Three Reasons to Help Your Kids Love Sports

Sports are good for us. And just as it’s your job to try and get your kids to eat their five a day, you should also be trying to get them to regularly spend time playing sports and getting active. So, how can you encourage your child to love sports?

Playing sports is good for kids. Heck, it’s good for everyone. But for kids, the benefits of playing sports can play an even more important role. Not only does playing regular sports help your child to stay healthy and fit, but it also teaches her about the value of health and fitness, something that will hopefully become a lifelong lesson. Additionally, she’ll be learning valuable skills in teamwork, problem-solving, and developing self-esteem as well.

Since playing sports has many benefits, it makes sense that you want to encourage your children to play sports from a young age. But, as you probably know, children won’t love something just because you tell them it’s good for them. If they did, there would probably be a world shortage of spinach. It’s not a lost cause, however. There are things you can do to encourage your child to throw themselves into the world of sports. Here are three ways to help your children love sports:

1.  Be a role model
Don’t worry, you don’t need to do anything special to be a role model, you’re already one. From the first time you locked eyes with your baby, you have been one of her most important role models. By observing and copying you, she learned to talk, taught herself how to walk, and how to handle herself socially. And now, she’s learning about her likes and dislikes, and you’re a big part of that. If you want your kids to love sports, then you need to love sports. Organize big family games of baseball, shoot hoops with your kids, and make sure you’re always free for a kick at the park.

2.  Follow her lead
The best way to get your child to do anything is to just let her do it. Cajoling and pleading with her, you probably already know, are unlikely to work. The very best, you’ll have a grumpy, unwilling sports player on your hands. Encourage your child to play sports by ensuring she is given plenty of opportunities to play. Make sure you have balls, bats, hoops, skipping ropes, roller skates, and other sporting equipment in the house. Encourage your child to play lots of sports, but let her choose the ones she wants to continue with. Just because you regret not playing football in college, doesn’t mean she’s going to have to step in and fulfill your lost dreams. She may prefer an entirely different game, and it’s your job to support her in whatever she wants to do.

3.  Make sports fun
Playing sports should be fun. It’s meant to be a hobby that will keep your child entertained. It should be something she enjoys. It shouldn’t feel like a chore. If it does, she might be in the wrong sport, so let her try others if she wants to. Don’t be the parent who shouts at the ref, because this is likely to leave your child feeling stressed. Instead, enjoy the game whether her team wins or loses. Have fun watching, and make sure your child knows that you enjoyed watching her. Don’t force her to play sports if she doesn’t want to, don’t make her practice when she doesn’t want to; instead, let her choose what and when she plays because this will allow her to have fun and enjoy herself.

What do you do to help your kids love sports?