All over the world children are finding self-esteem and confidence in the sports they enjoy and love. Whether it’s cricket, football or gymnastics, there is definitely a sport for each and every child out there. Sports are a great starting point for a child to give them the necessary skills they will need for the rest of their lives!
Here are some skills that playing a sport confers on children:
Dealing with strong emotions - To start with, in general, sports for children are controlled and well monitored - giving children an opportunity to deal with any strong emotions they might have in a safe environment. It proves as an outlet to let out emotions and divert their mind since in a sport, they have to stay laser focused on the game itself and come up with strategies to win no matter what.
Communication Skills - Group sports, such as basketball and football, where you have to work as a team encourages communication between kids. They typically have to work together to find the ideal strategy for success. Communication is extremely powerful when it comes to maintaining a strong positive attitude, as in order to verbalise, it can make words more powerful.
Being aware of their strengths - Winning and losing is something that is bound to happen and kids will especially experience that a lot in highly competitive sports, as you would expect. But irrespective of that, the wins are fantastic. They go through a confidence boost, an adrenaline high and that wonderful feeling of being good at something. Here, you will see your child blossom into someone who is aware of their capabilities and their own strengths which leads to a connection to teamwork and the successes that can come from that.
Support and feeling empowered - One positive comment is all one needs! Such comments encourage children to keep going, which can then go on to empower another, and another, until you have a team of determined, motivated players, all supporting each other, trying to do their best.
Accepting losses and learning from it - In sport, you might begin to see dark clouds forming over your child’s head, frustration in their steps and even tears in their eyes because they wanted to win so badly. A powerful lesson can be learnt here. It’s exactly here where your actions and your words as a parent will have the most impact on them. Be aware of what you are about to say and how you will react. It’s not always about winning or losing, but instead about teaching your children to look for the positives, to pick themselves up and always move forward - better than before.
These are some fantastic qualities your child will develop that will help them grow as physically and mentally.But with winning, naturally, there are losses. There are numerous benefits to children playing a sport, from physical health to increased confidence building and so much more but arguably, the most important development is that of a positive attitude. It is something that will always stay with them for the entirety of their lives, helping them cope better with good work, with the highs and also their lows of life – and it all starts with just one sport.