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The best, and worst, sports for kids I celebrate the seasons as any mother does. The year starts with basketball, then on to baseball, swimming, and finally the soccer season ends as we slide into the holidays. Introducing your child to sports brings up a whole new set of parenting issues. Before you sign up your child for his first T-ball game or his fifth soccer season, consider how the experts weigh in and make the best decision for your budding athlete. Is there a best sport? To find the best sport for your child, a great deal depends on personality and age. Cynthia LaBella, a pediatric sports medicine specialist at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago, explains that each sport requires a unique set of motor skills that develops in their own time. “Parents should be aware that motor development follows a specific timeline. These skills will not develop sooner simply because they are introduced at an earlier age,” says LaBella. “Mature running skills come first – between the ages of 4 and 5, then mature throwing skills between 6 and 8, then mature kicking, hopping and catching between 7 and 8 years old.” The benefits of involving your child in sports can backfire if they participate in an activity for which they are ill-equipped. What should my 4- to 9-year-old play? LaBella begins the age breakdown at age 4. “Most children in this age group are ready for sports that utilize basic motor skills – swimming, running, tumbling,” explains LaBella. She finds team sports appropriate for ages 5 and 6, as social and cognitive skills develop. “Children who are 6 and 7 are still relatively far-sighted. This is why sports such as baseball and tennis are not recommended until age 6 or 7.” By ages 7 or 8, she believes most children can participate in complex team sports. David Marshall, medical director of the Sports Medicine Program at Children’s Healthcare in Atlanta, reminds us of the short attention span of this age. “Sports need to be active and can’t involve a lot of standing around,” says Marshall. He advises against baseball for this reason, and suggests basketball or soccer. What should my 10- to 13-year-old play? Orr Limpisvasti is a sports medicine specialist and orthopedic surgeon at Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic in Los Angeles. He says a child of this age can participate in any sport, as long as it is well-supervised and well-coached. He does not, however, encourage specialization in any one sport before puberty. (A year-round sport that excludes everything else is a no-no.) Often the best sport for this age is the one that will offer a suitable peer group for their child. According to Thomas Demaria, a clinical psychiatrist at South Nassau Hospital in New York, “Finding a sport with a true team aspect can help a child find a supportive peer group, which can help them cope with the pressures of this socially sensitive age.” What should my child 14 years and older play? During the teen years, there are real health benefits to sports. Our experts encourage parents to think long term. “Get them involved in aerobic sports that they can enjoy for the rest of their lives, such as tennis, soccer, basketball and racquetball,” Marshall suggests. Demaria says sports can provide a boost in self-esteem, and so children should choose one they feel most confident in. “As a child reaches older adolescence, sports can help them gain self-esteem when they evaluate their own athletic competency versus the skills of other players,” says Demaria. Craig Levitz, the director of orthopedics at South Nassau Hospital in New York, sees other advantages. Besides the overall body conditioning and muscle training, metabolism and bone mass can benefit. “Obesity is an epidemic in teenage children, but is a rarity on the athletic field,” he says. Demaria believes children also benefit psychologically from involvement in sports. “Sports can help children learn self-discipline, the implications of commitment and frustration tolerance,” explains Demaria. “A child can learn important coping skills as they grapple with defeat, aggressive competitors, unfair calls from a referee, selfish teammates and less-than-perfect coaches.” The warning signs If a child withdraws after a game or becomes upset for too long, parents may need to reconsider the sport. Other warning signs, says Demaria, are “nightmares, nervous stomachs, headaches, irritability, and oppositional behavior before games or practices.” From a physical standpoint, Levitz encourages parents to make sure their child is not physically overmatched. “Avoidance of practice, repetitive mysterious injuries and depression should signal that a child is getting too much negative feedback from participation.” LaBella advises parents to always make sure the child’s goals are given priority. “Children play sports to have a good time, make friends and learn new skills. When these youth-oriented goals become replaced by adult-oriented goals of rigorous physical training and pressure to win at all costs, children quickly lose interest.” Linda Kastiel Kozlowski is a freelance writer and a mother of two boys. She has attended more games than she cares to count, near her home in Glen Ellyn, Ill. This is her first report in OC Family Magazine. |
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