Not all people are sporty or athletic, which means not all children are. However, it’s true to say that sports can be thoroughly healthy for children to engage with. Here they can learn teamwork, discipline, how to be active in a safe manner, healthy competition, trying their best, communication, and even just productive hobby-making outside of sitting in front of a screen each evening.
As such, children involved in sports tend to be healthier, more confident, and more socialized than others. That doesn’t mean you have to enroll your child in a sport. After all, not all children are able-bodied, while others have different dispositions where creative hobby-making and extracurricular groups like a gardening club can be a great idea. If that’s what you’d prefer, you’re of course making a wonderful decision too, and should feel proud of that fact.
However, if you do think that your child would benefit from an extracurricular sport, and they’re interested too, then how should you decide? In this post, we’ll discus a few worthwhile metrics to help make that decision:
Consider The Level Of Impact & Contact
It’s good to consider the contact and impact level of the sport. Your child might not be interested in football with contact, for instance, however, a controlled environment that prioritizes safety, confidence and proper technique, like martial arts lessons, can be a fantastic mediator. Some sports can be entirely non-contact, like tennis, but they may require intense physical activity. While full contact sports may not be out of the question, it’s good to consider if the physical capabilities of your child compared to the average student in their year group is suitable.
Consider Life Skills & Lessons
It’s also good to consider what extra benefits a certain sport may offer. Martials arts are known to instill discipline, team sports offer excellent communication skills development, while gymnastics prizes physical excellent, careful precision, and the ability to take careful instructions. All sports can teach your child powerful lessons for their development, but some may help them in more ways than one. In the long run, this is a conversation to be had with your child and the instructors who run such groups, be that part of your school or outside of it.
Consider The Upfront Costs
It’s good to consider the upfront costs of getting into any sport, because some are more expensive than others. Sometimes, depending on the sport, this equipment can be provided to your child, for instance in Canada hockey equipment is often owned by the school and may be used to support their sponsored sporting schemes. Even small costs, such as making an inexpensive but high-quality custom lineup card, are worth factoring into your plans. Also consider the cost of driving to games, or taking on special training sessions, or even purchasing the equipment at home, such as a robe for martial arts lessons. This way, the sustainability of their practice can remain worthwhile.
With this advice, you’re sure to decide on the best extracurricular sport for your child, and they’re sure to have a blast engaging with it. Of course, simply asking them about their preferences can help you get started.
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