Small children are amazing in their energy output. Often, I am tempted to put my daughter into an oversized hamster ball and use her to power my kitchen. Perhaps I could automate the snack-making process. Hmm, now there’s an idea!
Over the last four years, we’ve registered for everything from baby swimming lessons to a class that featured an assortment of indoor sports. We’ve done ballet, and my daughter has gone running with me as I trained for a marathon. As I look at my friends and relatives, I realize that the sports that we learn to love in childhood are often the ones that we return to as adults. These sports are familiar, and they feel safe. They’re an easy entry point for the parent who’s trying to get back to exercise or the new retiree who is looking for a fun activity that will also keep her fit.
How do we build a love of sport in our children? My philosophy is that enjoyment comes first when it comes to preschool sports. Due to my daughter’s anxiety about the dreaded deep end of the pool, we recently pulled her out of swimming lessons. We’re hoping to start again in the spring. In the meantime, we’ll go to the pool frequently, because she adores the pool. She just doesn’t like the deep end.
As we get older, sports become much more competitive, and at times and in places there is an elite feeling to sport. I competed at a low level in several sports, but I never felt the urge to train enough to be very proficient. As an adult, I rediscovered the love of sport through running and now swimming, but I am still not competitive. I have little desire better than others – I just want to train, be fit, stay in a relatively uninjured state, and enjoy myself.
In many ways, this is what I want for my preschooler. I’d like her to feel what a fit and healthy body feels like, enjoy sport, and stay safe and feel happy. As she moves through various sports as she grows and perhaps moves out of the world of sport for a while, I hope that she will find an easy entry once again because of the good feelings she has associated with being active.
Do you encourage your child to develop an interest in a sport? Or do you just send your child out to play and run around? Is competitive sport something that preschoolers should be involved in?