Each year more than 775,000 kids are treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms with sports injuries. Warm-up exercises can include jogging in place, brisk walking, jumping jacks, and stretching for 10 minutes before playing. Click here for a simple warm-up routine . At some point in their lives, most kids will participate in some kind of organized sports either in school or through a league or recreation center. Remember that too structured an environment isn t good for small children and competition at an early age could be detrimental.
Kids can t use visual tracking before age six.
That s the skill used to see a ball flying toward them and catch it. Early in their lives, unstructured play is fun and will provide them with a good aerobic work out. When your children are ready for a sport, selecting the right one is very important. Recognize that each child has his or her own personality. Some children thrive in a more competitive environment found in traditional team sports.