Playing sports at a young age has many benefits not only while you’re playing them but also after you’re done with them as well. Benefits like physical health, leadership and social skills. The effects of child participation in athletics can go farther than just child development but rather help shape kids in the long run. I have been playing sports since I was five years old and I can confidently say that sports have a lot to do with the type of person I am today.
Physical Health
Physical benefits is one of the most obvious benefits of playing sports. Playing sports helps kids understand nutrition better, how to rest and recover, strength and other health benefits. Kids who play sports are more likely to have lower body fat, more muscle as well as better fitness levels. This helps kids even after they are done with playing sports because they understand what type of shape they should be in to keep the body healthy. The kids will be able to develop an appreciation for how they should maintain their body which can allow these habits can carry over into adulthood.
Kids who play sports at a young age or also more likely to stay away from substance abuse. The reasoning behind this is that at a young age they see and are told that if they do get involved in substance abuse then their performance may be hindered. They are also told that if they are caught using substances then they will also lose their spot on the team and the chance to play. Having these in their minds at a young age decreases their chances to fall victim to substance abuse in the long run.
Leadership
At a young age playing sports allows kids to be put in leadership positions. This could either be by being the team captain, one of the more vocal players or just somebody on the team that takes initiative when the going gets tough. Kids learn how to think quickly while not only thinking for themselves but for the entire team as well. This can help kids in the long run at school or in the workplace or just with your friends and family.
Social Skills
By having your kid play sports at a young age will open a lot of different doors for them in terms of socially that might have not been opened if they didn’t play sports. They will be able to encounter different people and personalities that they have never experienced before which will lead them to be able to form new connections. In todays world you will have to deal with a multitude of different types of people so learning how to interact with them at a young age will allow them to be better off going forward.
Another element of this is that if kids are social when they are young it will take them away from technology a little more than a kid who doesn’t play sports. In an age where everything is about technology and starring at screens this can be very key in order to not have your kid be discouraged from in person interaction.
Team Work
In life there will always be times where you have to work with other people. Learning how to work with others getting along with them is a skill that kids will need throughout their entire life. This can be on the field when they are younger, in clubs at school or in the workplace as they get older. Your kid will need to learn how to listen to peers, delegate work, compromise and sometimes take criticism. A kid who plays sports at a young age will benefit from having all these types of experiences and will allow them to carry it on as they get older.
Academics
It has been proven that kids who are involved in sports perform better academically than kids who are not involved in sports. You might think that why would this be true if they have less time than the other kids. Studies say that kids who play sports have less free time on hand than kids who don’t play sports so it forces them to be able to manage their time wisely. There have also been studies that say that very active kids are more attentive, better cognitive processing, and do better on standardized tests.
Kids who play sports have also been said to be more likely to pursue a college degree as well as more likely to go to college in general. Students who play sports were more likely to get a bachelors degree than students who do not play sports. This could be for multiple different reasons for example GPA requirements to stay on the team or being held accountable. Students who were also leaders on their team also tend to be able to get leadership roles as well in the workplace which is a huge benefit for them.
My Personal Story
I have been playing sports my entire life, I have always been involved in sports in someway shape or form. I started playing soccer at the age of five and still play it to this day. I played many other sports as well like basketball, football and volleyball but soccer was my main sport.
Sports taught me so many things on and off the field. Being a team captain for a lot of my years I learned how to lead a group of guys in more ways than one. I learned when to take initiative and when to fall back a little. It also taught me how to work in a group to achieve the same goal and that along the way there is going to be a few bumps in the road but making sure the focus stays the same is very important. I was a much better student due to me being involved in sports because
I knew that I didn’t have as much time as everybody else did and that I need to plan ahead to be able to get all my work done in time. Sports taught me a lot of things that still stick with me today and use on and everyday basis. If it wasn’t for my involvement in sports i think i would have turned out much different than I am today
