5 Ways To Help Boost Your Child’s Interest In Sports

With kids having quick
and easy access to different types of technology, it can be really difficult to
get them to spend more time outdoors and engage in some kind of sport.
Encouraging kids to be active in organized sports is important if you want them
to develop healthy fitness and lifestyle habits, teamwork and leadership
skills, and have high self-esteem.

If you want your child to
show more interest in sports and experience the associated benefits, the team
at ZSC Academy shares
some useful tips and techniques below:

1.   
Explain the benefits your child will gain when
he becomes active in sports.

As
an adult, there is no doubt that you already know the important benefits a
person experiences when one is physically active. However, your child may not
be aware of these benefits yet.

As
such, have a talk with your child and explain
the health, emotional, mental, and social benefits he can experience when he
becomes interested in any type of sport. Make sure your little one
understands these benefits. Help him see that being active in sports isn’t just
about winning and feeling tired after a game.

2.   
Help your child realize that sports are fun.

Many kids view organized sports as something
that takes a lot of hard work;
from watching a game, they may tend to think that they would have to exert
extra effort to play and win.

Because
of this, they may often see sports as some kind of chore and they won’t enjoy playing
unless they win.

If
your child has this same point of view, you need to help change this mindset.
You can do this by getting your little one to watch other people having fun while playing their game. Also, allow
him to try different types of sports to find out which one he finds the most
enjoyable and rewarding.

Once
your child has found a sport he likes, be interested and excited about helping
him learn more about the sport and try it out. Always encourage your little one
and find different ways to support him.

3.   
Be active in sports, too.

Your
child will be more inclined to be interested in sports if he sees you being
active in one and having fun whenever you play. If your child says he wants to
learn how to play tennis, whether you’ve played before or not, enjoy a match
with your child. You and your little one can join a program where both of you
can learn the ins and outs of this sport, too.

Being active in a sport your child likes is a
great way to incorporate physical activity into your family life. It is also one of the best ways you can
sustain your kid’s interest and even help him explore other sports as well.

4.   
Take advantage of positive peer pressure.

Make
use of positive peer pressure to help boost your child’s interest in athletics.
If your child has friends or classmates enrolled in an after-school or summer sports program, ask him if he wants to join the same class
as well. If the sports club or academy allows visitors to observe classes,
bring your child so that he can see first-hand what his friends or classmates
are doing and how they’re having fun.

It
is highly likely that your child will be
more interested in a particular sport if he knows he has friends in the same
team or club. This is something that can be helpful if your little one and
his friends are absolute beginners.

5.   
Let your child choose his sport.

Some
kids just don’t want to be told what to do. As such, even if you think your
child has great reflexes and may excel in baseball, don’t force this sport on
him. Since helping your child find fun in sports is important, forcing him to like one which he’s
particularly not interested in will do nothing good to motivate him. 

You
can help get your child started in athletics by letting him know that getting
involved in some type of sport is compulsory. However, he has the opportunity
to choose which sport to try or be active in. When he has the power to choose,
he will be more motivated to learn more about the sport and be active in
it. 

In
addition, be prepared to switch activities if your child seems bored or
unhappy. There are enough options that it will be impossible for your little
one not to find one that he will like and can excel in.

Getting your child to
start taking an interest in athletics may take a lot of time and effort,
especially if his primary sources of entertainment and fun are different types
of mobile devices. But all your hard work will be well rewarded once you start
observing positive changes in your child’s physique, skills, and attitude. 

AUTHOR BIO

A
veteran c-level executive with more than 25 years of experience across
multi-faceted industries including Leisure & Recreation, Barry Bremner joined Zayed Sports City
as Director of Business & Corporate Services in 2009 and was appointed to
General Manager in 2013. During his time with Zayed Sports City, he has
developed and implemented new management systems as well as raised the profile
of the organization by securing leading events to take place at Zayed Sports
City, including: WWE, Monster Jam, the U-17 World Cup, FIFA Club World Cup and
the Mubadala World Tennis Championship. During his tenure at the property,
annual visitors to Zayed Sports City have increased from 420,000 in 2009 to
1.3m in 2016.