‘Maybe my kid will be the best… maybe he/she could get a college scholarship or maybe even go pro.’ This thought lingers in the back of many parents and coaches. It is this kind of thinking that leads to the extreme competition in youth sports that we see happening today. If it were up to children they would be playing sports to have fun, but it is this idea of ‘fun’ that gets lost in over-emphasizing winning and competition.

Sports should be a fun and exciting experience for children, one that teaches them about problem solving and communication skills as well as sharing emotions and working together to achieve a common goal. In competitive environments children feel the pressure to win, which has a tendency to lead to poor sportsmanship and some of the most important learning experiences get pushed to the side. In comparison playful environments teach children to promote each others success and to encourage one another.

Children try so hard to be the best to make their parents and coaches happy that they sometimes forget why they started playing in the first place. Dropouts start happening when children can’t remember the joy that they once felt from playing. In a study done by the Journal of Park and Recreation Administration they found that ‘Unpleasant experiences in sports can lead to children dropping out and limiting their physical activity, there by increasing their chances of obesity. In contrast sport experiences that promote sportsmanship and fun help encourage children to adopt physical activity as part of their lifestyle.’ 

The authors of the book Putting Youth Back into Sports gives these helpful tips on ways to promote sportsmanship and fun in youth sports.

·        Place less emphasis on the score. Focus on the mastery of skills instead of the outcome of the game. Youth will feel more successful whether or not they are "officially" the winner of the game.

·        Be sensitive to each member's skills, personalities, and temperaments. Offer activities that promote team efforts and encourage everyone to play a role in helping the team as a whole.

·        Rotate partners in skill building exercises.

·        Change games to be developmentally appropriate for the age group of the team.

·        Give encouragement and positive feedback to every member of the team.

·        Emphasize exploration and experimentation with each of the skills needed for that sport.

·        Help youth to see mistakes as learning tools.

·        Sometimes just "play" for the fun of it, especially at younger ages.

·        Encourage youth to set personal goals to challenge themselves and master skills.

These tips help bring a balance to competition and cooperation. Do you have more ideas on how to bring a balance between the two? Let us know!

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Studies have shown that children shape their attitudes about exercise by looking at their role models such as friends, siblings, and PARENTS! Showing your children that exercise and fitness activities can be fun is a great way to help ensure they will lead a more active lifestyle. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics children should be getting at least one hour of exercise everyday. After a long day of work one of the last things you want to think about after coming home is going to exercise. This is because people typically think of exercising as rigorous activity like running laps or lifting weights. It doesn’t have to be that way!

Doing activities as a family has many benefits for parents and children from the physical exercise to the added bonus of spending quality time together doing fun activities. The key is picking activities that the whole family will have fun doing. America’s Authority on Fitness came out with 10 physical activities for families that were really great!

1. Walking – Take the whole family on a walk around the neighborhood or a local destination. Try walking to the park or your community pool if it’s not too far away instead of driving.
2. Swimming – An effective workout for the entire body, swimming is an appropriate activity for a variety of fitness levels.
3. Bicycling – On the street or on the trails, bicycling is a terrific activity for all ages. Don’t forget that everyone needs to wear a helmet.
4. Canoeing or Kayaking – If you have access to water, canoeing or kayaking can be a blast and a great upper-body workout. Of course, life jackets are a must for all ages.
5. In-line Skating – Shoes on wheels may keep your family moving at the same speed and make getting places a bit more fun. Don’t forget to wear protective gear like wrist guards and helmets to prevent injuries.
6. Beach Games – Build a sandcastle or play in the surf. Running around in the sand all day lets you get in your exercise while you’re having fun.
7. Team Sports – Games such as doubles tennis or two-on-two basketball are great for smaller groups while touch football, softball and volleyball are fun family activities that can accommodate a larger group.
8. Park Games – Toss around a football or Frisbee in a safe and wide-open space or take advantage of the park’s facilities such as playgrounds and obstacle courses.
9. Hiking – Pack a healthy lunch and head out into the great outdoors for a hike. Hiking is a great workout and you also have the opportunity to take advantage of the beauty of nature.
10. Lawn Games – Set up croquet or badminton in your backyard or turn on the sprinklers for an instant water park on a hot summer day.

Hope you and your children have fun with these! If your family does different activities please post below and let us know!