Team sports - good for the body & soul of young minds

It’s that busy time of the year again for parents with yet another school term just around the corner. Time to prepare your kids to be mentally ready for school and get onto those after school kids activities. When making your decisions about after school activities, consider something team based that involves interaction with other kids. According to Tim Dansie - an Adelaide-based clinical psychologist, registering your kids in team sports not only have many proven physical benefits, but also encourage many other benefits for emotional growth in kids.

1. Teaches commitment
   Team sports such as Rugby League requires kids to apply discipline and commitment. When kids signs up to be part of a sports team, they are learning how to make commitment to something that will become a part of their life. Kids are then guided by their coaches and parents with techniques and plans on how to stay committed to the sports for a full season or more. These are useful life skills that will benefit your kids for a lifetime.

2. Positive role models
   Growing up, we all had positive role models that we look up to. My husband was really into Basketball for a big part of his adolescence. He really looked up to Michael Jordan and found his story to success an inspirational one. A positive role models don’t need to be someone famous, the peers in your kids’ sports team and the coach can have equal amount of influence on your kids’ lives. These are the people your kids train with, who share the same goals and aspirations and will be the source of motivation for your kids.

3. Creates good losers
   No one likes to be around a bad loser who display bad temper when things don’t work out the way they want it to. Learning to work as part of a team from a young age teaches kids that hard work is essential to success but sometimes the journey matters more than the outcome. Losing a game is sometimes critical to encourage young people to reflect on their weaknesses and strive for self improvement.

4. Builds friendship
   Being part of a sports team is a great way to make friends outside of their usual friendship group. If your kid has been struggling to make friends at school that they really connect with, perhaps meeting people with the same interest in sports will make them open up more. Your kids and their team mates will have so many stories to remember each other by that can make the friendship lasts a lifetime

5. Boost self confidence
   Becoming skillful at something can really boost a child’s level of self confidence. In a team environment, each individual plays an important role that contribute to the team’s dynamic so no kid will feel left out. This is an important life lesson for young people that you don’t have to be good at everything in life; each individual has something unique to offer that makes them stand out.

Whether you kids are continuing onto another term with their sports team or starting something new, being part of a sports team is a great way for them to get fit, feel good and grow as a person. Our ActiveActivities directory can help you find the right team sports for your kids for the new school year.