Get in the Game During National Physical Fitness and Sports Month

Sports are fun, but they also offer benefits and lessons for kids that carry over into all aspects of life.To get kids involved, the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports has appointed May as the National Physical Fitness and Sports Month. Get in the game!

Kids need attention and respect, but they have few ways to earn those qualities. That’s where sports come into play. Organized sports are unique because they offer kids an arena where they can build self-esteem while exerting their natural abilities.

Kids are naturally good at sports because sports are essentially about the physical attributes of being a kid!

  • Speed
  • Strength
  • Coordination
  • Vision
  • Creativity
  • Responsiveness

According to researchers at the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports at MichiganStateUniversity, kids who participate in organized sports do better in school, have better interpersonal skills, are more team oriented, and are generally healthier. Participation in sports provides opportunities for leadership and socialization, as well as the development of skills for handling success and failures.

While sports and boys typically go hand in hand, benefits for girls have been of particular interest to researchers. The President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports reports many developmental benefits of participating in youth sports and physical activity for girls, including increased self-esteem and self-confidence, healthier body image, significant experiences of competency and success, as well as reduced risk of chronic disease.

The Women’s Sports Foundation also notes that girls who participate in sports:

  • are less likely to become pregnant as teenagers, or begin smoking
  • decrease their risk of developing breast cancer
  • are more likely to do well in science and to graduate from high school and college than female nonathletes.

Most importantly, when kids are asked why they play sports, the first response is usually: “Its fun!”

Today, more than thirty million kids are benefiting socially and physically from participating on a wide range of recreational and competitive teams. During National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, get in the game with your children!

If you are not ready to join a team, try at least 30 minutes of activity five days a week. Go to the park and play catch, or pick up a ball and shoot some hoops. The benefits to your health are much higher than the final score.

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