Team sports encourage children to step outside their comfort zone on a social level.
Participating in a team sport can benefit a child on a number of levels. Children tend to have an excess of energy, which needs to be channeled into a constructive outlet. Not only is being on a sports team a great way for a child to exercise, but it can actually help improve a child’s social skills as well!
Working With Others
Children sometimes need to be shown the importance of working with others. In many cases, children just want to be independent and try to do everything on their own. A great way to do this is to have them play a team sport so they can learn what it means to be a team player. This is important because it will help them in many situations later in life. A great example of such would be group projects in school.
Following Rules
Every sport has a set of rules. In soccer, you are not allowed to touch the ball with your hands. In basketball, a player who has the ball must dribble if they are moving their feet. If you are looking to teach your child obedience, signing them up for a sports team may be a great move. It is also worth mentioning that all sports have a set of unwritten rules that are primarily in regards to fair play. An excellent example of such would be in soccer when a player on the field gets injured, you are supposed to kick the ball out of bounds.
Confidence Levels
Is your child lacking confidence? If that is the case, maybe they need to learn about their own personal talents. Team sports can be an excellent confidence booster for children. You child may join a recreational football team and discover they are extraordinarily fast. A confidence boost should help develop other social skills.
Communication
A sports team is not going to be successful unless they commute! If you look at professional teams, you will notice that the athletes are always talking with one another. All team sports, regardless of age or skill level require a fair amount of communication. By playing on a sports team, a child will be practicing their communications skills without even realizing it.
The Connections Therapy Center
The Connections Therapy Center serves families of children and adolescents with disabilities and special needs. We are a team of experts in the fields of pediatric speech, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, and behavioral sciences. As a team, we offer intensive hands-on therapy for children and adolescents, as well as informative and useful resources for families. If you are interested in learning more about what we can do to help your family, visit us online or give us a call at (202) 561-1110 (Washington, D.C. office) or (301) 577-4333 (Lanham office). Want to get more information on how to help your child thrive? Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, and Pinterest.