What Can Parents Do To Encourage Kids To Play Sports?

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Sports play a vital role in a child’s life. At the moment, childhood obesity is on the rise and games 
help to keep kids active. Plus, there are the social elements to factor in, such as making new friends
 and learning life lessons. It’s amazing how many people understand teamwork from a purely sport-
related setting. But, what if your child doesn’t want to play and would rather sit and play video games? 
Parents can force kids into action, but it won’t last. Rather than use the stick, here are four carrots
 that may encourage your kids to participate every week.

Let The Pick

The last thing you want to do is live vicariously through your child. This means that if you liked 
basketball, they might not follow suit. And, that is fine because everyone is different. Nowadays, 
young kids are into soccer and softball as opposed to classical games, and you should support
 their choices. In the future, they may decide to give another sport a try. Until that point, be secure 
in the knowledge that your kid is out of the house and exercising. Not only that, but they are enjoying 
their experience too.

Make It Easy

Sports promote independence, yet it’s vital to remember that they are still children. On the field, they 
are different people that don’t need help or advice. Off it, they still need a parent to drive them to 
games or to buy the right kit. After all, catching the bus is too much hard work after a long day at 
school. Plus, uniforms take a battering and need repairing after there is an incident during the game. 
No one wants to be the kid that has to play in a holey jersey. Wherever possible, try and take the
 pressure off their shoulders. Remember that participation is important for you as well as them.

But Don’t Get Involved

There is a pandemic of parents screaming from the sidelines and it’s embarrassing. Moms and dads 
may not realize, but everyone else can see it including your son or daughter. After word gets around,
 the chances are they will never want to play again. Sure, tempers flare when there is a bad decision,
 but you have to find a way to cope. An outburst doesn’t help the team or your child have fun, and that
 is the most important part of sports. You’ll find that the less involved you are, the more they will enjoy
 playing.

Go To A Game

Some kids aren’t sporty and hate the idea. So, rather than coax them with words, use visuals to open
 their eyes. Buying tickets for a game is an excellent way to show them what it’s like to be apart of a
 team. Okay, professional and amateur clubs have few similarities but it’s about the experience. Once
 they see world-class athletes manipulating a ball, they will want to try it because it’s human nature.

Which one, if any of these tips do you think will work best with your child?