Getting your child involved in sport is a great way to teach them many important lessons and values that will benefit them now, through adolescence and as an adult. The situations, challenges and triumphs encountered on the sporting field relate directly with many of the situations, challenges and triumphs they will face in everyday life, and gaining these experiences through sport, where they are supervised and in a supporting environment will help your child deal with them more constructively in later years.
Here are a few things your child will learn as he/she pursues a sport:
Exercise
Kids who play sports will know the importance of exercising and keeping fit. Those who exercise often are less likely to fall sick and will grow into adults who maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Time management
When your child plays organised sport, it gives them another important thing in their life they have to manage. This requires planning, sacrifice and discipline. If there is a game on the weekend maybe they might miss a friend’s birthday party. But if they have made a commitment to the team they will have to learn to manage their time between school, social and sporting duties.
Teamwork
Throughout life we are always depending on others and others are always depending on us. This quality of working together towards a mutual goal is crucial. This might sometimes means sacrificing your own game as part of the overall team plan, and sports teaches this lesson really well.
Sportsmanship
Sportsmanlike behavior is a lesson that children obtain from playing sports. Children learn to positively handle both the winning and losing aspect of playing a sport, and good sportsmanship is a trait that carries over from childhood to adulthood.
Wondering how your child fares on the skills shared in this article? On the Mai app, you can assess these skills, along with getting daily activities which your child can do to improve each of these skills.
