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Children participating in sports have opportunities to enhance core life skills such as self-esteem, improve self-discipline, build friendships and develop physical and mental skills. Being active from a young age helps children stay healthy which can then lead to them becoming active adults.
In today's world, it is generally accepted that children specialise in a sport from a fairly young age, however there are risks associated with choosing this path.
Increase the risk of overuse injuries.
Decrease overall athletic development.
Lead to social isolation.
Cause burnout that results in the child giving up the sport.
Research has shown the benefits of allowing children to try multiple sports while they are young as participation in multiple sports often lead to better performance. Some benefits include:
It allows children the chance to discover what they like about different sports.
Lets children enjoy playing for the sake of the game, rather than focusing only on winning.
Reduces the chance of injury resulting from overuse or overtraining.
Allows kids to develop skills that can transfer from one sport to another.
Provides valuable learning opportunities as children adapt to different coaches, training methods and teammates.
You can encourage your child to try playing multiple sports as this will help prepare them for life. One thing can be certain, children will have more fun and become better overall athletes.