Taking part in sports is often one of the most exciting and rewarding endeavors in a child’s life. In addition to making new friends, sports allow children to learn valuable life skills, such as teamwork, dedication, resilience, and courage. Based on these benefits, enrolling your child in a sport may seem like a no-brainer. However, there are a few important things to consider before enrolling your kid in a sport. Continue reading to learn more!
Potential Health and Safety Risks
It goes without saying that any strenuous physical activity comes with a few health and safety risks. You shouldn’t prevent your kid from enjoying the many benefits that sports can offer out of fear, but you should have a general understanding of the potential risks. In doing so, you can take the necessary measures to help mitigate any health and safety issues that could arise.
For example, some sports might unevenly work the spine, potentially increasing a child’s risk of scoliosis. However, you can mitigate many health risks like these with a balanced training regime and by completing regular tests at home, such as checking for scoliosis.
The Time Commitment
Another one of the most important things to consider before enrolling your kid in a sport is time. Sports don’t only take up a good chunk of your child’s time; they can take up a lot of yours as well. Driving them to and from practices, attending games or meets, and potentially hosting the occasional team dinner: it can become a bit overwhelming if you’re not prepared. As such, you should make sure that you can free up enough time in your schedule to support your child’s athletic career before you start enrolling them in sports.
Your Motivations
Before enrolling your child in a sport, you should take some time to consider your motivations for doing so. Are you hoping that enlisting them in a sport will teach them valuable life skills and allow them to make some new friends in the process? If so, great! However, if your motivation for enrolling them in a sport is so they can become the next big star, you may want to take a step back and reassess.
Placing extremely high expectations on your child to exceed in sports can put a lot of pressure on them, ultimately soiling their athletic experience. To ensure that your child can enjoy and benefit from partaking in sports, make sure that you come from a place of love and support.
Mom on the go in Holy Toledo 