In the age of smartphones and Netflix, we’ll do whatever we can to get and keep our children active. One way to do that is to get them interested in sports. Whether it be baseball, tennis, or soccer, there are a large number of sports available to kids, and it can be difficult to narrow down on the right one. Here are a few ways you can help your child choose the right sport for them:
Expose them to a variety of sports
If you want your child to stick with sports, you have to make sure that they choose one that they like. You’ll only know if they truly like a sport by trying, and this might mean trying a wide variety until they find the right one. To narrow down your options, start watching different sports on TV or in-person to see which ones your child is drawn to. Once you have a handful, take them out for some practice so that they can get a taste of what it’s like to play each one.
Match it to their physical traits
As much as we’d like our kids to excel at everything that they do, this is not always realistic. Simply put, some kids are better at certain sports than others, and a large part of what impacts this is their physical traits. Stockier kids, for instance, may be better at football while taller kids may be better at basketball. Take their physical traits into account to see if they’d find a certain sport too difficult.
And match it to their personality
Different kids enjoy different types of activities. On the one hand, if your child is a more introverted type, they may like a more individualized sport such as swimming or golf. On the other hand, if your child is more extroverted, they may enjoy team sports such as hockey or baseball. You wouldn’t want to force someone who hates working in teams into a sport that’s based on teamwork, so make sure to keep their personality into account when choosing which sport to play.
At Steadfast Academy, we encourage all children to participate in outdoor and indoor activities to get them moving. To learn more about our active curriculum – both physical and mental – for children, call us today at 281-991-3999.