Youth Sports is All About Fun – Make sure your Kid is having plenty of it
Fun isn’t the enemy of hard work. There’s a lot to be said for kids having fun in youth sports, for kids having fun at all.
Today – The idea of work hard gets a lot of attention. We teach our kids that if they aren’t willing to work hard for something, they won’t truly get appreciated.
Although I agree with the statement – It’s important for kids to understand the value and benefit of hard work, and youth sports provide the perfect opportunity for young athletes to learn that life lesson.
In the push to learn hard work, however, we can’t forget the importance of fun.
So why should kids have fun and work hard. Here is Why.
Kids Themselves want to Have Fun
No matter how much we talk about teaching kids character lessons, and the importance of them learning persistence and hard work, the bottom line is kids will quit if they don’t have any fun. We want kids to keep playing and get those opportunities for learning, so there has to be some fun in the experience.
Fun and hard work in youth sports are not mutually exclusive. You can have both. Perhaps it takes a bit more creativity from coaches and parents, but it can happen
Real Learning Happens Through Fun
Research shows that fun is serious business for kids. Play helps them learn to solve problems, get along with others, express creativity and develop physical skills and flexibility. This can happen on the playground or in youth sports.
When kids are having fun, learning becomes natural and easy. Studies also show that learning happens best when it’s a side-effect of a fun activity such as sports. In addition, this type of learning is more likely to stick with the child as they grow up.
Laughter is Always the Medicine for Kids
Laughter’s ability to lessen stress is one very good reason why it should be a part of a child’s development. Believe it or not, having a sense of humor helps develop a child’s self-esteem, problem-solving abilities and social skills
It Breaks down Boundaries and Builds Friendships
In moments of laughter and fun, something amazing happens. Walls come down between players and coaches, and bonds are built.
I was coached at a time when the travelling teams would take overnight train journeys to play in tournaments. Inevitably, those trips included lots of laughter and fun on the train, hostels throughout the entire trip. We all forgot about the sport for a while and enjoyed being friends. And that always will make you better teammates.
With kids travelling to various locations for tournaments these days – it is important that they are friends first and then rejoice the success and ponder upon the losses later. Coaches and parents, let’s not shun the fun in sports. Coz Sports was originally designed for the purpose of fun, but this often gets lost in the pressure of all competition.
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