At two years of age, Malcolm loves sports. When he stands on the pitching mound, his windup is a mirror image of those he has seen his parents use. It doesn’t matter that his pitch sometimes goes to second base rather than home plate.
Malcolm loves to imitate the form and style that he sees in adults around him, and he is gaining considerable strength and coordination while he has a good time. He passes up his own child-size bat and struggles only a litte as he picks up a heavy adult bat that is almost as long as he is tall, swings it through the air (sometimes hitting the ball) and then triumphantly rounds the bases–sometimes in reverse order.
Some parents nurture fantasies of seeing their children become highly paid professional athletes, pushing them relentlessly from a young age. But only a small number have that ability, and children rarely thrive under that kind of pressure. Yet sports activity can and should be a healthy part of every child’s development.
Physical activity is crucial for good health and maintaining a normal weight. And individual and team sports teach children an array of skills and personal qualities. Hard work, discipline, motivation, commitment, cooperation, leadership, teamwork–these are qualities that are useful not only on the athletic field but on the job, in the community and at home.
CHILDREN UNDER SIX are not really ready to follow rules and understand the cause and effect relationships of team sports. Activities at this age should be fun and easy going with parents offering a lot of support and praise.
Malcolm is good at throwing, catching and putting a ball into a hoop, but that doesn’t mean he is a future star. Some children are not as coordinated nor as interested, and introducing them to these activities early and often is not necessarily going to make them proficient.
Expecting too much, too early is only going to cause them frustration. Children at this age are looking for fun and adult praise. Save the coaching for later.
Pre-schoolers generally thrive on any activities that include tumbling, jumping, running or dancing.
AT AGES 6 TO 9, a child has a longer attention span and is better able to follow directions and learn some rules. She may be ready to join an organized activity such as T-ball or soccer, but, again, the emphasis should be on fun and allowing the child to develop at her own pace.
Contact sports such as football are generally not recommended at these ages since most children have not had time to develop the proper skills and may be at risk from those who are bigger and have developed better skills. Pediatricians have noted an increase in head injuries among youth football players at this age level.
AT AGES 10 TO 12, a child has usually developed mature vision and is able to take on sports that require complex skills–basketball, hockey, volleyball and football. Particularly at these ages, the focus should be on sportsmanship and team play. And each child should have a chance to participate.
The choice of sport is probably less important than the approach of a program. Coaches and volunteers should have experience working with children and, preferably, some training in education or child development. But parent coaches and volunteers can also be good at working with kids. Talk to other parents to get an idea of how teams and coaches operate.
Puberty may create dramatic growth spurts that can be misleading. A child is suddenly almost as big as an adult but has not yet developed proper coordination and balance.
Parents sometimes squabble between themselves about whether a child should play football. There are some serious risks involved, particularly concussions and head injuries. Take into consideration the child’s age, size and maturity compared to those he or she will be playing against. Most important: does the child want to play?
WHICH SPORT? Overzealous parents often push their child into specializing too early in one sport. This should come no earlier than age 12; and, then, only if the child is particularly enthused about that sport.
Before that, children should be encouraged to try out a number of activities, choosing those that click with his or her personality and developmental level.
Some sports such as tennis, golf, swimming, gymnastics, ice skating, skiing and snow boarding are done individually, although often in a group or team setting (such as a school tennis team). Team sports include soccer, hockey, baseball, softball, basketball, volleyball, lacrosse and field hockey. Some advise parents to encourage their children to participate in one team and one individual sport each year, at least at first.
Each sport can teach a unique set of skills, attitudes and strategies.
SOCCER, with constant running, builds cardiovascular endurance and gives a child training in balance and foot dexterity. Football teaches hard work, intensity and team discipline.
Basketball is a great sport for gaining hand/eye coordination plus running and jumping skills. Like soccer, there is almost constant movement to build cardiovascular fitness.
Lacrosse builds toughness and confidence even though the game is not as rough as it seems. The hard collisions that occur in hockey and football–and are notorious for causing concussions–are relatively rare in lacrosse.
Finally, baseball requires focus, patience and close attention. Like basketball, it is good for hand/eye coordination, but most of the running comes in short, intense spurts.
As children get older and more accomplished in one or more sports, the risk of injury escalates. A 2007 report of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council found that more than half of pediatric injuries involved overuse syndrome. Bad enough for adults, overuse injuries are particularly risky for young persons with growing bones. It’s important for them not to ignore pain or try to “work through it.”
The report recommends that youth have at least one day off each week from organized physical activity and two to three months away from their particular sports.
Children who are talented enough and choose to take their activity to another level, playing on school, travel or AAU teams, should be applauded and supported. It’s important, though, that the major impetus for doing so comes from the child.
REFERENCES:
Sandy Alexander, “All in good time: the importance of age-appropriate sports,” Baltimore’s Child, April, 2011.
Linda Wasmer Andrews, “Finding your child’s inner athlete,” WebMD Feature, reviewed by Daniel S.Kirschenbaum, Ph.D., November 21, 2011.
Meredith Cohn, “Playing youth sports contributes to long-term health,” Baltimore Sun, January 8, 2014.
Marianne Engle, Ph.D., “The best sports for your child,” NYU Child Study Center ParentLetter, October, 2008.
“Finding the right team sport for your child,” Parenting.com.
“How can sports help to promote youth employment?” HuffPost Sports, January 8, 2014.
Mayo Clinic Staff, “Children and sports: choices for all ages,” MayoClinic.com.
“Signing kids up for sports,” KidsHealth.
“Teach your child to love a sport,” Parents Magazine, September, 2010.
03/20/2014
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