Future Stars Camps Blog – Sports, Kids, Camp!

The coach isn’t just some person who stands in front of the kids barking orders. Children’s sports coaches are multi-talented leaders who are there to help their team succeed, teach the rules of the game, impart good sportsmanship and be supportive. That said, coaches aren’t perfect – and neither are you or your child. There will be times when you have to bring up a touchy subject or strike up a not-so-pleasant conversation. Knowing how to effectively communicate with the coach is a must-do for every parent of a young athlete.

All parents worry about their children getting injured. As the parent of a sporty kid, you might find yourself worrying about this more than most. You’ll be pleased to hear there are simple steps you can take to reduce your child’s risk of injury on the field.

Synopsis: Enrolling young children in tennis will not only expose them to a great sport now, but could also could lead to a lifelong passion for this popular game.

Unless your young child is on their way to the Olympics, sports should be more about fun and learning than the serious stuff! You’ve seen the parents on the sideline of the soccer field screaming “Go! Go! Go! Get that ball. Get that other kid out of the way!” And, that’s at a preschool game. Then there are the high-profile cases that the media picks up on (like the hockey dad who shattered the glass barrier). Instead of shouting, screaming, and throwing tantrums to get your child at the top of their game, try the opposite. Keeping sports kid-friendly is a must-do when introducing athletics to young children. How can you help to keep the fun up and nix the training tirades?

It’s almost too easy to come up with excuses as to why you can’t volunteer to help out with your child’s team. Just imagine if you did though. If you gave up some spare time to help out, how might that feel?

In the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 12 million children ages 2 through 19 years are considered obese. If you’re staring at that statistic and saying, “Wow! That seems like a lot,” – it is. Although the number of obese preschoolers (ages 2 through 5 years) has significantly decreased in the past few years, the rates for other age groups haven’t seen the same decline. The CDC notes that during 2011-2012, 8.4 percent of children ages 2- through 5-years were obese. In comparison, more than 17 percent of kids between the ages of 6 and 11 were obese. That number inches up to 20.5 percent for the 12- through 19-year teenage grouping.

Monday is soccer practice, Tuesday is swim team, Wednesday and Thursday are both gymnastics days and Friday is karate. Then comes the weekend. There’s a soccer game on Saturday at 8 a.m., followed by a swim meet start-time and a belt promotion test for karate both at noon. Your child has to miss his belt promotion because it conflicts with the out-of-your-area aqua club event. Whew! Sounds tiring, right? Four different sports at one time – is this too much? Knowing how much is too much when it comes to your child’s athletic activities is key to maintaining balance. It also allows for young athletes to have fun practicing a sport, instead of having crammed schedules and no free time.

Family time is precious these days, and that means you need to get as much out of it as possible. You might think you don’t have much time for fitness, but all you need to do is incorporate fitness into family time. It’s not only fun, but it will also benefit every member of the family.

Playing a sport might not require the same audacious personality that getting dramatic on the stage does, but for a child it can be just as scary. While sports build confidence and self-esteem, starting out with a shy or hesitant temperament is a hurdle for the child, parents, teammates and coaches. Does this mean that a shy child shouldn’t get active with athletics? Of course not! Parents and coaches can help a slow-to-warm-up child feel comfortable on the field with some careful planning and kind words.

Your child knows that he needs to shake hands with the opposing team whether he wins or loses. He knows to pat a teammate on the back after he scores or fails and knows to cheer everyone on. Even though your child is considered a “good sport” on the field, do these positive practices translate into everyday life? They can! Good sportsmanship is part of social development and can help your child at school, with friends, and anywhere off the court or off the field.