As Parents What Can We Do to Help Our Kids Stay Active in Sports?

We recently published an article on 7 reasons to involved your kids in sports.

There are so many good reasons why you should involved your kid(s) in sports but this is harder then it sounds. Helping your kids to stay active and healthy requires planning and commitment.

A few things to keep in mind.

First, if you are like many parents I’ve talked to you need to actually enticed or convinced your child to want to play a sport or be involved in any physical activity. If you have natural athletes in your family, congratulations. Today it seems is easier to let them play a portable smart devise and let you relax after a long busy day. If you do this, you will get comfortable as well as your child and eventually you will give up and it will be too late.

Second, if you managed to convinced them to join an organized club or program you need to make your time for the back and forth commute. This can overwhelm you but hopefully you will see the benefits in your child as he or she develops self confidence and making new friends.

Third, the financial side can be overwhelming. If you are the parent with a vision and hope for your child with a shot to make a name for himself or herself in high school, college, and maybe even pro. You may need to consider an investment in a competitive league, and summer camps.

But before you do all this, start with an entry level such as recreational/community league in your city or county. This a good way for your child to test the waters and in different sports. And have them test different sports until they find something that they are in love with. This is important since if they are forced into a sport that they don’t enjoy they won’t last.

Fourth and last, be your child’s number one fun, and cheerleader. Always encourage and never give points unless asked for. At an early stage what they need is encouragement and positive reinforcement.