Why Sports Are So Important in a Child's Life!

There are many reasons having your children involved in sports or some type of physical activity are good for their overall growth as an individual both at a young age and for years to come.

The first and primary reason is their health. Many children today are obese (in fact this # is a staggering 1 in 3). Obesity creates many problems in children both physical and emotional. Children who are overweight are more susceptible to diseases as are adults from diabetes to asthma.

Another reason is self-esteem. Let's face it kids can be mean. If your child is overweight they are more prone to being picked on causing an increase in self-esteem issues. Self-esteem issues can lead to an adult-hood full of seclusion, suicide, depression and many other mentally debilitating problems.

The third reason is their social skills. Children who are secluded from other children are not as likely to do well in a group setting. Being involved in sports teaches children in team sports to work as a team but even in individual sports how to interact with others during practices, competitions etc. These are valuable lessons that should be learned at a young age. Once in a work setting lessons learned from sports are invaluable.

A fourth reason that being involved in sports is so important in a child's life is the time management lessons that are learned. Children have to make time for these sports outside of school and manage to get their homework done and still have time for friends. For those who are involved in sports at a young age, once in a workplace this all becomes second nature. Work, family, friends and taking care of a house seem much more manageable.

Another important benefit to sports in the life of a child is exposure to other adults of authority. Many children learn a lot from their coaches and while they love their parents in most cases sometimes having yet another responsible adult in their life is beneficial. In high school I not only looked up to my coaches and dance teachers but learned a lot from them. These are not lessons I did not learn from my parents but rather lessons that were reinforced by other adults whom I looked up to.

It is clear to me in my everyday work that those who were involved in sports at an early age tend to adapt exceptionally well to the workplace or even previously to the college setting. Between the physical benefits, emotional benefits and social skills sports are clearly beneficial in a child's life and can lead to many rewards for years to come.

Sources:

http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/body/overweight_obesity.html