This article is reprinted from Texas Child Care, a quarterly newspaper published by the Texas Workforce Commission. Getting Your Child Started in Sports Soccer, baseball, basketball, and other organized sports can help children get exercise, make friends, and have fun.
Sports can also be stressful, humiliating, and physically damaging.
When to start The glory that surrounds professional and Olympic sports often tempts parents to start their children early. This can be a mistake. Children need to be physically, mentally, and emotionally ready. First, children do not automatically develop the physical skills they need to kick a soccer ball, swing a bat, or shoot a basketball. They must learn these skills.