Sports Then and Now

The school year is nearly at its end, and that means it’s time to enroll your kids in summer sports. You might be wondering how you can get your kids interested in participating — especially if they would prefer to spend their vacation indoors in front of a computer. Here are a few tried-and-true techniques to help get your kids off the couch and onto the playing field.

Don’t Sign Them up for Sports You Enjoy

We can’t stress this enough: Stop trying to live vicariously through your children. If they’re interested in sports, that’s fantastic, but stop signing them up or forcing them to participate in activities they don’t enjoy. They will play because they’re trying to make you proud, but they’ll hate every second of it. 

Talk to your kids and find out what sports they want to try this summer. That gives you a good place to start looking. Your interests might even mesh, but don’t make it about you. This is their hobby, so it should be about them. 

See What Is Available in Your Area

Once you have an idea of the kind of sports your kid might be interested in, start looking into what is available in your area. Popular sports, like soccer, football and gymnastics, will probably be easy to find. Less popular options may be more difficult or even unavailable. 

See if there is any demand for more obscure in your area outside of your own family. If you’ve got enough interested kids to start a team or even a league, start organizing. It doesn’t have to be fancy or professional — at least not to start. Just give your child somewhere to play a sport that they enjoy. 

Sign Them up for a Day Camp

Summer is the perfect time to check out a day camp or two. They are designed to give a taste of what playing the sport might be like, and can help children learn the basics. Then, they can decide if this is something they’d be interested in doing on a more regular basis. 

These can also be a great way to introduce kids to sports they might not try on their own. They can also give you a much-needed break while they learn how to play basketball, football or soccer. 

Don’t Be THAT Parent

You know which parent we’re talking about — the one who throws a fit from the sidelines if something doesn’t go right, or picks fights with the referees or coaches when they don’t agree with a call. There is nothing more embarrassing for a child than watching their parent throwing a full-blown tantrum over something that should just be a fun game.

Remember — it’s not about you. Your job is to stand on the sidelines and cheer for your kids until you lose your voice. 

Don’t Get Frustrated

If your kids try out a sport and decide they don’t like it, don’t get frustrated. Some people prefer one activity over another, and some just don’t like them at all. As parents, we should be encouraging our kids to try new things, not forcing them to stick to ones they hate. If they don’t like sports, at least they tried something new and you got them to be a little more active during their summer vacation.