Here’s How and Why Your Children Should Play Team Sports

Every parent knows that they need to ensure their child is getting enough exercise, but do you know that sports can have a much greater impact on a child beyond their health? There is a whole host of benefits to team activities, including better relationships, improved confidence, and of course better all-around fitness. Below, we take a look at a few of the more obscure reasons why you should be getting your child into a sports team – and how you can do it.

Lessons Learned

How often does your child get to learn about triumph, loss, the joys of working as part of a team in pursuit of a common goal? These are the types of things that people see on the screen, not things they’re actively part of themselves! In team sports, your child will be learning these lessons, and having them reinforced each week. As well as learning how to work with others, your child also develops self-confidence and the art of practicing skills and getting better week on week. If you think your little one is beginning to get a bit too disrespectful, then no worries: they’ll quickly learn respect when they need to defer to the authority of the coaches and referees!

In the Classroom

Yes, your child is getting their body healthy, but did you know that studies have shown a correlation between participating in team sports and improve academic performance? The studies showed a link, but the actual causes weren’t thoroughly determined. It might be that the release of endorphins and other feelgood chemicals was all the motivation that the sports players needed to move onto the next challenge, such as completing difficult homework. Other factors, such as looking up to role models, developing stellar time management practices, and that all-important self-esteem might also have contributed to the connection.

Starting a Team

Of course, it’s not always just a matter of showing up and letting ‘team sports’ do all the magic. It’s the greater framework of the game that does a lot of the hard work, and if there aren’t any teams in the local area, then you might need to consider gathering other parents and starting a team yourself. This isn’t as difficult as it sounds. All you’ll need is sporting equipment, some football or basketball uniforms, and a person to take care of the administration. Hey presto, you have a team! Also, starting a team will benefit you as well as your child, as our next point goes on to prove….

For the Family

It’s not just your child that’s on the team. Everybody in the family is involved. You’ll be having team BBQs in the summer, Christmas outings during the winter, and then, of course, those all-important game days. All in all, it’ll provide a level of community – both within your family and the families of the other players – that can be difficult to find in other ways.

With so many great things stemming from team sports, it might be about time to make it part of your family routine!