This was originally posted on September 21, 2012
Since Olympic fever hit the UK, more and more parents are looking to get their children involved in sports. The benefits for children who participate in sports include a reduced risk of obesity; an improvement to cardiovascular fitness; better co-ordination and balance; an increased ability to relax, and the healthy growth of bones, tendons, ligaments and muscles. These are only the physical benefits. Participating in a sport can also help a child become more socially aware, help their confidence around others and improve their personal skills.
So how does a parent successfully encourage their children into sports? For some children, an interest in sports may come more naturally than to others. Here are some top tips on how to encourage your child into sports.
Listen To The Child
Many parents make the mistake of assuming their child is interested in the same sport as they are, or were as a child. It’s important for any parent to listen to their child when choosing a sport for them to try out. If the child is bored, they are more likely to quit the sport. Also, a parent should show lots of interest in the sport that their child picks out. This includes putting personal reservations to one side whilst the child explores their own avenues of interest.
Try Out Several Sports
In schools, football, netball and tennis are often the most practised sports. If a child isn’t interested in these, they can often adopt the belief that they ‘just don’t like sports’. Try to get your child involved with lots of different types of sport and activity to see where their interests lie. Alternative activities a parent could explore include martial arts, gymnastics, archery, orienteering, roller derby, dancing and many more. Encourage your child to join as many different groups as possible; they may drop out of a few, but will most likely keep going to the one they enjoy the most
Be Supportive, But Don’t Pressure Your Child
Once your child has chosen a sport he or she is interested in, then be supportive. This means cheering them on at games, practising with them and reinforcing how well they are doing in the chosen sport. However, it’s important not to put too much pressure on the child to win during these games, and never let them think they may have let you down, or else the child may be put off the sport and also face confidence issues. A way of avoiding this is to steer clear of any competitive parents of children within the same group. Emphasise how important taking part and putting effort into a sport is, not necessarily being the best at it.
Get Active
Children are heavily influenced by what they see their parents doing, so if your child is having difficulties getting interested in sports, then get interested together! Participating in sports as a family will encourage the child to stay active as they grow older. Even if your child isn’t interested in playing sports, a simple bike ride or going out to an adventure playground instead of playing computer games inside will encourage them to get active, as well as help their health, fitness and general well being.
Where to Find Clubs and Groups
Once your child has expressed an interest in sports, it can seem difficult to find a local club or group which will cater for them. Your first phone call could be to your child’s school. They may run a club themselves, or have useful, reliable information on clubs near you.
You can also search online. Direct.gov.uk offers a search facility where you can locate clubs of interest in your local area and Sport England also has useful links to clubs for children at their website.
