It goes without saying that children participating in physical activity is great for their everyday routine. It helps with their fitness, social development and increases confidence and self-esteem. However, finding a sport that they actually enjoy is tough. if your child is doing a sport that they don’t enjoy, they won’t get much out of it and will end up falling out of love with sports in general. With so many after school clubs and sports to choose from, how do you find a sport that is best for your child?
Here is a run down of some sports for children:
Football
Football is a popular one. It can be taught from an early age and is usually something children end up doing for life. Football teaches teamwork and discipline, as well as how to score a goal! It helps to increase stamina and balance and is a great way to improve coordination.
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is gaining in popularity thanks to the Olympics. Usually children are taughy by professional coaches that have had a long standing career as gymnasts themselves. The main benefit is learning to be flexible and to push yourself to perfect. The sport will help you with balance and encourages children to strive for the best and to be fearless.
Judo
Judo, or other similar activites, is a great all rounder. It helps with physical, emotional and spiritual growth and has lots of benefits. Judo helps with discipline. It’s not just about learning self-defense but it helps children to focus on the strict set of rules that Judo brings.
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is growing fast within schools and is not longer seen as an ‘American’ sport. It’s particularly ideal for girls that are not interested in sport, but more and more boys are getting involved. It’s a great way to burn energy and also instil an enthusastic attitude. Its great for teamwork, agility and of course rhythm!
Tennis
Tennis is all about having a competitive spirit. With the popularity of Wimbledon and especially Andy Murray, it’s becoming increasingly popular. The sport requires agility and to be a quick thinker. It encourages strategy and the ability to learn techniques and accuracy. Tennis encourages children to be competitive and work independently.
Swimming
Swimming is an essential sport for children to learn. Especially if they have a fear of water. It doesn’t need to be done competitively and is a key life skill for children to develop. It helps to advance breathing control and muscle strength and you’ll be able to master a number of techniques.
Non competitive sports for children
You don’t need to participate in a competitive sport within a team. There are a number of sports that are great for building up physical activity independently. Such as:
- Walking
- Cycling
- Running
- Swimming
- Canoeing
- Sailing
- Kayaking
Its important that children get enough physical activity per day to burn energy and reduce obesity, which is a growing problem in England right now. Finding a sport that they enjoy is so important and will often result in better behaviour, mental health and emotions
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