Is Soccer the Right Sport for Your Child

Rochak October 7, 2019 0

How to Know If Soccer Is The Right Sport For Your Child

Performing regular physical activity becomes a necessary part of a child’s development especially as they get to ages 6 and 7. They are able to communicate verbally, run and apply significant reasoning when making decisions. If they have been exposed to sports by watching on television or attending games, it is probable that they will want to start trying out some of the things they have seen.

The easiest way to know if soccer is a good fit for a child is to let them play. From the time they first run out on the pitch, parents will want to take note of how physically adapted they are to the sport. How do they run? How do they kick the ball? Do they look like they are having fun or do they look like they are stressed? Monitoring the physical aspects of a child’s game is important because soccer is physically demanding and while the child is still very much in the process of growing, the child has to look like they are up for the challenge of a contact sport. Here, we discuss the various factors which will enable you to know if your child should play soccer.

Medical Information

Crucial information on a child’s fitness for soccer can be derived from medical tests. Some children could look in great physical shape for soccer, but parents should make sure this is medically ascertained. Soccer involves increased levels of activity from the brain, heart and the respiratory system. Medical checks are necessary to ensure there are no risk factors associated with playing soccer as regards to the optimum function of the body’s essential organs. When there is no danger of serious injury to the body, there will be more freedom to play.

Playing in a Team

For an average child, their introduction to soccer is basically kicking the ball about randomly in the garden or at the park. There is some fun in that but this is not sufficient to show if they are a fit for soccer. There is actually not much fun or challenge in playing soccer alone. As a sport, soccer is very much about pitting one’s wits against another. The fun is derived from the many things you can do on the pitch with teammates – running, dribbling, passing, shooting – while the challenge is in being in a position to have more fun than an opponent and out-score them in a game. Playing on the wrong kind of team – like one with a poorly equipped coach – can turn a child’s interest off. In that case, changing the team will be desirable. If a child does not want to play in nearly every team they are placed in, it may be a sign that they are not very interested in a team sport.

Playing Other Sports

A child may look obviously good for soccer but they should also be given the opportunity to play other sports. At the early stage of life, it is possible to have the capacity for a variety of activities, from those as physically demanding as soccer like Football, to individual sports like Tennis. Observing the child to determine which sports they prefer and most look forward to, can be a good indication of whether soccer is the right sport for them.

Cost

It is not cheap to enroll a child in soccer. It is therefore reasonable to take into account the cost of raising a soccer child. Participation in both recreational and travel teams will require significant financial investments in jerseys, balls, healthy food and travel expense. This means that there will be a possible dilemma or parents who cannot afford soccer training but perceive that their child has a strong interest in soccer. Seeking out scholarships or alternative sources of funding may provide some relief.

Education

Most children who play soccer have to combine attending practice and playing games, with academics. Not every child will be able to get this balance right and for children who seem to have particular gifts in academics, it is probably a good choice to allow them to pay more attention to making good grades. As glamorous as sport stars may look, the proportion of young people who do not make it to the top far outweighs those who do. Consequently, a child with an impressive range of ability in soccer could be helped by planning their schedules in a way that neither aspect of their development suffers.

Conclusion

There has to be adequate consideration of multiple factors in order to find out whether or not soccer is the sport for your child. As a result, viewing the sport from a holistic perspective, by analyzing both pros and cons is the best and most effective approach to aid in the process.