“Life is too short to get bogged down and be discouraged. You have to keep moving. You have to keep going. Put one foot in front of the other, smile and just keep on rolling.”
Kobe Bryant
Youth and high school sports are key to teaching kids how to achieve and maintain physical fitness, but they can also teach them so much more. Many of life’s biggest lessons can stem from participating in sports and extracurricular activities. A few major components learned through being a part of a team include social skills, respect for others, lifelong friendships, teamwork, teach discipline and hard work.
If there is so much to gain, what is there to lose?
Some sports start as early as preschool age and the benefits from them can begin then too! When you have your children partake in team sports while they are young, this will engrain in them habits of physical activity and working with others to accomplish a common goal. If your child starts healthy habits at a young age, they will grow up knowing no difference other than choosing what is best for their growing minds and bodies.
Communication builds a foundation.
An important part of growing and learning is how to communicate and work with others. Think for a moment, about the amount of people you come in contact with; the clerk at the grocery store, attendant at the gas station, other parents at pick up, you daycare provider, the other members of your church on Sunday… were you uncomfortable saying hello or did it just come naturally?
“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”
Henry Ford
Young athletes quickly learn spatial awareness, taking turns with your teammates and respect for coaches and fellow team members. When your children are becoming a part of a larger system that includes so much more than themselves. These are all major components of learning how to respect others, but also respect yourself. They get to see how others and themselves should be treated by the adults coaching and attending. This is a fantastic time for the grown-ups in their lives to be a positive influence.
“When people succeed, it is because of hard work. Luck has nothing to do with success.”
Diego Maradona
If they have the right encouragement from a young age, hard work and self-discipline will become a part of who they are. The best (or worst) influences will have major impacts on our children as they grow, we need to make sure we as adults steer them in the right direction. Our duty to our children is to teach them a strong work ethic and self-reliance, one day they will not have us around to encourage and push them. You can always be their cheerleader; you can’t be their workhorse.
It’s the memories made and those you choose to have around you that matter.
As our children grow, they will find friends who enjoy and participate in activities they also find happiness in. Some of our fondest memories come from the relationships we built out on the court or on the field. There aren’t many memories to be made stuck inside behind a screen without a glimpse of reality and social interaction. Let your kids try everything, even if it is just for one season… You never know what they will fall in love with or the bonds they will create. So many journeys are started from a tiny step.
Join the Team
Our kids deserve the best life has to offer. Let them run, let them play ball, let them experience life outside their already restricted lives… There is so much to be gained from participating in youth and high school sports. Friendships will blossom, confidence will grow, work ethics will expand, respect will be gained and most importantly there will be fun and memories for a lifetime made.
