Should Parents Force Their Kids to Play Sports

Physical activity is crucial in growing up as a child, but this doesn’t mean that parents should force their child into some sport, especially if the reason is an unfulfilled desire. Instead, you should listen to your child and figure out what they like the most and focus on encouraging them to play that particular sport. This will result in them not losing interest in sports and physical activity, which will positively impact their health and well-being over time.

The Benefits

There are quite a few benefits of playing a sport as a kid. If you sign up your child for a group sport, he or she will gain essential social skills, work on communication and teamwork. Besides that, they will understand the importance of situations when the whole team is counting on them and gain a sense of responsibility.

On the other hand, there is always the possibility that your child won’t like group sports. But luckily, there are tons of individual sports out there. So don’t be afraid to try out a couple of options with your kid before figuring out what type of activity and which sport is best suited for them. If they prefer an individual sport, they could also gain some incredible skills and models of behavior. Some of these are self-sufficiency, responsibility for one’s actions, and being hardworking.

But at the end of the day, physical activity is crucial for children, and kids who play sports are statistically less likely to become overweight or deal with problematic behavior later in life.

Not only that the sport will develop some healthy habits for them, but it will also affect their physical health and mental health.

Safety First

Every sport brings a possibility of a potential injury, which is why the safety of your child should be primary. This is more often the case with team sports than with individual ones – but essentially, it can happen with any type of activity. This is why your child should understand the importance of warming up before any physical activity and stretching after finishing. This will lower the chance of an injury occurring during physical activity significantly. 

Not only that, sometimes children tend not to wear safety equipment for sports that require it. However, not knowing it’s an essential part of a sports activity can cost them an injury. Thus, explaining the importance of safety gear to your children is imperative before signing up your child for any sport.

If an injury does occur, the important thing is not to panic and calmly take your child to the nearest physiotherapist or doctor for them to evaluate the damage. They will give the best advice on whether your child needs some therapy, medications or just a couple of days rest before they can get back to playing their favorite sport. Always make sure to ask your child how they feel after training as some injuries might not be that apparent. Parents can also ask their kids if they feel like something is hurting them or feeling dizzy or nauseous. Injuries such as concussions are pretty common for both group and individual sports.