Welcome to another Motivation Monday. As a parent you want to give your children the best start in life. With obesity statistics increasing daily it’s important to ensure your child stays healthy and happy. Alongside a balanced diet, it’s important to encourage your children to get involved in sports.
What sports are available to my child?
Don’t just rely on school PE lesions to fulfil your child’s fitness and sports interests. Many PE sessions are short and occur infrequently depending on the school’s timetable. Search in your local area for sporting clubs that offer sessions for children or for local organisations that run sports for children.
Many local schools also offer after school sports sessions for children so find out what your child’s school does. If you’re finding it hard to locate sports sessions online, take a stroll around the neighbourhood after work or school. You’re sure to see a number of sporting activities going on in parks and schools so just ask if they’re accepting any new recruits.
Why should my children get involved in sport?
There are a number of benefits to encouraging your children to become involved in sport. The main being that exercise forms the basis for a healthy life. Starting your child in sports early on means that you will form the foundation for a healthy lifestyle that will continue for the rest of their lives.
Secondly, taking part in sporting activities can help children in other areas of their lives. Working with others in a team sport will help them to develop important team building skills which are used in other areas of their lives. Interacting with other children in the team or at the local sports ground will also help to develop their social skills. If your child is shy, encourage them to take part in sport activities to help them become more confident socialising with other children.
What costs are involved with children’s sports?
Despite wanting to encourage their children into sports activities, many parents aren’t able to financially support their children in sports. With household costs constantly increasing many parents aren’t able to cover the expenses associated with sports activities, such as the sports sessions themselves and accessories, including clothing and kits.
If your budget is tight there are a number of ways you can still get your child into sports. Most local governments offer free sporting activities for children so search online in your area for free activities. If you’re serious about starting your children in sports, include this in your family budget. The benefits of sports for children far outweigh the financial costs involved so it’s important to include these activities in your life, wherever possible.
Getting involved in sports can provide your child with a fantastic start in life, helping them work with others in a team and achieve goals. Although sports can sometimes be expensive, the benefit your child will get from these activities will help them in all areas of their lives, as well as ensure they have a healthy start to life.
This post was written by Susie Francis a content writer for focus training a leading UK training provider that offer a variety of courses to help get a career in the fitness industry. Susie is a fitness fanatic and is looking forward to her first competitive run at the end of May!
I don’t have kids but I grew up in a home based daycare that my mom ran…and you know, we were outside all day every day, play, creating, being active….we weren’t fat, out of shape and sick like is so common in kids today…whether sports or just simply being active, it makes such a huge difference in our lives and not just physically…
It’s really valuable to expose kids to a lot of different sports not just for exercise, but to build confidence, physical skills, and their sense of self. There are usually low-cost options like local rec leagues and there’s something that fits everyone. Don’t forget martial arts, either. Great post, Jenn!
Thanks for all your kind comments, Its been really interesting hearing your thoughts and stories.
I spent lots of time outside playing too when I was a kid and I do want my child to be active too so we are taking time to play with him outside.
We always told our kids they had to be in something. We let them pick but for the boys it was either a sport or go to dance with my daughter! AHAHAHA
If you are active as a kid it is easy to get back into healthy exercise habits later
Growing up we spent most of the day outside. Lots of tag, jumping on the tramp and no video games. I work hard to encourage this in my own family. I must admit it’s harder than when I was growing up because of all the technology at our disposal but I believe it’s so important to teach good habits from the start.
I love this post. It is important to teach kids to be healthy at a young age so that they always know the importance.
outdoor play and sports were a big part of growing up for me and provide me with character as well as an appreciation for fitness. I plan to pass that along to my kids. My daughter loves gymnastics and I will support whatever other physical activities she wants to pursue
I want my kids to do so many things, but I am afraid thinks otherwise. I do hope I can pull it off
We find a lot of active activities indoors, often games made out of chores, to kill more than one bird 🙂
Now that I’m a mom I’ll have to be thinking on this topic a lot more in the future. I know that my parents let me do a few different sports but I know many who will only let their children do one or two because of costs, grades or just commitment in general. Exercise can be achieved at home, school, church, etc. and should be encouraged.
Oh I love the ideas!!!! It is as simple as just going outside and having some fun! The kid will not even know it is exercise as they will be having that much fun!
I wish we could get our kids into sports here, but it is far too expensive. So we offer a lot of opportunity for outside play with bikes, scooters, trampolines and even camping.
Some great ideas! When I was a kid, I tried quite a few sports out, and had a great school system that gave me a taste of other sports that I likely wouldn’t have tried out (and in some cases, really enjoyed). I think sports give kids some important lessons that transfer into adulthood.
Lots of great ideas. Kids need to do something beside watching TV or playing on the computer..
it’s as simply as STOPPING AND PLAYING with them huh?
so important too.