How to teach your child to love a new sport

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Tuesday. Let us acknowledge its benign terribleness and move on.

As you know, I accept articles on things I don't write about. Such as kids. I don't have them and I don't really write about them. This one is from Adrian, a lifelong thrill seeker and adrenaline junkie. A freelance sports writer, Adrian is passionate about health and fitness and pushing his body to limits. Whether he's rambling in the beautiful Cotswolds or bunjy jumping in New Zealand, Adrian is a fervent believer in making the most of the great outdoors. 

I, too like The Great Outdoors - the movie as well as rambling around in nature, albeit with a little less adventure to my outings. Nevertheless, sports. Kids. Teaching. Go.

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Sports are important for all children. Sports can help your child develop their social skills, self-esteem and their self-confidence. Sports can help them make new friends, it can help them stay healthy, and it can help them focus better in all other areas of their lives. Sports, and the exercise playing sports requires, are imperative for your child’s health, happiness, and their development. Getting them to love a new sport, however, can be tricky. Follow this guide to find the perfect sport for your child:

1. Let Them Try Out New Things

There are many local activities, sports, and courses to choose from. Sit down with your child and register them to the activities and sports that they show interest in. Register for taster events, so that your child can try out the sport without a huge commitment. This will allow them to try out new things and see what works for them.

2. Combine Activities

Sometimes, all it takes to get your child interested in a new sport is to show them the possibilities. For instance, showing them that they can have fun while going to school, or going over to a friend’s house with a scooter, is a great way to introduce them to greater sporting possibilities. To start, buy them a JD Bug scooter. JD Bug are one of the founding companies of the fold-up scooter, and specialise in children’s scooters. This means that you can get a scooter that can adjust to your child’s growing height, meaning there are many years of memories to be had. Through such a scooter they can not only get from A to B safely, but they can also try out new tricks that are bound to impress. For more information, see the full range of JD Bug scooter on Skates to help you choose the perfect scooter for your child.  

3. Try Out Sports with Them

One of the best moments as a parent is showing them something that you love, with the hope that they love it too. It is the hope of every parent to teach and mentor their child, and it can be very disheartening when they don’t find your sport interesting. Instead of getting disheartened, try out new sports with them. Learning together can be incredibly rewarding, for both you and your child. 

4. Keep it Fun

The most important thing to remember when encouraging your child to love a new sport is to keep it fun. By participating in a sport it keeps them healthy and happy. If they are talented in that sport, and even if they show interest in becoming a professional in that sport is no excuse to take the fun away from it. Let them push themselves, and focus instead on being supportive and knowledgeable on what their next steps need to be, if they decide to take their talents further.

Getting your child to love a new sport takes two main steps. You need to first help them find a sport or activity that they love to do, and then you need to keep it fun. Whether they play sports with friends, with you, or by themselves, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that they are active, healthy, and happy. 

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Any tips from you parents out there for other parents?

See you back here tomorrow for carrot pineapple muffins.