Organized sports can be a great way to incorporate exercise into not only in your life but also in the lives of your children. If used properly they can me a tremendous teaching tool for so much more than exercise. They can provide socialization, healthy competition, accountability, and plain old fun. There are some basic guidelines that you must follow for children. Such as:
1.) Remember it should be fun for the children. They do not exercise for health benefits, they exercise because they want the fun out of it. The fact that it is exercise is just a added benefit. Don't take the fun away.
2.) It needs to be very little pressure. This goes back to #1, when they feel too much pressure they become stressed.
3.) Give them an out and a chance to get in something else if they change their minds. Children change their minds like the weather. However, if they are having fun they will be less likely to change their mind as quickly.
4.) You can pick one, maybe two organized sports but not too many at once. They need variety, but it should be a part of their life. They should not be consumed with them all of the time.
5.) Keep it friendly. Be sure to always practice good sportsmanship and do not under any circumstances tolerate bad sportsmanship.
6.) Teach them the value of working as a team. A team is a group of individuals not a single person. Let them see and feel their accountability and the accountability of their team members.
7.) Use them as a opportunity to get involved with your children and to show interest in what they like to do. Children need to see that you care about what they are doing on a day to day basis.
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