Lessons Learned through Youth Sports

Playing sports as a child can be one of the more enjoyable memories of childhood. If you ask your son or daughter what they love the most about playing sports, they will likely tell you that playing sports is fun. If you ask adults, while you may hear that it was fun, odds are you will also get a list of the things that they learned through their participation in youth sports. Some benefits can be seen, others felt, while many occur without even being noticed. The list is long, but just to name a few:
Confidence: When players experience some degree of success and personal improvement, they can feel good about their performance. They can see that their skills and abilities improved significantly and they performed well. This success leaves players with a feeling of strong self-confidence that can carry over in life and in all they do.

Improved Socialization: Sports provide an opportunity for children to learn to interact and function within a society. Players meet a variety of kids from different backgrounds. Kids play on the same team, wear the same uniform, and share the same objectives and experiences. Sports provide kids with an opportunity to meet, and develop close relationships with their peers.
School Improvement: Students who participate in organized sports tend to work harder in school and have greater educational and occupational aspirations. Sports help kids learn to distinguish between effort and ability. Sports increase self-discipline and the awareness of the value of preparation because kids can see the difference in their performance.
Teamwork: One of the most valuable aspects of playing a team sport is learning and understanding the value of teamwork. On a team, kids learn about cooperation, camaraderie and give-and-take. They learn to work together to achieve a common goal. Teamwork also strengthens the idea of good sportsmanship as kids learn to support teammates who do well or struggle.
Improved Self Esteem: Childhood can be a difficult time, with many kids experiencing low self-esteem at one time or another. Giving and receiving encouragement and respect from teammates can help children feel good about themselves.
Character Development: You may think that a sport is just a game. But soccer, for example involves more than just kicking a ball up and down the field. When your young child plays, he or she begins to develop their character in new ways. Work ethic, time management skills and conflict management abilities can all be developed and strengthened while on the field.