With the 2022 NBA Playoffs in full swing right now, I can’t help but think about sports. Everywhere I look I see news and information on what the latest developments are and who is or is no longer eligible to continue. Very exciting stuff! Unfortunately, although I love sports and I’m all for wholesome, competitive fun, I don’t follow any sport very closely and so I’m not hugely invested in who wins. And even though I don’t usually watch sports, when I do, I’m usually one of the most hyped people watching!
Guess what though; sports and physical games are not just great for professional athletes and heavily-boozed fans! No; we could all stand to gain from a little investment in playing a sport or fun physical activity, and our little ones are no exception.
I don’t have to tell anyone that as a society we consume A LOT of media via our fancy electronic devices, and most of us log in many times more screen-time than physical activity/ play. And by extension, an equally large number of our children have the same habit.
A recent article (via soocial.com) cited a study showing that pre-pandemic, 21% of children between the ages of 5 and 10 spent more than 4 hours in front of a screen per day (that’s a lot!). And post-Pandemic has seen that percentage jump to roughly 44%! And get this; according to Pew Research, about 74% of children up to the age of two years old regularly watch TV! That last one probably isn’t that much of a surprise (I know children practically raised by Paw Pals and Coco Melon), but it emphasizes how much time very young children spend in front of a screen. And more screen time inevitably leads to less time doing physical activities. Don’t get me wrong; screens have their place for sure but getting our bodies moving a bit more won’t hurt anyone.
There are a ton of benefits to encouraging a more active lifestyle in young children. The best part is that most of these benefits directly translate into building strong, well-adjusted personalities for those insightful enough to take advantage.
21% of children between the ages of 5 and 10 spent more than 4 hours in front of a screen per day
Physical Fitness
The most obvious benefit of encouraging an active lifestyle in children is that it increases their physical fitness. For most adults, being a child is all about running around, playing, and fully enjoying youth. We (mostly) all remember a time when we were very young and full of energy and ready to take on anything! When we encourage an active lifestyle and educate children on doing fun, physical activities, we strengthen this character trait. We get stronger from this activity and if positive habits are formed as well, then this trait can lead to a happy, healthy future. I recently took up playing pickup basketball again and it feels great to be active and have fun! But let me be the first to say that I’d probably be a lot less winded after playing if I had never stopped in the first place! Let’s set our little people up for success early by letting them know about all the great things that happen to your body when you stay active.
Social Skills
When playing with others, children learn…
Sports and physical activities and games are usually group activities. For this reason, sports and physical activities are a great way to develop social skills in children. When playing with others, children learn to be aware of and considerate of other children and the adults that may be administering the activity. Kids learn about being courteous, following game rules, and generally get an excellent opportunity to practice these skills in real situations. Learning how to interact with other children and coaches, and other adults in authority is crucial in the world that we live in. No one is in a silo; we all must effectively interact with each other daily to get the most out of and for each other, and there aren’t many ways as fun as playing sports to get a grasp of this first-hand.
Emotional Well-being
There are also the emotional benefits of sports and regular physical activity. Studies have shown that people who are physically active regularly tend to be happier overall. Children are no exception. When engaged in sports or physical activities at least a few times a week children tend to be happier. Sports can be an excellent avenue for relieving the stress of a difficult school day or even other unknown stressors.
Academic
Another interesting benefit is that regular physical activity increases our brains’ ability to function. So getting your child outside and moving can help tackle challenges that may seem completely unrelated. Kids who participate in sports and group physical activities generally do better in academic endeavors, and many of the lessons and virtues learned while playing sports can help young children (and older ones, too) succeed in the classroom as well.
The Virtues
Kids who participate in sports and group physical activities generally do better in academic endeavors.
Patience, determination, confidence, and high self-esteem; are things that most people would agree are amazing attributes to have, especially as a child or young person. All manner of experiences and situations in life can influence a child’s level of each of these attributes, but sports are a great way to positively affect many of these attributes in young people. Learning to stay focused on improvement and playing at one’s best, gaining confidence in one’s skills, learning to both win and lose with grace and tact, etc. are all ways that sports can help children become better people. Some of the most accomplished people in our society are those who learned to take these amazing benefits from group sports and games and apply them to their careers, as well as their personal and family life.
The 2022 NBA Playoffs will be wrapping up soon. And once they’re over, there will be another sport taking center stage with elite athletes performing at the top of their game and wowing us with their skills and athletic prowess. We will watch (some of us more than others) and we will be excited and energized by the actions of these great people, but we can also bring some of this same excitement and energy to our young kids! We can show them that it’s just as much fun to play these sports and games as it is to watch others engage in them. Not only that, but by having a little fun playing sports and sweating together, we can reliably move towards that same greatness.