5 Reasons Your Child Should Play Sports

To Play or Not to Play?

Rodney Southern
Eventually, every parent has to decide whether or not to allow their child to play organized sports. Some fear for the safety of their child and do not allow it. Others think that it will hurt schoolwork and grades. The truth is, playing sports often has the opposite effect on a student. Here are five great reasons to allow your child to play sports:

Social Effects of Playing Youth Sports

There is little doubt that playing youth sports will increase the chances of your child being social. It helps a child to open up and gain friends that they otherwise might not have access to. Plus, the sports themselves have a way of bringing kids together. Playing sports is a great way for kids to learn social skills that will help them for a lifetime.

Effect of Playing Sports on Grades

Many parents fear that grades will slip or that their kids will stop studying if they play sports. Nothing could be further from the truth. Sports in school drives most kids to greater heights. Kids are required to maintain a great average to play. There is also the added need for the kids to want to please their coach and teammates. This can be a great motivation to get good grades. Many sports also teach things that help with classwork and coaches sometimes will intertwine this with on the field coaching.

Effects of Playing Sports on Health

In a world where kids spend countless hours playing video games and watching television, sports can be that exercise that sets them on a path for life health. The athlete that plays sports in school at any level is usually one that will keep on exercising long after the games are over. Active kids are much healthier in the long run.

Effects of Playing Sports on Life Skills

There are simply some skills in sports that you do not get any other way. For example, learning how to work together to score the winning touchdown. Of course, you can do this in business or in any other way, but the impact is not hard and fast. Not only do they learn when they succeed in getting the touchdown, they also learn when they do not. Dealing with adversity is very black and white in sports and that is a winning life skill for everyone.

Fun is a Great Reason

For all the great reasons to play sports as a child, having fun is at or near the top. Your child will have the time of their life. Let them get out there and mix it up with the other kids. It will be good for them mind, body and soul.

Published by Rodney Southern - Featured Contributor in Sports

My name is Rodney Southern and I have a lovely wife, Julie, and two beautiful twin daughters, Brooke and Valerie. Also, I was the 2008 Ultimate Call for Content Winner, and awarded a Top 100 badge for Associ...  View profile

  • Kids grow in social skills through playing sports.
  • Kids learn about adversity in sports as well.
  • Kids have a ton of fun playing sports and should be allowed that release.

4 Comments

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  • reggie johnson12/12/2010

    wow this is amazing I've been trying to decide weather to let my oldest boy play football. This article has helped me make my decision. Thank You Associated Content. :)

  • Linda StCyr4/10/2010

    I agree! My oldest is in baseball (first year minors, I'm so proud) and in karate. My youngest is in second year t-ball. They love sports and get exercise. Although my oldest is more of a nerd, he loves baseball.

  • L.L. Woodard4/5/2010

    We encouraged our kids to choose a sport or sports. I don't regret the decision. I just wish I could erase some actions/comments by over-eager parents that occurred. But even with those, playing team sports taught the kids valuable lessons and they met and became friends with others that they might never have met otherwise.

  • Vonda J. Sines4/5/2010

    Good piece. From the perspective of a child who was always the last one chosen for a team, if I had ever received the slightest encouragement, I would have had an interest.

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