Some of my favorite childhood memories were playing sports. I was on softball leagues for at least 4 or 5 summers growing up and they provided me with such joy. In today's age, though, sometimes it is hard to get kids to want to be involved in sports, because they would rather just play on a phone or computer. But sports are important for so many reasons. If you want to get your children interested in sports, here are some helpful suggestions from a reader.
Sports can be a fantastic hobby for children. Playing sports is, of course, good for their health, but it can also teach them important skills like discipline, good sportsmanship, and teamwork. If you’re also interested in sports, playing or watching sports can also be a good way to bond and spend time together as a family. How can you get your kids to be interested in sports?
Take Them To Games
If you enjoy watching a particular sport, you can get your child interested by taking them with you to watch. If you have a few children, it could make them feel really special if you alternate which child goes with you. If one of them seems more interested in your sport, they will feel really special if they get to have a special day out and some alone time with you. The atmosphere of a live game could really grab them and get them interested. Whether you go to small local games or visit the NFL largest stadiums, seeing sports in person could hold their interest.
Play Sports Together
If you have enough space, play sports together at home. Kicking or throwing a ball around in the garden can be a lot of fun, and a good way for both of you to keep active. What they will enjoy most is the time with you, but you could also be sparking an interest in the sport.
What sports facilities are available to the public near you? Skate parks, public basketball hoops, swimming pools, or just spaces large enough for rollerskating can all be fun places to take the family for a sporty day out.
This is also a good way to get everyone involved and show your children that being active is fun as well as healthy.
Lead By Example
Children are more observant than you might think, and they will mirror the behavior that they see their parents demonstrating. This means that, no matter how much you encourage them to be sporty, if they see you lying on the sofa watching TV all day, they’re not going to be that interested in playing a sport. Instead, they’ll think the TV is more fun. If you want to raise children who are active and sporty, you need to model that behavior yourself. This could be playing sports with them at home, joining a weekend team, or just going to the gym. If sports and exercise is a regular part of your life, your children will see this as a normal thing to do and be more interested in doing the same and making sports part of their life too.
Keep It Fun
Be careful not to squash a budding interest in sports by putting the pressure on. Remember that sports are supposed to fun, especially for children. If they’re losing interest, don’t push too hard to make them stay involved. Instead, let them know that they can try out other things to see if there’s something else they enjoy more now.
This point also covers attitudes to winning. If your child does turn out to be gifted at a particular sport and joins a local team, it can be easy to accidentally get caught up in winning. While winning feels good, if your child feels under pressure to win, this can soon suck the fun out of their sport, and they may feel as though they have to win to please you. To avoid this happening, put the focus on fun and effort. When you pick them up after a game, ask if they had fun, not if they won. Praise their efforts and hard work, not their wins. This attitude can also help children learn to be good sportsman.
Encourage, Don’t Force
Nobody like to be bad at things, including children. However, if your child seems to be enjoying a sport they might not be naturally gifted at, make sure your praise them anyway. This could mean telling them you like the way they always try hard, or the way they cheer on their team. If they seem to be losing interest, back off. You can encourage them to take part, but be careful not to push too hard. If they feel forced to do it, they won’t want to carry on.
Find The Right Sport
Children can have pretty short attention spans, so it might take a little while to find the right sport for them that grabs their attention. It’s important to remember too that just because you love a particular sport, your children might not feel the same. For example, you might love baseball and take them to a game and find that they’re bored stiff. Instead, they might find that they love playing tennis or watching WWE on TV. It’s ok for them to try out lots of things, as you never know what they might have their imagination caught by. Even if you’re not a fan of whatever they choose, make sure you’re supportive. Don’t criticize the sport that they’re enjoying, even if it seems silly or boring to you.
The age of your children is relevant here too. It’s unlikely that your three-year-old will want to join a weekend kid’s football team, for example, but your ten-year-old might love this. Adjust what you offer them to their age and ability. Kids of all ages can enjoy watching sports with you, whether in-person or on TV, but older children will benefit more from team sports than younger ones will.
Whatever you decide to do, remember the purpose of encouraging sportiness. You’re not trying to train the next great athlete (even if that would be a nice bonus) or living out your own childhood dreams through them. You’re trying to raise happy, healthy children who have a strong work ethic, know how to work in a team, and know to win and lose gracefully. A love of sports can teach all of these things, whether they have a talent for their sport or not.
Are you into sports and were you into them as children? What sports were they? Have you managed to pass on a love of sports to your kids? What sports are they involved in?