Benefits Of Sport

As your child grows and develops, the benefits of participating in sports and physical activity can be significant.  Research and studies have shown that participating in sports can have a significant and positive impact on the development of your child that includes physical health, social, fitness and mental health benefits. 

Learning to be part of team, helping others achieve common outcomes, getting a sense and understanding of fair play as well as learning new skills associated with the actual sport can build up a child’s confidence and self- esteem.   Many sports also help develop communication and leadership skills as well as self-discipline and goal setting.

Clearly there are health and fitness benefits that are not only immediate but help in later life as active children are more likely to develop into active adults.  These include reducing blood pressure, maintaining a healthy weight, lowering cholesterol and building bone density that helps prevent osteoporosis later in life.  Regular activity associated with organised sports can also reduce the risk of depression, assist with better sleep patterns and build up self-confidence.

It is also important as a parent or a coach that you are mindful of the safety implications of the sport.  Many sports, whether they are contact or non-contact can result in injuries and these can be more prevalent as your child is growing.  As such, it is important to ensure that safety equipment is used in training as well as during the competition, proper warm ups occur and that your child doesn’t over train.

Getting the balance right between studies, playing computer games and sport can be a challenge but the benefits of getting your child to participate in sport are significant and can have a major influence throughout their lives.