Do you remember the feeling of going to practice with all of your friends, chatting in-between warm-ups and building a bond like no other?

For many the thought of team sports takes them back to their childhood and instantly brings memories of joy and fun. I bet you can still remember the players in you first ever team and all the memories you created together.

These life-long memories are just one of the reasons why it is so important for kids to sign up to a team sport in their childhood. Along with this, there are plenty of other benefits associated with team sports, some of these include:

Social benefits:
With the chance to catch up with team mates weekly and develop a bond over a common goal, children will easily form new friendships and expand their social circle. The constant requirement of teamwork during practices and games will also help children learn how to effectively co-operate and interact with their peers.

Bonding time:
As children start to get older and their responsibilities of school and hanging out with their friends takes over, it can become harder to spend as much quality time with your child. Signing them up to a team sport gives you the chance to take them to weekly practices or watch their game on weekends, providing the perfect opportunity to spend more time together and create lasting memories.

Gets the heart pumping:
As with other sports, team sport is great for physical fitness. The sport involves plenty of running up and down the court as well as quick on your feet thinking to interact with other players. The need to keep up with the physical ability and fitness of their teammates also encourages children to give it their best and consistently improve.

Time management:
Being apart of a team sport involves practices during the week as well as possible games over the weekend. This leaves less time for kids to get their homework done, encouraging them to improve their time management and ability to juggle multiple commitments. Developing this skill at a young age will assist them during their future schooling life, learning how to effectively prioritize their time to meet deadlines while enjoying the things they love.

Responsibility:
A team sport is a great responsibility and for many children, will be their first major duty. Unlike individual sports, when kids don’t feel like showing up to practice, they have their team mates to keep them accountable and motivates them to contribute their all when on the field. During each game, children will also often be delegated a role or task, whether that’s attacking or defending against the other team. This role will dictate their actions of what is required of them during the match as well as what they need to do to achieve this task.

Endless fun:
Team sports gives kids the opportunity to run around and have fun. Having the chance to play with their friends every week and form bonds with their peers outside of school will start to build the foundation of a life-long memory. There is also no better feeling than celebrating with your team mates after a win or scoring a goal during the game.