When and Why Should Kids Start Playing Sports?

It is not a secret that every child is a story of their own. Individuals develop at different rates, though there are certain common denominators that can render developmental matters slightly easier to understand. In other words, you can tentatively pinpoint the age when your child is ready for sports.

On the other hand, you should consider the breadth of what falls under the umbrella term – sport. Physical activity is without a doubt beneficial for a child of any age, and once you start bringing rules into the conduct, you might be dealing with something that can be defined as ‘sport’.

No matter how you cut it, children should not be exposed to any sort of activity that they don’t enjoy and for which they are not ready: in terms of mental, physical and social skills.  However, kids playing sports can denote different things depending on age…

Before 6

The attention span, motor skills, and balance can present the stumbling blocks for some girls and boys up to age 6. While this means that organized, group sports might not be their cup of tea just yet, it doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t be encouraged to participate in physical activities that can ‘mature’ into crucial skills for more complicated athletic concepts. Here’s an example:

While your child is not suited for the nuances of football or soccer, you can enroll them in clubs that will teach them how to swim right and run properly. You’ll notice that, as soon as they learn how to toddle, kids will find the behavior of ‘animated’ adults captivating, and try to mimic it. This is an excellent time-window to teach them proper throwing and catching.

All in all, this is an age when physical and sport-like activities can be encouraged through active play.

Ages 6 to 9

Between ages 5 and 6, children reach a new developmental stage and become naturally equipped to tackle more complicated physical requirements.

This is a good age to enroll them in an organized sports club – football, basketball, martial arts, tennis, etc. – and most parents typically do this. In other words, this is generally accepted around the world as an age for ‘first steps’ into serious athletic commitment.

As it has been implied in the introduction, there are many disciplines to pick and choose from, so don’t forget to give your child some options that are not initially apparent – such as gymnastics, skiing, volleyball, hockey, golf, etc.

While some of these sports might appear to be too complicated for your six-year-old girls and boys, keep in mind that they usually have ‘inaugural’ levels of difficulty, adapted for a younger age.

At the end of the day, this is the perfect age to teach your child that they should take up sports to hone their skills – both physical and mental – and not fixate on winning.

Ages 9 to 12

A lot happens to boys and girls who turn 9. By this time, most children have reached pique condition for the majority of sports. Their hand-eye coordination developed fully and they could perform complex motor skills in the blink of an eye. They also have a refined sense of teamwork and strategizing.

While playing for the goal remains an important aspect of any competitive sport, fun is still prioritized over winning. This is exacerbated by the fact that most kids would rather play longer and lose then shorter and win. Keep this in mind at all times. Too many parents teach their children to focus on nothing but victory, which can lead them to develop an unhealthy frame of mind.