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things get hard. the qualities they learn through playing
sports
will help them in their everyday lives.? however, knowing which sport is best for your
child
often depends on your youngster?s personality, as well as the time and money you?re willing to invest in a particular activity. determine readiness. before the age of six or seven, many
kids
are still developing gross motor skills like running, kicking, jumping, and catching. they?re also still learning social skills like sharing, taking turns, and losing/ winning games gracefully. rather than organized
sports
in the early years, experts recommend exploring different activities, like kicking a ball around, playing at the playground, and taking swim or gymnastic lessons. burns encourages parents to help their
child
ren explore activities they are interested in. ?i think, as parents, it?s important that we expose our
kids
to a lot of different activities so they can figure out what they really like. if you put them in too early, you will be able to tell, and maybe then, you should wait a while and come back to it later,? she says. aim for fun. many parents naturally gravitate toward introducing their
kids
to the
sports
they enjoyed as
child
ren. while this is a good place to start, your
child
may not end up sharing your enthusiasm. and, you may go through several
sports
before you find one that?s the right fit for your
child
. ?we really need to look at what our
kids
do to have fun. if they are having fun, they will stay in the sport longer. they won?t burn out,? says randy goldstein, d.o., a board certified pediatrician who specializes in youth
sports
medicine. ?if they are having fun, they are more likely to make goals that are to their highest potential.? know the pros of team
sports
. any sport your
child
participates in should help him develop strength, balance, and coordination, and provide him with an opportunity to push himself in a healthy, positive environment. ?in a team sport, the
kids
have to work together towards a common goal and take instruction from a coach who 4 0 b r p a r e n t s . c o m | m a r c h 2 0 1 9
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