8 Tips to Turn Your Kid into an Athlete

It’s every parent’s desire to see her kid succeed and it’s no different when it comes to sports. urSTORE would like to take you through a non-exhaustive list of tips to guide you on how to turn your kid into an athlete.

1. Have an open mind
No two kids are alike—perhaps your child is more into arts than sports. As long as he is not physically inactive, respect your child’s interests and create a supportive environment for whatever he is into, sports or otherwise.

2. Start early
This may seem obvious, but the earlier you start the more ahead your kid will be. When kids are stimulated at a young age, they develop the neurological links necessary to turn activities into permanent skills.

3. Put their passion first
You may have grown up playing basketball but your kid may enjoy playing tennis more. Don’t force your passion onto your kid. Just because you love a certain sport does not mean your kid will too. Remember, they can only give their all to a sport they are passionate about. So it’s a good thing even if it’s not the sport of your choosing!

4. Encourage playtime
Kids love to play so let them! Don’t take every opportunity to turn playtime into something competitive. Though this study by Statistics Canada is not recent, it indicates an overall decline in sports participation among children. It is becoming ever more important that your kid doesn’t see sports as a task but a source of enjoyment.

5. Get involved in multiple sports
Diversify the sports your kid plays. The chances of your kid developing coordination, strength and discipline is higher if they play a variety of sports. What’s more, your kid will learn many transferable skills that will prove valuable in any sport he chooses to make a career in.

6. Give feedback
Let your kid know what his opportunities are but don’t stop there. Make sure that you encourage through positive reinforcement too. Just as it’s important for kids to know their weaknesses, so it is crucial to know their strengths.

7. Encourage reflection
Teach your kid to reflect on his performance after every match. The best athletes are those that know their strengths and, more importantly, their opportunities. It’s essentially what a coach does too—assess weaknesses and develop strategies to eliminate them. Possessing this skill will make your kid more self-sufficient as well as able to seek help when he needs it.

8. Play it by ear
Be a positive force in your kid’s development. See what works and what doesn’t and adjust accordingly. Don’t stick to the same rules, improvise as you go along.