Many of us have fond memories of after-school sports - the friends we made, the comradery and the joy of running around releasing the pent up energy that all kids have! There are so many benefits to children doing team sports that it’s impossible to cover them all. But here are 2 reasons we think you should ensure your little one at least gives team sports a proper shot - be it as an extracurricular at school, a neighbourhood netball team or informal get togethers at the park.
Health Benefits
When we think of sports, the first things to come to mind are fitness, exercise and working up a sweat. Matthew Brozovich from Scope Clinical Services wrote an article on the health benefits of sports from his perspective as an exercise physiologist, and below is a segment from his writing:
There are so many health benefits associated with team sports, for both adults and children:
When kids play team sports they develop:
- Physical skills
- Social skills
- Friendships
- Respect for rules and disciplines
When adults play team sports they benefit from:
- Reduced stress
- Increased fitness
- New social interactions/ Friendships
- Increased motivation
- Commitment and self-worth
As you can see - the benefits are limitless! One great thing about team sports is that you have other people counting on you to show up, so you’ll most definitely be getting that exercise in every week (or however often your group gets together). Check out Scope Clinical Services on Facebook as well!
Team Sports Are Extremely Versatile
One great thing about a team sports? They are extremely versatile. You really can make any activity with a group of friends into a competitive game-like situation. This means it is easy to incorporate exercise into your little one’s life if they are accustomed to the idea of team sports!
Playing on slides is great fun and if you invite your kids’ friends over to play on them in the backyard, they will work up a sweat and have an awesome time all at once. You can even run wild with creativity and buy an inflatable water slide for your backyard! Basically the wonderful thing about team sports is that you don’t have to stick to the conventional ones such as netball, footy and soccer! You can turn anything into a friendly competitive game between friends.
So there you have it - 2 great reasons to get your little ones (and maybe even yourself?) into team sports today! It’s a great way to sneak exercise into your schedule and get your little ones moving by switching up your fitness routine. So get to playing! Who knew having fun could be so good for you?
