5 Quick Tips on How to Motivate Your Kids in Sports

5 quick tips on how to motivate your kids in sports

Extra-curricular activities, such as sports give our younger generation an opportunity to expand and master other skills outside of normal course of study in school.

I had the opportunity to play sports, up to the collegiate level in football. Looking back over the years of playing sports and actually watching my three-year-old daughter Zuri play soccer this year for the first time, I realize being active gives you a positive outlook on working towards something bigger. Creates a positive outlook on being more physically fit, opportunity to interact, build relationships, enhance communication skills, and learn important qualities such as sportsmanship, teamwork, and leadership are all imperative in building a foundation that will last.  

So,  let’s talk about five tips on how to motivate your kids in sports

Tip one: Promote sports over toys and video games

For sports to work, the excessive amount of time spent playing video games and with toys has got to decrease. For example, I know with my daughter Zuri, I have taken pride in actually kicking the soccer ball around with her inside and outside of the house vs. letting her just play with toys or kicking the ball alone.

There have been times where I just start kicking the ball, and she just joins me, seeing how much fun I am having.  My interest in the sport and encouraging her to practice makes her more interested in playing soccer. This is an excellent way to promote the sport, showing your child your willingness to participate. It is essential to try to convince your child first to leave their toys and video games behind to motivate your kids to give sports a try.

Tip two: Discover interests

Do you know what your kids’ interests are?

Does he/she enjoy playing outdoors or indoors?

Does he/she prefer to play games focused on speed, stamina, or strategy?

Asking these questions above will give you a clue on the kind of sport your kid is most likely to enjoy.

Please don’t assume anything. Just because your kid’s a boy doesn’t mean he’s automatically interested in basketball, football, and track. On the flip side, just because your kid’s a girl doesn’t say she’s inclined to prefer a sport with limited physical contacts such as gymnastics, volleyball, or tennis.

Although genetics, family tradition, and history could play an impact on your child’s preferences in sports, I genuinely believe it is worth mentioning to really take into consideration to not force your child into any sport. I have made a vow, that if I have a son, to introduce the sport of football to him, but not to force him to play, just because I love the sport and played many years.

Honestly, it is not unheard of to have table tennis or golf-playing families. Again, you need to listen instead of making any assumptions.  If so, it’s your job to remember the leading questions mentioned earlier.

Tip three: Start at home

Don’t immediately enroll your son, daughter or student in a sports clinic the moment you discover where his/her interests lie. Instead, see how far their liking for the sports goes by playing a game or two in your backyard or outside your house.

Be willing to go outside to kick a soccer ball, walk, run, lift some weights with your kid or pitch a couple of balls and see if they are entertained. More importantly, I have discovered practicing at home will give your kid the opportunity to explore and discover their talents and gifts. They will determine if the sports are indeed something they will enjoy.

Tip Four: Prove how enjoyable sports can be

One of the best and by far the most important ways to motivate your kids in sports is to play with them. That simple and vital!! Better yet, go a step further and invite a few friends and some of his/her playmates even and play a game or two. Live life with them and be your child’s biggest and greatest fan. Expose them to different kinds of sports and be open-minded about their choices, even if you do not fully agree. I want to encourage you to watch a game on TV or, if possible, watch it live and in person.

Speaking from experience of playing in front of hundreds of fans and being a fan in the stands of sporting events, there’s nothing more impressive – and convincing – than when you’re watching a game in a crowded stadium, and everyone around you is having a good time.

When you are trying to motivate your child in sports, be willing to visit sports stores and outlets, and point out to him the different kinds of equipment he/she might have to use in sports. Promoting safety at a young age is very important when motivating your kids in sports as well.

Tip Five: Choose the right setting

When motivating your kid in sports, it is vital to understand, some kids prefer to practice sports alone before joining a team. Other kids, however, could be more adaptive to more teamplay right away. Choosing a confident building setting for your kid will help them know and enjoy sports more. The key thing is to be supportive. You need to make sure your child understands that your goals for having him/her join a sport are to see they happy and, of course, have him/her become healthier and stronger. Although winning a game would be nice, it isn’t your ultimate goal, and neither should it be for them. The biggest goal, in my opinion, is building a long-term character that will promote the child towards becoming a productive member of society and a confident leader in their environment.

He/she is your kid first, an athlete second. Motivate them with that thought in mind, and you’ll do fine.

Hopefully, you found this post informational, and these five tips motivate you to motivate your kids in sports. As always, I am here for you, and I look forward to hearing from you and getting the opportunity to come and speak on this topic of motivating kids in sports at your next event. Let’s talk about some programs I have to offer!.

Lastly, I invite you to remember this: Tomorrow is yours to create, don’t limit yourself!