Is your child into sports?
March 28th 2008 06:09
Let's swim
My husband and I are both non-athletic people but we do enjoy light activities like walking, table tennis and biking. Our daughter, on the other hand, is into swimming. She's been taking swimming lessons since last summer and has advanced into the next level.
Having your child involved in a sport or any kind of physical activity is beneficial, not only physically, but also emotionally. It teaches your child sportsmanship, teamwork, patience and discipline, to name a few.
For young children, setting a playdate with his/her friends in a park or playground under the supervision of a trusted adult would be a good idea. Preshool-aged kids would have fun learning how to ride a bike, jumping rope, playing with hullahoops, hopscotch etc. School-aged kids may like getting into team sports like baseball, soccer and swimming. Or perhaps individual sports like tennis, biking and running.
Remember, choosing which sport to play should depend on your child's interest. As parents our role is to determine whether the sport is age-appropriate, whether the coach is qualified and if the facility is safe and suitable for the chosen activity. Monitor your child's progress, provide the equipment he/she needs for that sport, be supportive and be present for your child's games as much as you can.
As Tiger Woods said, "Don't force your kids into sports. I never was. To this day, my dad has never asked me to go play golf. I ask him. It's the child's desire to play that matters, not the parent's desire to have the child play. Fun. Keep it fun."
For more on this topic, visit the Sports for Elementary-School Kids page of Family Education.Com.
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