Did you play youth sports? What was your sport? Mine was baseball and I still love it to this day! I still enjoy grabbing my glove and tossing ball with my sons in the back yard.
Through the years, I have spoken with many parents who are concerned about injuries to their children while playing. This is a potential risk, of course, but I feel the benefits of playing sports outweigh the risks. So, what are those benefits?
Kids develop many life skills playing sports, whether they are individual or team sports. Athletics teach kids how to overcome adversity. Having an opponent and working for a victory is a skill useful on into adulthood. The opposite of this is having everything handed to them. We all have seen kids who have been spoiled this way. Not a good picture for them moving into adulthood, is it?
Also learned in youth sports is team work and accepting constructive criticism from authority figures. You've heard the saying, "no man is an island." Participants in youth sports learn very quickly that they can't do everything themselves and have to work with others to achieve their objective. I've witnessed little boys run all over the baseball diamond with the ball in their hand trying to make all the outs and its impossible to do! They have to enlist the help of their teammates.
Accepting constructive criticism from their coaches... need I say more? Having the ability to learn from criticism is a lost skill in our society in my opinion. If you don't improve your play on the athletic field from your coach's critique, you don't get playing time. Too many people are too quick to lash out at criticism instead of learning from it. If they were to apply this life skill learned in youth sports, they would be more successful life.
One huge life skill that I think is overlooked about sports is that there are no do-overs. Kids go to practice and sharpen their skills under the guidance of parents and coaches, but when game time rolls around, you have to give it your best shot. If you don't, you let your team down and the team loses. Video games are just the opposite. You crash your car in the racing game, you just start over. Obviously, you can't do that in real life. Sports teaches you the habit of giving your best and then accepting the consequences, because even when you give your best, the other team may be better and come out victorious.
Besides the life skills that sports teach kids, there is also the benefits to their health that regular movement/exercise provides. Childhood obesity is at epidemic levels and continues to get worse. Youth sports has been proven through research to be the number 1 way to fight childhood obesity. Getting kids out and moving is a huge benefit for their health!
As they progress in sports, if they have a desire to be more and more competitive, they have to instill healthy habits such as eating healthy foods and regular exercise routines. Most adults who have these healthy habits report that they started these habits as a child in youth sports.
As you can see, youth sports have many benefits and I highly encourage you to have your kids get involved! If you are looking for a chiropractor to help you and your family reach their full potential, give us a call. You are unique and your care should be too! At Total Body Healthcare you will receive care designed specifically for you not some cookie cutter approach.