We have all heard how great sports are for kids. Team sports and individual sports both provide children with valuable life skills while also benefiting them physically and mentally. But what are the benefits of having your child experience a new sport? What about a sport that they may never have heard of or one that in the past they had no interest in trying?
Here are 3 benefits of learning a new sport:
Navigating Difficult Situations
Learning a new sport forces participants to experience new situations, which may be out of their comfort zone. Often those new situations are challenging, as you learn the rules and physicality involved in the sport. Difficult situations provide an opportunity to work hard and overcome the adversity. This leads to building grit and creating additional mental and physical toughness.
With sports, never shy away from difficult situations. Instead, navigate how to overcome them. This will make you better at your sport and ultimately a stronger, more resilient person.
Expanding Social Groups
Putting your child in a new sport gives them access to an expanded social circle. This often consists of new kids from different schools, different geographic areas of the city, and other ethnic backgrounds. By having your child engage with a larger and more diverse social group, they gain access to new experiences and viewpoints, leading to a richer personal social tapestry. And these new bonds may develop into lifelong friendships.
When focusing on expanding your child’s friend group, the more the merrier!
Increased Activity
The most obvious benefit of learning a new sport is increasing you or your child’s level of activity. All sports require movement, and often a new sport will include movements and physicality that is different than other sports you or your child have encountered. Whether aerobic or anaerobic, additional new activity has tremendous physical and mental benefits. Stronger muscles, increased endurance and higher stamina are all benefits of starting a new sport.