Today I wanted to talk about how sports clubs benefit children. Up and down the country, parents sign their children up to sports clubs for numerous reasons – exercise, social development and hobbies are just a selection. In the United Kingdom, sport is very much ingrained in our culture, with children looking up to athletes as their role models and wanting to replicate their actions, rightly or wrongly.

Your youngster doesn’t have to be the next Lionel Messi, Roger Federer or Mo Farah in order to join a sports club. Here, we look at some of the main benefits that children enjoy.

Exercise

Undoubtedly, the main benefit of being involved in a sports club is the regular exercise. With so much emphasis being put on keeping not only ourselves but also our children fit, with the rise of childhood obesity constantly making headlines.

In 2018, with games consoles, televisions and numerous gadgets with an internet connection, playing outside have somewhat lost its appeal. It’s a sad fact that children simply do not get as much exercise as generations have gone by, so encouraging our kids to join a sports club is a fantastic way for them to get the exercise that they need.

Making Friends

As well as exercising, joining a sports club is a fantastic way for children to make friends outside of their normal circle. Children will have their own friends from school that they may or may not see outside of the school setting, so the opportunity to make new friends should be welcomed.

Socialising with other children in a sports setting, with a shared interest, will help to break down boundaries that may exist. Sport has been proven to bring people closer together and, with the potentially awkward silence substituted for games and competition, relationships can be formed much quicker.

Competition

If a sports club hosts a team or various teams that compete in local leagues, or perhaps host their own events, healthy competition can teach a child more about life than simply sitting in a classroom. Win or lose, your child will learn how to handle themselves under pressure, how to deal with disappointment and how to be a good winner.

Sport, just like life, is full of highs and lows; you soon learn the lesson that not everything will go your way. You also learn that, in order to achieve something, you have to work hard for it.

Personal Development

Going on from the lessons learned from competing, the personal development that is there to be had from taking part in sport and learning from coaches cannot be understated. Coaches are not only role models on the field, but also off it and are there to give advice and guidance to children in all aspects.

Youth coaches use all manner of equipment to conduct their sessions, such as those available from Sports Mark for example, and techniques with the end goal of developing their players. Most people who played sport at a young age will be able to identify at least one coach whose message and delivery resonated with them.

Fun

Lastly, the most important aspect of joining a sports club is to have fun and, at the end of the day, that is all that children want. Yes, they can have fun playing on a games console, but nothing compares to actually participating in activities.

The opportunity of having fun, developing social skills that will stay with them for the rest of their lives all while exercising and keeping fit and healthy is something that sports clubs can offer. For those reasons alone, parents should seriously consider looking into signing up their children to a sports club if they are not already involved in one.

Are your children involved in any sports clubs? How do you think sports clubs benefit children? Do leave a comment and share.