Is Your Kid Starting a Sport? Here's What NOT to Do
Posted by C G on 9/12/2019
Tags: Feature, Youth Development
The
article below, which quotes the Gateway Region YMCA’s Matt Thompson, was
published in sheknows by Marshall Bright on August 15, 2019.
Back-to-school
season is also back-to-sports season. While there are summer
leagues, many sports time their
season to the school calendar. By entering a new grade, many kids may also
qualify for a local league or sports team. But before you sign on the dotted
line for another season of soccer or basketball, there’s one thing you should
do first: Make sure your kid actually wants to participate.
This
may seem obvious, but many parents want their children to (or assume their
children will) participate in the same sports they loved as kids themselves.
And parents of older kids may also just assume their child will stick with
whatever sport they’ve already been playing — especially if they’ve been
successful in it for a few years. Hopes of seeing your child play varsity, or
at the college level, or even just sharing in a sport they love, can cloud what
parents should really be focusing on: where your child will have the most fun.
Matt Thompson, the Branch Executive
Director of the Gateway Region YMCA, has worked extensively
with youth sports during his career with the organization. He has seen firsthand
the benefits of sports, which include statistics that show active kids
can score up to 40% higher on tests and are 15% more likely to go to college.
He also sees statistics on how likely kids are to drop out of sports: most will quit by age 11.
“What’s
most important to the kids is having fun,” he says. That means finding sports
your kids will actually enjoy.
“One
of the things parents tend to lean towards is looking at traditional sports
like basketball, baseball, football, and soccer. A lot of our kids these days
are very interested in other activities,” Thompson continues. He includes
individual sports like swimming, martial arts, and gymnastics, as well as other physical activities like dance that
might interest kids. If you allow your children to find activities that they
enjoy, they’ll be less likely to drop out later.
If your child isn’t sure what
they’ll like, see if there are ways you can explore different options together.
Martial arts studios may offer a drop-in class before commitment, for example.
That also may mean trying out a few sports for one season until you find the
fit. If a child has been an enthusiastic soccer player for several seasons, it
also may mean having an ongoing conversation if they’re feeling lukewarm about
it suddenly. By making it an ongoing conversation, rather than letting them
quit (or insisting they keep playing), you can hopefully support them in
finding a better fit, rediscovering their original passion, or even deciding
together that it’s time for a break.
Listening
to your child does have its limits, however. There might be days when your kid
isn’t up for practice, and there you can take an active approach to remind them
why they signed up for the sport and why they have so much fun (there’s that
word again) when they’re there. Similarly, if children struggle with losing, Thompson advises
parents to avoid replaying the game and reminding them of failed passes.
Instead, parents should emphasize the good parts and where a child played well
or enjoyed themselves. In those moments, you’re not just helping your child
learn about winning and losing; you’re also deepening your connection.
When
choosing a place for your child to play, Thompson also cautions against
the hyper-competitive youth leagues that involve a “winning at all costs”
mentality. One reason found for the drop-off in youth sports participation is
pressure from coaches, according to the Aspen Institute.
Instead, finding an organization, like the Y, that focuses on
character-building and friendly competition, is going to be your best bet.
After all, the odds of your child becoming a professional athlete are slim. The
odds of them gaining lifelong benefits through finding and sticking with a
physical activity they enjoy are much, much higher.