As a parent you are faced with making decisions that affect your children every day. What clothes do they need to wear? What food is best for them? What activities should they participate in? Which ones shouldn't they participate in? There are just so many decisions to make! The purpose of this post is to hopefully answer some questions you may have about whether or not your child should participate in organized sports.

When participating in organized sports, children are faced with opportunities they wouldn't get from just attending school. Plus children benefit greatly from regular exercise and activity. Organized sports increase a child's physical health and cardiovascular conditioning and decrease the risk for childhood obesity. According to several studies, organized sports/activities help develop kids social skills, improve academic performance, and help them build strong supportive relationships with adults other than their parents.

Here are a few benefits from letting your child participate in organized sports:

Learning respect -- children have to learn to listen to and respect other teammates, coaches, and officials.
Learning teamwork -- organized sports can help teach children the importance of working as a team in order to achieve a common goal (winning). Working as a team can also help develop communication and problem solving skills that will benefit them on and off the field/court.
Learning discipline -- organized sports allow children to learn discipline through rules and playing by such rules.
Learning organization -- participation in organized sports teaches children how to stay more organized and take on more responsibility. They have to learn to be on time and take care of their equipment.
Gaining confidence -- organized sports can improve a child's overall self-image and confidence. Children learn to be confident on the field/court. Seeing their hard work pay off has a positive impact on their self-esteem.
Natural stress relief -- any kind of exercise is a great way for kids to loosen up and let go.

Sure, sports may be competitive, but the benefits of being a part of team last long after the players leave the field/court. It’s no surprise that after-school programs can do much more than keep your children occupied during the afternoon. Children develop time-management skills, build self-esteem, and practice goal-setting. While it may be tough to squeeze in after-school activities or organized sports for your children, the benefits are well worth the extra effort. So consider these reasons when sports sign-ups time rolls around.

Should My Child Participate in Organized Sports?

Erin Osterthun, PT, DPT

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