If it seems to you that children are participating in sports at much younger ages than they did when you were a kid, you’re right. More and more kids are beginning to play sports at younger and younger ages. There is considerable debate over whether or not early involvement in organized athletics is beneficial for children.
It is undisputed that children need physical activity, and plenty of it in order to develop strong, healthy bodies and minds. It is also clear that many children do not get enough physical activity, and that their health suffers because of that. Many children gravitate towards sports naturally, just like they gravitate towards playgrounds or other things and places that encourage active exploration.
As parents, we want to encourage our children to do what they love. However, we are also responsible for ensuring that what they do is safe and healthy for their minds and their bodies. Your toddler may love to kick a soccer ball or, in my case, bat a plastic baseball around for what seems like a very long time given the typical toddler attention span. That is active play, and it is a very good thing.
At this stage in the game, your child may be physically ready to try some of the basic movements associated with some sports. Attempting organized sports, however, could be detrimental both physically and mentally. A toddler’s body is very flexible, but they can still get hurt very easily. If you think about how toddlers respond to rules in general, you can get a basic idea of how they might feel about rules being imposed on something that they think is purely play. At this stage of development, cooperation, sharing, and working together are skills that we work on with our toddlers with varying degrees of success on different days. Imagine how frustrating it could be for a toddler to be placed in a setting where teamwork, sharing, and cooperation were expected all the time.
When you engage in sports – like active play with your toddler, it is important to keep it lighthearted and fun. Helping your tot to understand how the plastic baseball bat works is one thing, telling him what he did incorrectly every time he swings the bat is another. If you can keep your critical voice in check and enjoy playing sports – like games with your toddler, then go for it. You could also bring your toddler to a sports – themed class in your area, if you can find one which has a noncompetitive format and a philosophy or praising effort rather than results. There is plenty of time to get your children ready for the big leagues, and they will benefit more from organized sports if they are introduced to them later on, after about age five or so.