Encouraging Your Child Excel At Sports
Tuesday, August 31st, 2010If you are the parent or guardian of a child who is athletic, you know what a challenge it can be to encourage them to practice. A few kids were blessed with natural athleticism and practice is unnecessary. The majority of kids need to work hard and a bit of time practicing to be comfortable and confident on the field or court. If your child is part of the majority who need to work harder to do well in sports, there are a number of ways to help them succeed. To begin with, kids must realize success takes a lot of practice. Many kids believe it should come naturally without effort, but in order to stand out from the rest, they need to know all great athletes practice. The trick for parents is to find ways to make practice fun and convenient for kids, while still balancing other responsibilities like schoolwork and household chores. A great way to do this is to make practice possible at home. Even without a practice buddy there should be a way to keep skills sharp. One way to help is to have a baseball pitching machine on hand for kids who enjoy that game. softball pitching machines work just as well, and even if a child is alone, their skills can stay sharp with mechanical assistance.
There are similar options for kids who enjoy playing football or tennis, and if your child is a fan of basketball, all it takes for at home practice is a net.
For those who looking for more structured practice opportunities, should consider enrolling their child in a class or camp. During the summer months when school is out, there are camps for just about every activity you can imagine. Some are focused on just one thing, like a sports or craft camp, and others are general camps that offer exposure to a few things throughout the weeks or months of enrollment. This is a great option if you want your child to practice their usual sports skills but also let them enjoy a few other things and meet kids with other interests.
Camps may be day or overnights, and if finances are a concern, many of the camps offer scholarship programs that are both need and talent based. Speak with you child about their feelings on attending a camp that will put them with other children with similar talents and interests. It may be intimidating to work with other kids who are better, but the exposure will benefit them in the long run.
If your child chooses to enroll in a camp that offers sports instruction and other activities, be sure they continue to practice their sports skills at home while attending the camp. This way they get the benefit of participating in a variety of activities, but keep their skills sharp.
