Why playing team sports is so good for kids

Playing sport is not just good for kids’ physical wellbeing, it is great for their minds too. At Adventure Camp, we are all about group activities and getting children to work together as a team. Throughout this blog, we are going to explore the many benefits kids can get from playing team sports.

Playing in a team encourages things like cooperation, sharing, respect, resilience and goal setting. Joining a sport allows kids to feel a sense of community, provides them with a fantastic social outlet and gives them an opportunity to make lasting friendships.

Here are some awesome reasons why we think team sports are so great for kids:

• It’s excellent for the physical body: playing sport is great exercise and helps to make physical activity a habit, it is great for mobility and gets kids outdoors. Not to mention, sport helps to improve cardiovascular health, lung function and bone/muscle development.
• It boasts the 5 C’s: Competence, confidence, connections, character and creativity.
• Competence: team sports develop your ability, increase skills and creates positivity around your kids ability to use those skills both on the field and in everyday life.
• Confidence: when kids play sport, they learn and see improvements in their abilities and start to believe that they can start to try more things and contribute as part of a team. Besides, when you practice skills and get better at them, that’s got to be a massive confidence booster.
• Connections: playing a team sport provides the opportunity to meet a lot of people and make new friends. The experiences kids have and the challenges they overcome create a bond like no other and one that your kids will love being a part of.
• Character: being part of a team teaches kids character, they learn a sense of respect for other team mates, coaches and themselves. In addition to respect for their own bodies, for what it can do and how they can use and fuel them.
• Creativity: the more they learn about the sport they play and the rules of how to play, kids start to become more creative in how they solve problems on the field or court and how to change certain plays.
• Sport creates happier kids: According to scientific studies, when kids exercise they are happier, the same thing happens when we (as adults) exercise, our body releases endorphins. These naturally occurring chemicals improve our mood, boosts self-esteem, relives feelings of anxiety & depression and even helps us to sleep better. which leads to happier, positive and more relaxed kids, what more could you want?

Most parents would know that playing sport is physically beneficial for kids, but what is less talked about is the immense mental, emotional and social benefits that playing in a team sport can offer your child. The best part is, it doesn’t even matter what sport they play or their skill level.

• Kids learn important values: like discipline, respect (for both others and coaches), team sports can also teach patience.
• Better students: kids who play team sports have been found to perform better in the classroom. According to the Aspen Institute, kids that played a team sport averaged 40% better on school test results than those that played no sports at all. They were also reported to be better behaved and have more respect for teachers whilst in the classroom.
• Most of all it’s awesome fun: let’s face it, playing sport is just a whole load of fun. No two games are ever the same and there are always brand new challenges to face and people to meet.

Adventure camp creates a team environment and we foster and space where kids not only learn to work together, they make new friends and challenge each other. If you would like to know more about Adventure Camp and what fun we have in store for your kids these school holidays, join our mailing list.