Of children and sports

Iwas able to witness the CIS Invitational Football Cup last weekend and was very pleased to have observed that kids of different age groups were out in the field playing. See how much joy this little baby boy has. Oftentimes going to events like these is much of a hassle for a parent. It’s hot and humid. Parking space oftentimes is scarce (this was not the case, as the venue was beautiful), and it typically lasts the entire day (a day lost that could’ve been spent resting, lounging, shopping or eating). But why do we want to have our kids indulge in these types of activities? 1 Sport participation is a great way to keep them fit. When kids play, they don’t realize they are exercising. This is great for them as they get the benefits of exercise in a fun manner. 2 They learn responsibility from keeping their gear, coming on time to being held accountable for their performance. When kids enter sports early, they learn these things (hopefully). 3 It fosters respect for leadership. When the child follows the coach, the child learns obedience and respect for authority. This is just great. 4 They learn to interact with people their age as sports are great tools to bring children closer together and learn the dynamics of human interaction. 5 They learn to win with humility and lose with grace, which is practically one of the most important things one can learn from sports. We all win in life, and lose in some ways. The best type of people know how to handle their wins, and deal with their losses.