In today’s day and age, there has never been a better time to get involved in sport as a child! In the past, many sports were just too expensive to get started in for most families, or, had very poor accessibility. 

However, this is no longer the case. Almost every area of the country has a huge range of sporting centers open to all ages and abilities. Also, sporting equipment is now readily available online to suit all budgets.

Having the opportunity to participate in SO MANY sports these days, from lacrosse to track cycling should excite you as a parent, as a world of wonderful opportunity awaits your child! Here’s a summary of the main benefits of playing sports as a child.

Fitness

Almost all sports require some form of physical fitness to participate in, or train your child’s fitness during activity. Often your child will be having so much fun playing in a sport like tennis, for instance, that they will block out any kind of physical pain from running around the court!

Of course, fitness comes in a variety of forms! There’s anaerobic fitness. This is short bursts of energy – rather like that of a sprinter in track and field, as opposed to aerobic fitness, which would be what is required to be a long distance runner. 

Finding a sport that suits your child’s attributes would be smart, but most importantly, keeping fit in whatever sport they happen to choose will keep them super healthy.

Mental Toughness

Mental toughness, in any shape or form is a truly valuable life skill and sport provides the perfect platform to develop and hone this facility. Whether it’s taking a penalty in front of 50 people one afternoon in a soccer match or teeing off on the first hole of the golf course, sport is one of the most powerful ways of all time to build mental strength.

Socialising

Friendships are built for life in sport, whether that’s through a team sport like baseball or a more individual pursuit, like athletics. Sport creates such big experiences and enables children to form bonds that go so much deeper than in other areas of life. Having a shared experience with other children, all participating in something they love – experiencing the highs and lows as one unit is something exceptionally special. When your child grows up, they will always reflect back fondly on their sporting life at school or college.

Career Opportunities

Some children are so inspired by sport and how the human body moves, that they often explore career pathways in their chosen sport or go on to work as physiotherapists or nutritionists, for instance, later in life. Often these types of careers are extremely fulfilling as well as being well paid! In today’s high stress and high pressure daily environment, finding a career that you truly love is more important than ever. There are some excellent options in sport that your child will love once they come of age.