Five Tips for Encouraging a Love of Sports in Kids

Kids should be outside and active at least sixty minutes a day and getting involved in a recreational sport encourages social, physical and emotional development as well as good healthy living habits. Whether your youngster has already expressed excitement over playing a particular sport or whether you sign him up for soccer or baseball just so he can check it out, involvement in sports can help nurture an interest in constructive after-school activities or even be the start of a lifelong passion.

Talk It Up

Before heading to sign-ups, talk to your youngster about what kind of athletics might interest her. If the answer is a vague “nothing”, talk about what kind of related activities she likes and offer some ideas. A kid who’s turning summersaults all the time might like gymnastics, while a youngster who loves the water may enjoy competitive swimming. If your child is seven or over, make sure he understands the commitment of signing up for a sport and knows that you expect him to stay in for the season, even if it’s a bit more difficult than he anticipated.

Keep Things Upbeat

Once you’ve got your youngster out on the playing field, keep it positive; be your child’s cheerleader and emphasize what she’s doing right and how hard she’s trying. Be sure to tell her no one’s perfect and everyone makes mistakes. Not every child is an all-star, but most can come to love the camaraderie of the team and the joy of just getting out and playing. Support all his athletic endeavors as long as he enjoys playing. Excelling is not a requirement. As long as your child is having fun, developing into a team player and embracing the challenge of learning new skills, she can enjoy and benefit from participation in sports. Stay involved, ask what was learned at practice and try to cushion any corrections with five specific instances of what you saw her do right.

Pick a Few

Concentrating on one sport can tend to become too intense for young children, while signing up for every kiddie athletic activity you see can make your youngster too busy to actually fully enjoy any of them. Two or three sports a year is usually a good number. Your budding athlete will learn a broad range of skills and start to figure out what sport if any they’d like to concentrate on down the road.

Investigate the Options

Before you sign up for the season, try to figure out if this particular sports program is a good fit for your child’s personality and abilities. Youth athletic programs differ widely. For instance, some emphasize participation by everyone while others only play the best athletes on the team. Try to see the coach in action or watch a practice, so you can get an idea of what kind of experience your child will be having. When kids are young, the philosophy of doing the best you can rather than having to be the top player on the team will do far more to encourage your child to truly love sports.

Time Out

No matter how much your child loves a sport, make sure she has some time away from it during the week. Children need a variety of activities outside of school and sports, including time for family, friends, chores and homework. Make sure your youngster has a well-rounded life off the playing field.

If you're considering sending your child to an overnight summer camp for a sports experience, be sure to visit our site to learn about Camp Walt Whitman. Located in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, Camp Walt Whitman offers a safe, nurturing environment in a beautiful mountain setting. Our camp is a coed sleepaway camp, with separate areas for boys and girls. The kids have a blast, and make friendships that can last a lifetime. Check out the sports program here: http://www.campwalt.com/summer-camp-sports.html

Teaching Kids How to Swim

There’s no doubt that learning how to swim is an important part of childhood, both from the standpoints of safety and fun. Most kids are around water at some point in their lives, whether playing in the backyard pool, at the beach, boating or just walking down a dock or fishing by a lake. It only takes a moment for a drowning to occur, so every parent should be sure their child knows the rudiments of staying afloat. All that aside, swimming is one of the true joys of summer for kids of all ages. There are abundant opportunities for your child to learn this all-important skill.

At Summer Camp

Pretty much every summer camp, even specialty camps, include swimming lessons as part of their slate of programs. Many camps use the techniques and standards of the American Red Cross, with skilled, certified instructors guiding youngsters through all the levels of swimming instruction from beginner to advanced. Kids are tested at the start of camp for level placement and can move up as their abilities improve. You can find excellent swimming programs at both day camps and sleepaway camps. Look for small class sizes so your little camper can get a more individualized level of instruction along with some good old fashioned summertime fun. Many camps, even if situated by a lake, will have a heated outdoor pool for more comfortable swimming lessons. Early morning lake water can be a bit of a shock!

At Community Centers

Community centers and YMCAs across the country are super places to send kids for swimming lessons. Do a little research to see how instructors are certified prior to registering your child. Many facilities start children as young as 18 months (with a parent), so you can be right there with your child as he or she becomes used to the water and eventually learns the rudiments of staying afloat. Programs for kids up to three are generally all about swimming readiness. The American Academy of Pediatrics doesn’t recommend formal swimming lessons until the age of four when kids are developmentally ready to learn the skills needed to actually stay afloat. Once they’re six, most youngsters can start to learn all the basic strokes including the crawl, back stroke and breast stroke. Many programs move all the way from toddler up to expert levels and may have locally-based swim teams to satisfy the competitive streak of accomplished swimmers.

With You

Lots of parents choose to teach their kids the basics of swimming themselves, especially if the family has a backyard pool or spends a lot of time at the beach. Kids who are comfortable when immersed in the water can usually pick up the basics of staying afloat and moving through the water fairly easily. Unfortunately, youngsters who have had a scare or two in the water may have a bit more difficulty overcoming apprehension about being in deeper water or putting their face in the water. Patience is key in overcoming this. Remember, even if your child does well swimming in a pool, it may not translate perfectly to the beach or lake. Always keep a close eye on young children around the water and always have them wear a life vest when boating even if they are skilled swimmers.

If you're considering sending your child to an overnight summer camp, be sure to visit our site to learn about Camp Walt Whitman. Located in the white mountains of New Hampshire, Camp Walt Whitman offers a safe, nurturing environment in a beautiful mountain setting. Our camp is a coed sleepaway camp, with separate areas for boys and girls. The kids have a blast, and make friendships that can last a lifetime. Check out our water sports program here: http://www.campwalt.com/summer-camp-water-sports.html