Family fun is the nameofthegame to keep kids active
THEREWASonceatime where every (Jewish) parent would aspire for their child to be a doctor or lawyer — and their children were, for the most part, happy to oblige. However, thanks to the cash monsoon which has swept over the Premier League and other major sporting events, the boost in exposure and the increased profiles of their athletes, there is now a new dream job for many a young person. Even those who do not have the talent to make it as a sports starspendtheirplaytimesre-imagining themselvesasHarryKane,LauraTrottor Andy Murray.
But what about those children for whom a sporting career is not a daydream, but a full-on nightmare?
Unlike a child’s first steps or their first day at school, many parents of a sports-detester cannot pinpoint the moment when their son or daughter went from an active infant to a lethargic tween or teen. It is crucial that children retain a healthy lifestyle and the government’s childhood obesity plan recommends that every primary school child should get at least 60 minutes’ moderate to vigorous physical activity a day. So it is a concern if your youngster is reluctant to get involved in sport.
The f i r s t s t e p i n encouraging a child to be active is to introduce them to a wide repertoire of fundamental movement skills from their toddler years. Juanita Weissensteiner, senior consultant in athlete pathways and development at the Australian Institute of Sport, believes that once children have mastered the likes of body-coordination they become much more confident in themselves as they grow and participate in more exercise. The next stage, at around six to 10 years old, should see you introducing age-modified versions of a range of sports, such as minitennis. It is also crucial that, as a parent, you maintain a fun atmosphere when sport and exercise is involved. Additionally, their enjoyment will be boosted when you — and any siblings — also take part. The more children associate exercise with enjoyment and family time, the more likely they are to keep doing it as they get older.
If your child is at a Jewish school, Maccabi GB can also help. The community’s sport, health and wellbeing organisation recently announced a partnership with the Elms sport group, increasing the number and quality of sports provision in Jewish schools. It now engages 2,200 young people a week across 10 Jewish primary schools, so its qualified coaches will be able to help identify an athlete in the making or even just advise ways to keep your child playing sport regularly.
It is to be hoped that. by the time your child reaches bar/batmitzvah age you will have found a sport to suit. But while it is great to have the rabbi wax lyrical about “how young David plays table tennis once a week between learning his parshah”, this is not the be-all and end-all. The challenge is to keep children engaged, in an environment where games consoles, the internet and smart phones are becoming less a must-have accessory and more a worrying extension of children themselves.
Parents are one of the crucial factors that will shape a child’s sporting story, on a par with any coach or peer. Eager to recall their heroics on the court, children will expect feedback from you. Also, there is no trophy or medal on the planet which is worth as much to a child as seeing their supportive parent cheering from the sidelines. Your interest, as long as it is not controlling and overbearing, will forge some of their fondest and proudest memories of sport and will shape their mind-set as they grow. Whether this leads them to a regular sports club, competing for Maccabi GB at the Maccabiah Games, playing for England or just visiting their local gym regularly, this interest and passion for exercise will all stem from their experiences as a youngster.
They may end up being a lawyer, doctor or accountant, but as long as you set them off on the right track, they will maintain an active, healthy lifestyle long after they have grown out of their first pair of football boots. Neil Taylor is head of sport, Maccabi GB. Find out more about how Maccabi GB can help get your child more active at maccabigb.org
To a child, a parent’s cheers are better than any trophy’