|
How do I know if my child is
ready?
It is not easy to determine the "right" time for your child to become
involved with organized sports. Since Children's coordination,
ability to focus, maturity level, and strength vary at different ages
there is no concrete method to determine whether your child is ready.
However, it
is never too early to begin teaching fundamental movements, such as
throwing a ball, jumping, kicking and running. All of these
activities might help your child's athletic ability in the future.
When making
the decision to enroll your child in an organized sport consider your
child's physical, emotional and cognitive readiness.
Ask yourself
the following questions:
- Will your
child be able to attend practices on a routine basis?
- Can your
child understand and follow the rules of the game?
- Will your child
be able to work as a team unit rather than wanting to satisfy personal
wishes?
- Does your child want to do
it for themselves or because a friend is participating?
Depending on how you
answer these questions should help to determine your child's readiness.
What is the best age
to start my child?
Assuming that you are satisfied with your child's ability to
participate, five or six is generally the accepted earliest starting age
for organized sports. Serious competitive sports are not
recommended until the age of 8.
At five or six
participation should be limited to sports that will encourage skill
development through fun activities. Remember that every child has
a different degree of athletic ability. Some children are natural
athletes and the sport will come very easy to them do not let this
discourage your child. Training will improve
their coordination and therefore their performance.
Sports should be fun
for your child.....
You should encourage your
children to participate in sports, but never forget that it must be fun.
At an early age play and fun are more important than competition.
Be sure to remember that
you must balance organized activities and free time. A child needs
to be able to play in an unstructured environment on a routine basis.
Can my child do
something other than organized sports?
If you find
that your child is not ready to participate in organized sports there
are other options, such as gymnastics, dance, martial arts, and
swimming, that your child could become involved in.
The most
important thing for you to remember is that your child's first
experience must be positive to encourage them to continue or else
they will be discouraged from the sport or activity.
|
