THE IMPORTANCE OF SPORTS FOR CHILDREN
Aug 11, 2011 | By Sarah Smenyak
Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Roger
Participation in sports can have many benefits for children. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, "Participation in organized sports provides an opportunity for young people to increase their physical activity and develop physical and social skills." However, to maximize the positive benefits that organized sports have for children, a balance must be found that matches the child's maturity, interests and skills with their sports participation
HISTORY
Organized sports for children is relatively new. Physical activity used to be a regular part of life, and games and sports were a physical outlet that was usually child driven and not organized by adults. As adult sports evolved throughout the 20th century, more organized sporting activities filtered down to children, starting with high school sports participation and then moving toward younger and younger children and reaching out to women and girls. There are now organized sporting activities for children and even infants.
PHYSICAL BENEFITS
Organized sports allows children to learn physical skills in a relatively safe environment, with adults who are charged with maintaining the rules and safety of the participants. The American Academy of pediatrics states that "In contrast to unstructured or free play, participation in organized sports provides a greater opportunity to develop rules specifically designed for health and safety." Sports also give children the opportunity to be physically active and develop a healthy lifestyle that supports their athletic endeavors. Physical activity as children can help lessen their risk of developing adult diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.
SOCIAL BENEFITS
Children who participate in sports can learn social skills such as taking turns and teamwork. They can also learn about responsibility to a team and how everyone needs to do their part for the team to be successful. Through sports, children learn how to take direction from a coach and adapt to different situations. Also, through sports, children have the opportunity to make friends with other kids with similar physical interests.
EMOTIONAL BENEFITS
Children who participate in sports can also reap emotional benefits when they are given positive sporting role models and experiences. From sports children "learn the value of practice and the challenge of competition," and these are lessons that children can learn to apply to other non-sporting parts of their lives. Given the right examples, children can also use sports to create a healthy self-image and a positive view of their body.
RECOMMENDATIONS
It is the recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatrics that regular physical activity should be encouraged for all children, whether or not they participate in sports. Parents should watch that their children are continuing to have fun and make sure that they, as parents, are not pushing their child beyond his limitations.
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