The teenage years are a time of tremendous change and development for a young person. This is a period of time when interests will shift and grow.
For many teenagers, this will include a new or increased interest in sports. If your teenager hasn’t yet settled on a sport to focus on, there are plenty to choose from. Great sports for teens include swimming, tennis, track and field, football, basketball, baseball, and many more.
When deciding the right sports to play, there are a variety of factors to consider. This article takes a look at how to choose a sport that will provide the best experience during this exciting period of life.
Keep reading to learn more.
Does It Fit Your Overall Lifestyle
One of the key factors in helping your teen choose the best sport for them is how it will fit into your lifestyle.
After all, most families have a busy schedule, with kids at different schools, both parents working, and everyone constantly on the go.
This is why you need to make sure that the sports your kids get involved with fit easily within the structure of your weekly schedule. Will they be able to make each practice and arrive on time? Will they be able to get enough practice time at home to help them excel?
Keep in mind that not every sport will be a good fit for each family. Picking the right one for your lifestyle will help maximize enjoyment as well as the ability for your teen to perform at their highest level.
Does It Encourage a Healthy Social Life?
Another factor to consider is your teen’s social life. It’s important to be aware that individual sports will help develop certain areas of their personal growth and character, and yet they might not receive the level of social interaction that team sports provide.
You also want to consider how a specific sport might limit the amount of time they are able to spend with friends. Finding the perfect balance can be a challenge, and yet the balance between social life and sports is extremely important in a teen’s life.
Does It Provide Scholarship Opportunities?
Before settling on a sport for your teen to become serious about, it’s also important to factor in how this could impact education opportunities.
After all, college is expensive. Thus your teen will need every advantage they can get for covering the high cost of higher education.
The unfortunate reality of college is that not every sport will provide the chance to get scholarships. Most colleges have football, basketball, and tennis teams, which help to funds major scholarships. And yet not every student will be able to participate in the sports or receive scholarship money that comes with being a student-athlete.
That’s why it’s so important to factor in the financial need you child will have before deciding what types of sports to become involved in. If sports are purely for pleasure, then you have a much wider variety of options to choose from.
Does It Fit Your Teen’s Personality?
Personality also matters. Not every sport is the right fit for every teen.
A young person might have an interest in a particular sport, and yet the demands of that physical activity simply might not be right for them. This is fine.
And teens shouldn’t have to gravitate toward a sport just because their parents excelled at that sport when they were young. Everyone is different and should have the opportunity to choose what they enjoy most rather than try to please someone else.
Give your teen a chance to be an individual and to make choices that will help them grow and develop as such.
Is It Group-Oriented?
Sports can be a tremendous chance to make lifelong friends. This is especially when participating in a group sport outside of school.
Group-oriented sports help teens strengthen their social skills. This is a crucial part of human development. Many teens might naturally gravitate toward individual sports, but as a parent, you should encourage them to be involved with a group so that can become both independent yet as well adjusted as possible.
There is certainly nothing wrong with individual sports, just make sure that your teen is able to learn the valuable principles of teamwork rather than focusing solely on their own goals and performance.
Does It Provide Adequate Physical Activity?
The next factor to consider is the level of physical activity involved in any given sport. After all, your teen needs plenty of exercise to develop into a strong and healthy person.
Encourage the young person in your life to choose sports that provide good cardiovascular health so that they get the chance to run, jump, sweat, and get their heart pumping. You’ll quickly discover that they will be healthier and happier because of it.
Also, keep in mind that more physically demanding sports will require sports physicals to ensure that your teen is healthier enough to participate.
Does It Require Travel?
Is your teen drawn to sports that require frequent travel? This could lead to a financial strain if you’re living on a tight budget. So keep this in mind, especially when it comes to sports like tennis that might require a personal coach.
What Personal Character Lessons Does It Teach?
Sports should teach lessons that build character. This is something to keep in mind when helping your teen choose activities to become involved with.
Will It Hold Their Interest In the Long Run?
Let’s face it, teens can change their minds easily. Thus you should have a long talk with your child so that they won’t lose interest and quickly move on to the next thing.
Will It Help Develop a Strong Work Ethic?
And finally, help them pick a sport that will help them develop a strong work ethic. Sports can be a great tool for developing discipline and passion, so try to gently guide them toward activities that build a work ethic they can take with them into adulthood.
A Guide for Choosing the Right Sports for Teens
Being a teenager is both fun and challenging. There are so many activities to choose from. That’s why it’s so important to pick the right sports for teens. Fortunately, the tips contained here can help.
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