to enjoy.
Swimming
Swimming has long been one of the most popular activities for children to enjoy. I know Cat took swim lessons right up till the lifeguarding classes and considered getting involved in racing.
It is a great form of exercise and it teaches children about breath control as well as paying attention to details like proper form.
In addition to being fun, learning to swim teaches important water safety and survival skills, builds muscles, and improves coordination.
On top of that, as with most sports for kids, swimming develops self-confidence, and the breathing exercises can aid in communication skills of young children.
Basketball
There is no denying that basketball is one of the most popular sports in America.
It is ideal for kids because they can play with others as well as learning about offense and defense.
Because basketball is a fast paced sport, with a lot of running, dribbling, jumping, and ball throwing it not only builds muscles but also provides a good cardio workout. It is a one of the most all encompassing sports for kids.
In addition to the physical aspects of the game, there is also the teamwork, hand-eye coodination, and social aspects.
In fact, this is one of Monkey’s favourite activities during school recess. She doesn’t actually play the game, but she does her best to dribble the ball and toss it at the hoop. (She also likes watching the big kids play.)
Baseball
Baseball is another one of the social sports for kids that enables children to feel like part of a team, especially when they get to wear youth baseball uniforms. Kids often feel like more of an athlete when they wear a uniform to show their team pride.
The slower nature of baseball, when compared with sports like basketball, enables children to pay attention and develop their focus.
This sport also helps with hand-eye coordination, gross motor skills, and core muscle strength which can improve balance.
Soccer
Soccer is another sport that is becoming increasingly popular in America.
This is a sport that teaches endurance, as well as foot coordination, for example, keeping balance, reacting quickly, and changing direction.
Sports for kids often have a social aspect, which allows children to work together as a team. This is true of soccer. In addition, soccer is great for cardiovascular health and flexibility.
Dance And Cheerleading
Dance and cheerleading are other options worth considering if you are trying to encourage your kids to get active in sports for kids.
Your child will get very skilled at sequence memorization if they take up dance classes. The great thing about dance is that there is something for all tastes and personalities. You can read about the many other benefits of dance here.
Cheerleading is also good because it is an activity that can help ensure your littles are active while encouraging them to be enthusiastic, positive, and outgoing.
Hockey
What about hockey? Mr A is a hockey enthusiast. He plays multiple times a week (at work lunch hour games, and in the community). So it seems only natural that our kids might get involved at some point.
Fortunately, hockey is a great sport for team spirit. However, there are other benefits, too.
This includes the fact that it requires quick decision-making skills and quick thinking.
As a fast paced game, with few rest periods, it is a fantastic cardio workout. For the younger players the focus isn’t as much on winning, and more on teamwork, so you don’t find the negative competitive aspects until the later stages.
Gymnastics
Finally, we have gymnastics, which is great for improving strength and balance.
It is also a sport that is great for building confidence and making your child more fearless.
Plus, considering the popularity of the Olympics, this is a sport your child could really get behind. Who knows, maybe your kiddo has a gold medalist in their future.
All Sorts of Sports For Kids
As you can see there are all sorts of sports for kids. There are even more than I’ve listed, of course.
If your community has a recreation calendar you should be able to find less expensive sporting options and active classes if the team schedules don’t work for your family.
If you are trying to get your child to be more active, you should definitely encourage them to learn a sport or join a team.
Oftentimes, it’s a matter of priorities… when you don’t have enough time, it’s more likely that you just haven’t prioritized the thing you don’t have time for. Make fitness a family event – go for an evening walk, a weekend bike ride, or a monthly hike on nearby trails.
Both Monkey (4) and Fang (2) love swimming lessons. I love that it’s an easy activity for year round fun. This spring Monkey will start cheerleading (next week, actually), and was super excited when we went to have a tour of the gym. I love the year-round sports so I don’t have to worry about remembering the registration dates.
What sports do you kids enjoy? How have you fit them into your schedule? I’d love to hear all about it in the comments below.
