However, a staggering 70 percent of them will quit by the age of 13. Many of these children state that they quit because the sport was no longer fun. But by carefully matching the sports to your child, these activities can be fun throughout childhood and continue to be great exercise and pleasure in later years. Begin by talking with your child about her interest. You and your child should weigh the pros and cons of team and individual sports.
Individual sports involve competition with self.
Team participation can meet a child's social need of being with old and new friends, can meet her physical needs of exercise and allow her to take pride in a group effort. Evaluate your child's competitive nature. Kids with a strong competitive drive might enjoy a team sport more. With a team sport, don't forget to be realistic and check your weekly schedule to make sure that a parent or car pool can get her to all the practices and games. You can read the rest of the article by picking up your FREE copy of Lowcountry Parent Magazine Go to top of the page.