Many children find different interests during their childhood and learn what they truly enjoy and what they aren’t so fond of.
During this time, children may have a chance to join a sports club, either one associated with their school, or separate from it.
When children have the opportunity to join a sports club, it benefits them in many ways that end up helping them develop skills, positively affect health and help them grow into independent adults.
If you are a parent and are thinking about sending your child to a sports club, but are perhaps unsure, we will discuss here some of the main benefits.
Working as a team
There are hundreds of different sports and many of them involve the participants working as a team. At the start of a child’s life, they see the world revolving around them and feel that everyone else is there just for them. As they grow up, they begin to learn that their parents aren’t, in fact, there for them alone, and that they actually have to integrate with people as a group. Team sports, such as football, can teach them the importance of working as a team. It helps children learn that everyone plays their part, and that only when they develop a trusting bond between the teammates is when they can truly work well together and succeed.
Learning the importance of teamwork will teach them that pretty much everything in life is done better and with less stress when working together with others.
Learning how to lose
When we were children, playing cards or board games, our parents would normally let us win. We had no idea about the concept of losing as we constantly lived in a world of winning. But with sports, winning is not guaranteed, and during most sports games there will always be a winner and a loser.
Every child is likely to experience both sides when playing a sport. As a part of a team, there will be occasions when they lose, and when they do, they need to understand that there is nothing wrong with losing and that it is a normal part of life.
By taking part in sports, children have the chance to learn how to deal with the emotions that come with losing, which is a skill that is important to take and keep for the future. In life, there are many other obstacles that we all face, but sports participation teaches us that even when something kicks us down, we have to get up and carry on – because bad news will eventually turn good.
Developing patience and ambition
In life, many of us have different dreams, and people who succeed tend to be ambitious as well as being patient. These skills are something that can be taught from a young age when a child is a part of a sports club.
Competition is very common in the sporting world, and it is this competitive aspect that can motivate a child to work hard and set out different goals. Athletics is filled with different competitions where children can take on a variety of disciplines; some might take a part in a field event, such as the javelin, whereas others might shine on the track. A child who runs fifth during their first competition, after some dedication and patience, can see their hard work pay off, with the result of them winning races at a later time.
All of this teaches children that not everything happens straight away, as well as the fact that hard work does reward them. Knowing this is important for later in life, when they step out into the ‘real world’.
Self-esteem
Having good self-esteem is something that every parent wants their child to have, and sports can help children in this. Many people might see sports as winning or losing, but for children, it’s a place for them to have fun without having too much pressure on their performance. Creating the club as an enjoyable environment where they learn new skills and the importance of working as a team, can give the child the confidence to try out new things in their future. This is important, as it will help them develop independence.
Mental health
Sports tend to give children positive feelings, and it’s a chance for them to let loose and run around, letting all of that energy fizz inside of them; this all contributes to children having positive mental health. When children do something they love, such as a sport, this feeling can spread in different areas of their lives, for example, school. A study suggests that people who aren’t active are more likely to have their mental health suffer negatively. One reason why sports helps children have positive mental health is that it can relax them, mentally. It can make the children feel less stressed over schoolwork, as sports is a break from their academic studies, as well as creating many beneficial hormones which affect mental strength.
Social skills
Sports is a great way for children to exercise whilst having fun, but joining a sports club is the perfect place for children to make new friends. At school, some children can sometimes have difficulties making friends, maybe due to a lack of confidence or not finding anyone with the same interests.
Socialising with other children at a sports club can make this easier, as all of these children share a common interest. Knowing there is something the children already have in common can help break boundaries, making the children feel more confident as well as helping all of them to work as a team.
Long-term interests
In many cases, children who are physically active grow up to be active in their adulthood. Joining a sports club allows children to find something they really love and want to continue improving forever. This sporting interest they have from a young age can push them on a journey of turning this sport into a career or keeping it as a fun hobby throughout their life.
All these benefits help children develop physically, mentally and socially – all important elements that will help them when they become adults.
Many parents love being able to see their children learning to work as a team, and developing some of these skills.
This is why we created the Splento App, a place where sporting clubs can upload photos of the children having fun as well as learning new skills; just for the parents to see.
Photos like these are timeless, they remind the parent of how much their child enjoyed participating in the sport, how they improved over time and what they achieved.
If you would love to keep your timeless photos in a secure location, then the Splento App is the perfect place to store them. Curious about what more it does? Explore the Splento App for parents, and learn how a parent can use this app.
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