Every parent wants their child to be healthy and active, and organised sport is a great way to achieve this. So how do you know when your child is ready to start playing? The right age to start organised sport is not set in stone, it varies from child to child. However, signing your child up for a preschool or junior sports program is a great way to spark their interest in organised sport.
Organised sport can be a whole lot of fun for toddlers and pre-schoolers. At this age, it is important to focus less on competition and more on having opportunities to be healthy and active. Good habits start early. When your child participates in sports programs from a young age, they are introduced to the positive benefits of a healthy active lifestyle. These benefits are then carried with them through childhood, adolescence and adult life.
Even if your child is aged 6 or over, its not too late to get them started in organised sport, even if they haven’t participated in the past. Around this age, children start to develop the appropriate physical skills and attention span needed to grasp the rules of a game. So it’s a great time to jump right in. They are also able to challenge themselves, especially if the sport is run in a non-competitive and fun environment.
Try not to focus on specific ages when signing your child up for an organised sport. Getting your child involved in any physical activity is a great start to living a healthy and active lifestyle. Remember to make it all about fun, and everyone comes out a winner!
Soccajoeys offers preschool and junior soccer programs for boys and girls age 3 to 8 years. Our programs are aimed at introducing kids to the early learning principles of children’s soccer along with increasing their physical and social development. Register your child for our Term 2 soccer programs today.
