You signed your child up for soccer or hockey, and then the league sent you an email: ‘We need coaches!’ Maybe you had never coached kids’ sports before, and you thought it might be fun to coach. Maybe your coaching credentials are as long as your arm, and you had counted down the days to take to the ice with your Timbit. Either way, you were excited to help out and have been coaching ever since.
I can’t imagine that any parent would discourage their young child from following their dreams, no matter how lofty. However, as any parent of an elite athlete or Olympian will likely tell you, there’s a high price to pay - and not just financial - for this pursuit. A price many say is worth every penny and time spent, but one which both parent and child need to go into with their eyes wide open.
I always thought my kids would be like me: quiet, bookish, and massively uncoordinated. But nope, at least one of them has some athletic ability. My son has been using that ability to play flag football. (I should have known that sippy cup being winged from the back seat by his toddler hands was a sign of things to come.) His time on the football field has been a learning experience, for both of us. He’s learned determination and teamwork, and I’ve learned that the trick play is actually called a “reverse.” Here are 4 more lessons I’ve learned from the football field:
Youth sports offer a host of emotional and physical benefits, from helping kids stay active to building self-esteem and learning to work with others. But knowing which sport is best for your child often depends on your youngster’s personality, as well as the time and money you’re willing to invest in a particular activity.
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