In our busy world sometimes we don’t have time for all the things we need (or want) to do. Often important items like our fitness and our kids fitness get left out. For some of us we have to schedule our own workouts. We have to see them on our calendars or they are forgotten. We may get to the end of the week and thought we were going to workout three times but realize we didn’t do any activities. Workouts often don’t happen unless we take the initiative and put them in writing. For many of us the same would happen to our kids fitness if it were not for organized sports. With organized activities comes a schedule. Practices are written down and games are on our google calendar. For many kids organized sport makes sure they have practice and activity. Joining a team makes a commitment to be present. Organized sports makes the activity a priority.
With organized sports comes coaching. Coaching helps kids listen to instruction. Often with coaching, kids will respond better to someone who is not their parent. A great example I have is one of my own kids. I coached her travel basketball team for five years and she was a starter on a team that was very good, but at times my assistant coach was more effective as a coach than her dad was. She just took instruction from him better than me. Kids may also work harder for a coach than a parent. Pushing a player to get the most out of them is often better received from a coach than a parent. Sometimes when the coaching/parent relationship gets crossed some interactions just don’t work as well.
Being on a team provides access to equipment that some kids may not otherwise have. I suggest to all parents to have as much sports equipment at home as possible. Try to have balls, goals, cones, and other workout equipment. But you cannot have everything. Sometimes being on a team provides access for small things like catchers equipment or it may be big things like gymnastics apparatus. By being on a team your child may be exposed to things they would never have had a chance to experience otherwise.
Organized sports can also help with endurance. The length of sporting events and practices often exceeds the time that kids would play on their own. When sports start in early elementary school practices usually last for about an hour. As kids get older and can sustain focus longer, practice increases to an hour and a half and then two hours. When kids are on highly competitive teams or in high school practices may last up to three hours. Not only are the practices longer as they get older but organized practices are generally more intense than non organized activities. This increase in intensity also helps with endurance.
Organized sports can also benefit your childs fitness by keeping them from activities that are harmful. Multiple studies have shown that children who participate in sports have lower rates of drug and alcohol use. They are less likely to participate in illegal activity. Girls who play sports in high school are less likely to become pregnant. All of these items are detrimental to your child’s health and fitness, but being on a team in high school can decrease your child’s chances of being involved in these damaging activities.
It is not necessary for fitness, but organized sports can make it easier for your child to be fit. I have seen some kids who were fit who never played organized sports. I’m talking about kids who had very good body composition, were coordinated and could be active for hours. I would tell you that these kids were not typical. They usually have parents who are active and a culture of fitness at their homes that keeps them active. But even for these kids I think they are missing out on many of the other benefits that organized sports can provide.
We have discussed many of the fitness benefits that organized sports can provide, but there are also many other benefits that can help your child mentally and emotionally. Sports can help your child’s confidence and increase their self worth. Organized activities can teach teamwork and can help your child’s connection with friends. Every child and situation is different but if you want to help your child’s fitness then sign them up for an organized activity.
