Children and Sports: When is Too Young?

The world young an older children alike live in today is ultra-competitive. Kids must juggle increasingly difficult curriculums with high level concepts being introduced earlier as time passes. The requirements of Kindergarteners grow for stringent each year and lets not even get into the pressure high shcoolers with standardized exams and college acceptances. Then throw in the world of sports and the competitive nature of this extracurricular activity along the tough physical demands. It’s a lot for a little person to handle.

So when is your child too young to get into sports and when are they ready? The answer will be different for every child, however here are some parameters to judge by;

-Are they showing an interest in sports?
It’s alright to inquire if a child would like to participate in sports, but pushing a sport on the child will not do anybody any good. Children who are forced into ultra competitive schools and sports and other extracurricular activities experience much higher incidents of depression than their counterparts according to several psychological studies. However, a child showing a genuine interest in a sport is a great place to begin.

-Make sure your child’s interest is legitimater
Sometimes kids will simply want to to participate in a sport because an older sibling performed the same sport. Likewise, sometimes a parent will insist a younger child do a sport, just because their older child did the same. All kids are different. At any rate, talk to your child about their reasons for wanting to get involved in a sport and then talk to them about what to expect.

-How does your child handle sharing? And losing?
Sports are great venues for children to learn to work in teams and a great way for children to learn that it’s ok to lose. However, if your child gets extremely upset each time they must share a toy or anytime they lose a game then they are probably not ready for a sport. Kids will learn those skills in sports, but they have to reach a certain level that they can build upon first. Otherwise it will be a disaster that will likely upset parent and child alike.

-Is your child already overbooked?
Even preschoolers today can be overbooked. From school, playdates, ballet or music lessons, birthday parties, swimming lessons, story times, etc., even little kids can have very full plates. If it seems your child doesn’t have time for a sport right now then wait until the schedule eases up, summers often make great times to start a sport.

In the end you know your child best and should use your best judgment!