How Fort Collins Youth Sports Can Benefit Your Child
As a child grows up it is important for them to experience a variety of experiences and activities that can develop their character and give them valuable life skills. Youth sports are the perfect platform for your child to grow but also have fun and stay active.
There is still some controversy if youth sports are a constructive experience for kids. Existing opinions claim youth sports can be detrimental and toxic for a child. An article by the Washington Post written by Randi Mazzella notes, “there is an overemphasis on competition and winning,” says Eric Bean, a certified mental performance consultant and executive board member of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology.” Mazzella also discusses how some overly involved parents ruin the experience for other kids by making it political or a popularity contest when determining who’s child gets the most playing time. While these factors do pose a problem to the integrity of what youth sports should be about, many youth sports organizations in Fort Collins are highly regarded and attempt to avoid these toxic aspects.
i9 Sports is a nationally respected organization that prides themselves in making sure all athletes get a change to play to avoid the politics that can come from parents dictating playing time of their child. i9 Sports pledges to prioritize safety, sportsmanship, and teamwork over winning and (unhealthy) competition, according to their website.
The life skills of sportsmanship and teamwork are skills that are a necessity in most careers nowadays. Getting your child involved in youth sports similar to i9 will help teach these skills and messages at a young age which can lead to earlier and easier success for your child.
Another common criticism of youth sports are the expenses. Many parents ponder if it is worth footing the bill just for their child to play a sport. Luckily, the City of Fort Collins offers some cheap options that still impose the social lessons and skill building that can come from youth athletics. One popular option is the $1 Drop In Basketball on Sundays at the Foothills Activity Center. If your child enjoys basketball, this is a perfect option for them to play but also meet new people for a painless price.
Youth sports are also an easy way for community engagement according to the City of Fort Collins. Involvement on different teams gets your child engaged with other kids, families, and coaches in your area where a lot of valuable social skills and relationship building can occur.
The variety of youth sports organizations around Fort Collins do a great job on not damaging self-esteem, hiring toxic coaches, or creating unhealthy pressure among youth athletes (all concerns expressed in a Psychology Today article). I can speak from personal experience that the youth sports I have been apart of have made me a better and stronger person. I have met some life-long friends through sports and my experiences sparked my strengths in leadership, communication, and a strong work ethic, things that will help me succeed in my future careers and relationships.
While there are many more positive outcomes from youth sports like discipline and accountability, the main benefits children can get is staying healthy and fit but also doing it through a fun sport they enjoy. Who knows, taking chance and trying a youth sport could discover a real and natural talent for something which could lead to a high school, college, or even professional sports career. But even if going pro is not the end goal, getting a child into sports at a young age can grow them in more ways than not which is one of the best long term investments any parent can make.
