As summer is only a few months away, many parents are already beginning to plan activities to keep their children occupied during the school break. Chase Rubin and other people who have been involved in sports from a young age, understand the many benefits that come from their early participation in sports. There is little question that involving your children in sports will help them to form the habits that contribute to a healthy life-style. But more than this, there are also social and personal benefits that your children can enjoy as a result of their participation on the soccer field, tennis court, baseball diamond or track. Here are some of the important personal and social benefits that come from an involvement in sport.
Discipline and perseverance
In general, when young children are at play they are engaged in many of the skills that are at the foundation of sports. Whether they are running, jumping or throwing, they are developing their balance, agility and strength in ways that come very naturally to them. However, beyond these basic abilities, if children want to become more proficient at these activities they need to develop their skills through more focused practice and training. This is not always easy as some of the more advanced skills may not come naturally, and may be challenging or difficult to develop. A child who wants to improve his or her skills therefore will learn at any early age that simply wanting something is not enough. They make the connection that they will often have to work hard and make sacrifices to achieve the things that they want in life, and they will experience the personal satisfaction of successfully working towards a goal.
Teamwork and good sportsmanship
Whether you child is playing a team sport or an individual sport, they will learn important lessons and skills that help them to become valuable members of a team as adults, whether on the sports field, in the office, or as part of a family. Sports are governed by rules and social customs, and players must learn to follow the rules that structure their particular sport. They will not always follow the rules, but in that case they will understand that this comes with consequences for themselves or for their team. Especially if they are playing a team sport, children learn the value of different skill sets and roles which contribute to the overall ability of the team, and they come to value the talents of their team-mates. They learn how to be gracious in both victory and defeat.
These are just a few of the benefits that come from an early involvement in sports. On the field and off, the opportunity to learn discipline, an understanding of the value of hard work, and the experience of being part of a team will help your child at all stages of life.