About Children in Competitive Sports
"If you want your child to be a champion athlete," writes Dr. Gabe Mirkin, one self-defined expert at wellsphere.com, "he needs to start training at a young age and play his sport 12 months a year." Competitive sports offer the benefit of play and physical activity, but if you're trying to build a champion, you're likely to be disappointed. You're more likely to create a burnt-out athlete with resentment issues.
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Types
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Let him experiment until he finds a sport he loves. There are many options for children in competitive sports, so don't limit your child's choices to soccer, baseball, basketball or football. Consider volleyball, swim, track and field, gymnastics, martial arts or fencing. Invite your child to approach organized sports with a spirit of adventure and experimentation, and he'll likely find two or three activities that he enjoys.
Considerations
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It's called a "game" because it's supposed to be fun. Focus on age-appropriate fun instead of competition. Teach preschoolers how much fun it can be to run, kick, throw and catch instead of emphasizing rules and scores. If your elementary schoolchild is in organized sports, keep in mind that part of his success depends not on his dedication or inborn talent, but on his developmental stage. By middle school, many kids drop out of competitive sports, largely because the focus on winning has ruined the fun. By high school, teams usually consist only of kids with marked athletic ability. Encourage your child to continue enjoying the sport he loves informally with pickup games with friends.
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Misconceptions
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An early start doesn't necessarily make a champion. Many parents are under the illusion that the younger a child specializes in a sport, shows exceptional ability or earns a place on a travel team, the better off she is. The child who started sports at 5 is no more likely to be a champion than the one who started at 10. If she gets too serious at too young an age, she's likely to burn out before high school. Encourage her to try different sports and to have fun. There's plenty of time to specialize and get serious later.
Benefits
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He just wants to have fun. Signing your child up for an organized sports team will help her to stay physically active and discourage her from becoming part of the current epidemic of childhood obesity. She will also learn to compete as part of a team, practice consistently for improvement and to persevere through challenges.
Warning
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Young children thrive with play, but aren't usually innately competitive. While it's important for coaches and parents to instill good sportsmanship into youth, it's also important to avoid applying too much pressure on kids who just want to have fun. Some kids will exhibit an inborn passion for the sport and winning, but it should come from inside, and not be tied up with adult pride and competitiveness.
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References
- Photo Credit soccer image by Sandra Henderson from Fotolia.com karate boy image by Paul Moore from Fotolia.com ball image by Sandra Henderson from Fotolia.com girl power image by Steve Brase from Fotolia.com toddler in the park image by cat from Fotolia.com
