Enrolling Your Child in Sports: A Comprehensive Guide
The number of youth participating in organized sports in the United States is estimated to exceed 50 million (United States Census Bureau, 2000). If you are a parent living in the United States, that means chances are high that you will consider enrolling your son or daughter in sports. However, there are several things to keep in mind when thinking about this course of action.
- Does your child want to play sports? This is the first question to ask yourself when thinking about enrolling your child in sports. This may seem like common sense, but some parents try to outlive their children by forcing them to play sports.
If a child is sent to a sport that they don’t want to do, it will become a headache for you to get them involved in training, it can damage the team as a whole and you can stop wasting a lot of time and money.
To prevent this from happening, ask the child in advance. Be sure to ask as neutrally as possible, because children are incredibly receptive and will say yes if they think she wants to hear that answer. Make sure they understand that this is your business. And most importantly, be clear and know that your child understands the whole situation.
- Is your child ready to commit? Sports activities require a lot of time and effort on the part of a child. Practice often takes time during the week, and many sporting events take place on the weekends. This is without taking into account the time that has already been devoted to study and previous commitments (eg, band, theater, etc.).
When you ask your child if she wants to participate in sports, make it clear how much commitment is at stake. Explain how often the classes will be held and determine how she will learn at school. Also, make sure your child knows if sports activities take place on the weekends, as this is most of her weekend time.
- Is she ready to commit? Driving, fundraising, and watching events are all part of the sport. The school or leisure center where your child trains will likely host activities (tournaments, games, meetings, etc.), but events may take place elsewhere as well. Are you ready to go to another school? Also, activities at home may require volunteers and you may need help.
Fundraising is often necessary for sports teams of all kinds. Your child may be asked to sell chocolate bars or work at a car wash to raise money for the 토토사이트 team. As a parent, you are likely to be expected to help in some way. You may need to take the child with a family member and help sell candy or supplies and rags for a large car wash.
- Sports can be expensive. This factor really depends, at least to some extent, on the sport your kids will be doing. For example, the equipment required to join a swim team is significantly less than for a hockey team. Additionally, some sports programs may supply equipment, thereby reducing some of the costs.
However, even if there is some hardware in the program, the chances that you will have to supply something are still high. Equipment, admission to events, and gifts for coaches are expenses that accumulate.
Ultimately, you must ask yourself if the potential benefits of healthy social interaction, a sense of accomplishment, and improved physical well-being are worth the time and effort that both you and your future athlete will require.
