THE BENEFITS OF SPORTS FOR CHILDREN

By Andrew Pack

Photo by wyo92 via flickr

Are you considering involving your children in sports?

PARENTS

RESPECT_044_S_Land by Respect Task Force via flickr

Have you involved your children in sports in the past, but have had a

negative experience and are wondering if the pros outweigh

the cons?

Photo by 4ed30aae7a_z via flickr

If so… You’re in the right place.

Involvement in team or independent sports influences children by creating confidence in social, mental and physical aspects of their lives.

The Social Effects of Sports

The Huddle by Shellnort via flickr

Sports…

Allow children to meet new people Help children interact with teammates on

a different level Provide challenging activities that

encourage children to work together Teach children that they can rely on each

other Teach children social cues and how to

cope with stressful situations

Sports…

Allow children to develop meaningful and influential relationships with other adults as well

Also help foster characteristics such as respect, responsibility, courtesy, integrity, a sense of civic engagement

Help children learn to resist the peer pressure to engage in risky behaviors and social acceptance

The Psychological Impact of Sports

The Moment of Youth by Marilyn Price-Mitchell via flickr

Also have a positive psychological impact on children

Girls involved in sports exhibit higher self-esteem and confidence than their peers who are not

Children of both genders also developed feelings of self-determination, autonomy and choice

Studies concluded that sports help develop a perceived physical competence and self-efficacy

Provides stress relief Secondary psychological benefits include

higher grade point averages, lower dropout rates, and fewer antisocial behaviors

Participants showed improved cognitive functioning, favorable self-perceptions, and lower depression in at-risk youth

Any physical activity reap positive benefits on a large scale psychologically

The Physical Impact of Sports

CrossFit Kids Back Squat by r_e_e_d_y via flickr

Children Who Participate in Sports…

Often gain a physical advantage over those who do not

Exhibit higher motor skill competencies and movement literacy as well as gaining sport-specific competencies

Demonstrate more overall physical fitness

How do you parent a child athlete?

151: Team Mom by niseag03 via flickr

The Parent Trap

Unfortunately, parents get caught in this trap all the time. It shows itself in the following ways:

Over-identification. You naturally identify with your child, but over-identification may lead you to ignoring your child’s feelings and focusing instead on your own.

Selfish dreaming. It is normal, as a parent, to dream of your child’s future, but sometimes parents get so attached to their own dreams that they lose sight of what the child wants.

Confusing investment with sacrifice. As a parent, you love your children so much that you are willing to make tremendous sacrifices on their behalf, spending money to support the child’s sport and taking the time to be there for the child. But parents may come to see these sacrifices as investments and then expect that the investments will pay off and yield tangible benefits.

Competing with other parents. You want your child to excel but it easy to get caught up in competing with other parents, pushing your child to succeed and hoping that the other children will fail, giving your child a chance to shine.

The Cal Ripken Approach

Who is Cal Ripken?

nicknamed “The Ironman” American former baseball shortstop and

third baseman played 21 years in Major League Baseball

for the Baltimore Orioles. Is a parent of three boys.

Parenting Young Athletes The Ripken Way: Ensuring the Best

for Your Kids In Any Sport

Within the first chapter of his book, Ripken identifies a question that each of us as parents should ask ourselves before enrolling our kids in sports. The question is:

“What do you want him or her to get out of playing sports?”

“As parents, we all have expectations for our kids. It’s only natural. But in the world of youth sports, we have to be careful not to lay our expectations on our children. If we somehow suggest to our kids that if they advance in sports, then they will make us proud, we’re setting our kids and ourselves up for disappointment.”

Other suggestions…

Give encouragement Provide constructive criticism Be a role model

Without fail, our children will experience the oddities, and challenges that elementary, middle school and even high school present. However, amidst all of the factors that influence our children’s confidence and perception of their self-worth that we have absolutely no control over, there is one that we do. That decision, the decision to involve one’s child in sports, will dramatically affect aspects of their social, psychological and physical well-being.

In conclusion…

Bibliography American Heart Association. "Overweight In Children." American Heart Association: Learn

and Live (2012): 1.   Bruen, Judy. "What Are the Benefits of Sports For Children?" 4 May 2011. LiveStrong.com. 11

October 2012 <http://www.livestrong.com/article/95377-benefits-sports-children/>.   Emler, Nicolas. "Self-Esteem: The Costs and Causes of Low Self-Worth." 7 November 2011.

Joseph Rowntree Foundation. 11 October 2012 <www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/1859352510.pdf>.

  Morgan, Lyndsey. " A Guide to Child Development Through Sports." 10 March 2012. Local

Pages. 11 October 2012 <http://www.localpages.com/content/a-guide-to-child-development-through-sports.html>.

  Weiss, Maureen R. "Promoting Positive Youth Development Through Physical Activity."

Research Digest 10.3 (2009): 8.   Wolff, Rick. Parenting Young Athletes the Ripken Way: Ensuring the Best Experience for Your

Kids in Any Sport. First. New York: Penguin Group, 2006.