Why are Sports Important for Youth Development- The 12 Benefits to Consider

If your kid is at an early age and you’re thinking about signing him/her for sports, you couldn’t have chosen a better time. The sooner the better and even when they’re a bit older it’s not too late to start practicing some sports.

Even though we all know a bit about the physical benefits, some advantages that sports have for our kid’s development are less obvious (to us, anyway).

Why are Sports Important for Youth Development- The 12 Benefits to Consider

Here’s why you should sign up your kid for a sport today:

  • It’s good for the heart

Everybody knows that sports mean so much for the cardiovascular health. Anything that is going to make your kid’s heart beat faster is only going to make it stronger, ensuring a higher endurance in time. Your kid is going to feel more energetic (not that he/she lacks it) and the constant cardio activity is going to burn fat and extra calories, keeping him/her at a healthy weight.

  • It improves the eyesight

Outdoor sports are really important for your kid as it reduces the risk for developing near-sightedness. Let your kid enroll for outdoor soccer, softball, baseball, swimming or other track/field teams.

  • It gives him/her strength

When you’re playing a sport, the muscles that help you gain some strength are going to grow too. For instance, running when playing basketball is going to make the legs stronger. In addition, the players are going to get stronger arms as they need to throw the ball, dribble it or trying to score.

The muscular gains can be really subtle or more obvious- it all depends on the sports, but it’s always there.

  • It helps him/her coordinate better

If you want your kid to coordinate better, he/she needs to use it and playing some sports is one fun and efficient way to do it. Dribbling the ball while running into your position while playing basketball is going to involve a lot of hand-eye coordination. This skill is going to be helpful for various common tasks (handwriting or printing) at school.

  • It develops social skills

In order to be successful in life we need to have better social skills and playing team sports is one way to get there. Kids and teens that practice team sports need to learn about cooperating with others, safety tips, working together in order to win or being supportive of one another, win or lose.

  • It helps him/her make new friends

Getting your kid involved in team sports is going to help him make new friends. Once he/she plays a team sport, he/she is going to connect with the teammates and explore the new friendship outside the game field too.

When kids are with their teammates, they need to learn how to fit in, how to get along with each other, even if they have different interests and backgrounds. There are so many great things happening when you’re out there on the fields, any sports aren’t only about winning or losing, but also about people suffering/celebrating together, working hard for a training or a match. This only builds stronger friendships that kids are always going to appreciate.

  • It helps them with the social skills

Playing sports is going to help your kid learn how to get in control over his emotions in various situations. He/she is going to learn how to respect the coach/teammates through good and, more importantly, bad as winning isn’t the only ending in sports.

  • It improves self-esteem

Team sports are going to help your kid feel better about self. The better a kid gets to a sport, the better he/she is going to feel about him/herself. Let’s not forget the moments of scoring or making a big win out there in the field- and this type of situations really bring out the best in your kid.

  • It helps the kids stay focused

When a kid plays a sport, he/she is going to need to set goals, make some planning and focus in order to achieve their goals. Practicing a sport helps your kid take a better look at the odds of a risk which works for them or not, teaches them how to make a decision fast and taking responsibility for the outcome. When he/she is in the field, he/she needs to take the risk of passing the ball to another player or simply try the score. Either way,Tevida , he/she has to make a decision and to take credit for that decision, no matter the result.

  • It teaches him/her to be a good competitor

Handling a win is easy, but what about a lose? Going through the experience of losing a game (it’s only a matter of time when playing sports) is going to teach your kid to handle lose nice and good sportsmanship. Winning is also a way to learn things as it’s one thing to be happy about it and another thing to get cocky about it, rubbing it, with no respect for the opponents.

  • It helps your kid become more resilient

Sports is also about the highs and lows. Sometimes you’re on top and win, sometimes you just have a bad day and you lose. It’s during the difficult times when a kid learns how to get through the frustration and disappointment, turning them into a good and healthy emotion. It’s quite common for the little ones to have a “win at all costs” approach, but playing sports is going to help them follow rules for the respect for the game, the opponents, the team and themselves as well. It’s fundamental for them to learn that even if today wasn’t a great day, there’s always the chance of another game and a possible win later in the future.

  • It’s good for the mental health

A kid that practices sport is going to be less stressed, he/she is going to get a better sleep and feel better altogether. The better mood that the sports induce is going to last for quite some time after the activity has stopped.

The final thing to keep in mind

There aren’t many things that are both fun and fulfilling in terms of youth development. No matter the age of your kid, it’s never a bad idea to sign up your kid in a sport activity. Even if he/she isn’t going to be a professional athlete later in life, practicing a sport is going to teach him/her so many things and develop amazing skills that only a team sport is able to do! You can also help them with all these valuable skills but make sure to get a check from CRB Direct before you help out your kids’ team.”

 

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