Is My Child Ready for Sports?
Is my child ready to play sports? It’s a question that most parents will ask themselves as their child gets older. No one child is the same, so the answer will typically come down to the individual child and their interests and abilities.
The American Academy of Pediatrics does a great job of outlining what physical, mental, and social skills children have at different ages and how that corresponds with sports. This is a very useful guide for parents who have questions about when to start signing their children up for different physical activities.
When your child does start with sports, I believe the most important thing to keep in mind is why they’re getting involved in the first place: for fun. Joining a team with the Oxford Park Commission or starting gymnastics lessons should be a time for your child to learn new skills, make new friends, and be active. It’s not something that should be forced — and it’s often easy for parents to lose sight of that.
To help, I recommend parents keep these tips in mind:
Explain the commitment. This step is especially important for children as they get older. Before signing up for an activity, explain to your child that he or she must participate for the whole season. But, if in the end, they don’t enjoy it they can try a different activity next time. This will help teach your child about the importance of responsibility.
Keep it light at home. While it can be tempting to help your child practice their chosen sports at home, remember, it’s your job to support their interests, not be their around-the-clock coach. If they want to hit the ball or practice their kicking in the backyard, approach it as playtime, not as another form of practice.
Watch for signs of burnout. It’s to be expected that some children will get burned out with sports, especially if they are involved in too many activities. There are some signs you can look out for that will tell you whether or not they are ready to call it quits, or at least cut back. Some of these signs include making excuses to skip a practice, avoiding team activities — such as team celebrations — away from the practice field, and no longer talking about the sport.
Let them push themselves. As your children get older, it may be tempting to push them to play high school sports. They should only play, however, if they have a passion for it and that means they need to drive those decisions themselves.
Sports are a great way for children to learn and grow. But remember, it should always be about the child, and most importantly, about having fun.
