Picking the best sport for your child can be a tough exercise. There are so many to choose from! The best sport for your child is obviously one that they love and are interested in.
Because kids are different, no sport can be considered as the “best” one. Make your choice based on what makes your budding athlete unique.
If your child is bursting with energy, soccer, or basketball, swimming or baseball is an excellent choice for their high intensity. Parents could also consider looking into lacrosse as well. That sport is fast-paced and requires people to think on their feet, so that would be beneficial to use up their energy. To play lacrosse, people will need lacrosse sticks and other equipment. Those pieces of equipment can be purchased from StringKing, for example. Make sure to find the best sport for your child.
One way to find which sport your child would enjoy is to enroll them into several sports at once, or pick a single sport and focus all your time into honing the skills required to excel at it.
Unfortunately, you run the risk of exhausting or burning out your child with either of these options.
Remember that your kids need downtime so do not overschedule them. Instead, ensure to let them relax and take a break.
Whether you want your child to have fun or intend for them to go pro simply, any sport you enroll your child in should teach them to love physical activity, improve their motor skills, and foster a positive learning environment where they can grow both in body and in mind.
Here are a few sports that you should consider for your child.
Gymnastics
At its core, gymnastics is one of the best sports your child can take part in. It teaches a host of behavioral skills such as discipline, focus, and awareness. Also, it helps tone the body and allows kids to fine-tune their coordination and motor skills.
Kids also learn the value of self-betterment and personal growth by competing against others and through regular Gymnastics Training. By starting out young, your kids will learn vital skills that set a good foundation for success in other sports. The life skills imparted at this stage are also instrumental.
Martial Arts
Much like gymnastics, martial arts is another excellent pick. It puts emphasis on body control and awareness and significantly improves motor skills.
And like gymnastics, martial arts impart essential life skills in addition to the physical benefits. Kids learn the importance of self-control, commitment, and discipline. In turn it builds their confidence and character, helping them grow as a person. It can also develop their spiritual sense and competitive nature.
Due to the fact that kids progress from belt to belt as they go along, martial arts presents a tangible way for kids to track growth and progress.
Martial arts is a fantastic sport for your kids to try out, to develop their self-defence. There are multiple different martial art forms to choose from; like Taekwondo, Karate, Karate, Kung Fu, Judo, Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai or Krav Maga to name some. You might want to start by checking out this link about martial arts near me; to learn everything you need to about it.
Baseball
Many of us grew up playing baseball. It has several benefits – It teaches hand-eye coordination, proper throwing mechanics, teamwork, discipline and a lot of other useful life skills.
Not all good news, unfortunately. Baseball is not as physically demanding as soccer for instance. Only a few individuals are active at any one-time while everyone else is standing around waiting.
While this may teach patience, it also means that kids do not get enough exercise as most of their time is spent standing in lines or watching the game.
That said, baseball is a great choice. It is a fun sport that the whole family can take part in, and it builds fundamental movement skills required to excel at other sports.
Swinging and pitching can both be useful in building necessary motor movements. In the learning stage, kids may not be able to do everything right, but if they seem to be having fun with it and are encouraged to learn, then you can help them train better.
If you are a baseball fanatic yourself, then you probably have an idea of how to train your child. Even otherwise, you could always make use of handy equipment like a swing path trainer which helps your kid in getting the right swing to connect with the ball. Going further, there are children’s leagues for baseball that your child could participate in.
If that is something that your child enjoys, then support them by all means. Visit review sites like https://thebatnerds.com which do a great job picking out the best youth baseball bats as well as breaking down what little league is all about.
Track and Field
Track and field present an excellent opportunity to get a full body workout.
It is excellent for maintaining healthy cholesterol levels, healthy lungs, building muscles and strengthening the heart, and is a unique way for your child to release any pent up energy.
Track and field can help your child build coordination, muscle, as well as decrease chances of diabetes and rising childhood obesity.
Track and field can also go a long way in imparting vital life skills such as setting and achieving goals, as well as building self-confidence.
Soccer
At the risk of sounding biased, soccer is a fantastic team sport for your kids to take part in.
One of the fundamental tenets of any sport is good footwork. And what better way to build this than good old fashioned soccer.
Soccer requires a range of movements – short bursts of speed, sudden changes in direction, jumping, running and more.
Learning to dribble, make short passes or shoot the ball is good, but the benefits gained from refined motor skills and body growth are far more significant.
Additionally, soccer is an excellent choice because of the teamwork it fosters. Success is pegged on excellent communication amongst teammates, which translates well to other sports and aspects of real-life interactions.
Football
As much as I like playing football and watching it on TV, I don’t think it’s suitable for kids to play.
The reason for it is that tackles in football can be quite vicious. Kids can build the same set of skills they’ learn by playing football, in other sports without putting their bodies in harm’s way.
A lot has been written about the dangers of football, more so due to concussions. Balance, jumping, footwork can be learned through other sports without the risk of serious injury.
Conclusion
Obviously, there are plenty of other sports to choose from for your kids. However, the fundamentals are the same. Find a sport that builds motor skills,
While there is no right or wrong answer when choosing the best sport for your child t play, consider the emotional, social and physical benefits posed by each sport.