Kids and sports

Tips to Enrich Your Child's Life!

Kids and sports can become quite a passionate affair for some parents while others consider sports simply barbaric. We need to stop right there and that's because we're right now at the verge of committing that horrible crime most often associated with kids and sports—what parents want!

Kid's sports and parents should ideally be kept apart and not allowed to interfere with each other. Parental interference in kid's sporting fields has risen to such ridiculous heights that I remember reading about a soccer mom sporting a rifle at her children's games, as if that 4WD is not dangerous enough. Well, this post is not about soccer moms gone round the bend, but about the importance of sports for children.

It would be a good idea to encourage your kids to learn and master at least one sport. The choices are mind boggling. Pick from ball games such as football, baseball, basketball, netball, softball, and then there's hockey, tennis, badminton, bowling, and more.

Now we all know that kids come in various types and the two most discernible ones are the I like sports and the I hate sports varieties. Some kids simply do not like sport, period. They would rather be anywhere but the sports ground. This could mainly be because of our tendency to associate sports with the more popular rough and tumble variety that leaves you sore and bruised.

But luckily for us there are a reasonable number of kid's sports that can accommodate even those kids who are not crazy about tumbling about a football field. Some fare better in individual sports rather than in a team.

If you think that's what's holding your child from sports, explore along with your son or daughter the possibilities of a more sedate, sober sport, where you are in control, such as tennis, swimming, archery, athletics, gymnastics, squash, pool, or billiards. It is important to discuss this without making the child feel pressured or inadequate.

Then there are the others who just can't wait to get out there and go for it. While their exuberance is enough to make parents glow with pride, you need to mercilessly question yourself if their enthusiasm stems from a sole need to make you proud or if it's a genuine passion for a game they chose themselves. No child should feel pressured to win a game to keep his Dad's chin from wobbling.

You probably didn't do anything dastardly to bring about any pressure, but keep in mind that your child's love for sports may be traced to those earlier years when she watched a football game comfortably ensconced against Dad's soft beer belly, automatically absorbing the enthusiasm and the swear words. So, when the kid grows up and shows an affinity for some sport, make sure it's all for his own self.

Kids and Sports Dos and Don'ts

Kid's sports plans should be left alone till at least the age of 6 when their co-ordination and motor skills have developed. Before that age they are too young to understand the nuances of organized games and should be allowed to run around the yard or tumble about as they please. Of course, you can play simple games of catch and putting little balls through hoops and such.

If you have an agenda such as fulfilling your childhood dream of being a champ, do not live it through your child. Find a sport she likes, not the one you fancy. Never put down your kid's opponents in a valiant attempt at making him look good. That's not good sportsmanship which is, or should be, the whole point of sports.

In fact, if there's some aspect in the opponent's game that you appreciate, don't hesitate to show a genuine appreciation for it without going overboard, of course. If in the event of a lost game, desist from showing desperate frustration. Never give an outrageously bloated version of a game to simply make your child look good. Of course, a parent's account of their kid's winning goal is often taken with a fistful of salt and indulgent smiles, but you'll often see the kid squirming in the background wishing he were some place else. Give an honest, encouraging review, if you must.

By all means share your child's disappointment in the event of a lost game, but your job is to help her make a quick recovery and get back on the saddle without dwelling on the failure. Help him learn from any mistakes and point out that the competition should always be with the self and how to improve one's own game rather than discuss how the opponent always cheats, the umpire's always on their side, or I should've worn my lucky cap.

Children's sports fields can turn terribly competitive and even vicious. If your kid complains about the coach or bullying of some sort, pay close attention. Gauge the extend of trauma, take necessary steps to stop further damage, talk privately with the coach, show ample emotional support to your child without making her feel a sissy. As a parent it is your right and duty to protect your child first and foremost. Preventing children's sports injuries or timely treatment for any that occurs is also an important aspect to bear in mind.

Kid's Sports Benefits

The larger benefits of learning and mastering a sport are often overlooked in the frenzy of winning and losing. Besides the obvious ones such as fitness, stamina, quicker reflexes, greater self-esteem, and high energy levels, sport also teaches your child the art of winning and losing. It prepares them for life in the boardroom, the operation theatre, bringing up balanced kids, or in a high level decision making committee.

Fitness and kids is a related issue but fitness and sports should ideally be seen as different aspects as I have explained in Tip No. 3 in another posting. Kids and sports is a wonderful aspect of childhood that may often bloom into professional sporting opportunities in later life. Yes, we all know how lucrative and glamorous that can be if only they can keep their pants on.