swaggerdad Every good parent wants to make sure that their kids get the best possible start in life, and that the lessons they learn in their childhood set them up as well as possible for the challenges of the future.There are all sorts of different activities, pastimes, and habits which can help kids to develop their full potential, and that can set them on the right path for later life. But few pastimes or activities have the direct potential benefits as being involved in sports. Here are just a few of the benefits you can expect your kids to gain from being involved in sports, whether that’s junior tennis, basketball, or karate.
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Learning how to handle competition and adversity in a controlled setting
Life naturally contains competition and adversity, even though we try to organise things to keep everything running as smoothly, civilly, and with as little stress as possible. Whenever you apply for a job, you will be in direct competition with all the other people applying for that job. And it’s more or less guaranteed that you will often have to face the adversity of missing out on the role, or even being made redundant – to give just one straightforward everyday example. Sports naturally get your child engaged with competition and adversity so that they can learn how to handle those things, deal with the emotional highs and lows, stay consistent, and keep moving forward. But, unlike with life as a whole, sports have the special benefit of keeping the competition and adversity in a controlled setting.
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Breaking out of spirals of overthinking
According to various researchers, mental health conditions including depression and anxiety have been rising dramatically among the younger generations – and there have been all sorts of different suggestions about what might be the lead culprit behind this trend. Some people blame social media, other people blame changing social norms. But one thing seems to be clear – getting caught up in negative, self-focused spirals of overthinking is a surefire recipe for feeling bad. And in today’s reality TV and social media age, people of all ages are at risk of falling into this trap. Sport is one of the best things for getting people out of their own heads, and for helping them to break out of spirals of overthinking that might be tormenting them. Because when you’re playing a sport, you’re getting physically engaged, you get into a “flow state,” and you have to “get your head in the game.”Even though it might not seem like it, sports can be very therapeutic.
Getting regular physical exercise
Today, it’s probably fair to say that more people are living sedentary lives than ever before in human history, and – unfortunately – there are clear negative side effects to being physically inactive, in terms of both health and mood, among other things.Sport is a great way of getting regular physical exercise, while at the same time enjoying the motivation and fun involved in the game itself.
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Your kids probably won’t find it easy to stick to a dull workout routine, but if they get involved in the right sport, they may become well and truly hooked.
Post contribute by Peter Ward
