I’m often asked when a child should start organized sports, and my responses tend to vary with everyone. There are a considerable number of factors that can indicate if a child is ready to play a sport, motor development and socialization are the big two I tend to focus on. Parents today get sucked into the trap of over engaging their children in sports and other activities that they may or may not like, all seemingly geared for the child’s benefit.
We signed my oldest son up for soccer last spring, he was around two and a half at the time and I am sad to say my expectations weren’t the highest for him. He was playing with other children from 2-5 years of age, some for the first time, and some with a year or two of experience. His main downfall was his motor development, not to say he wasn’t where he should be for his age, but he was just perfecting his run and jog, his developing brain wasn’t ready to coordinate kicking a ball at the same time. The instruction although good for some of the children, didn’t cater to all the skill levels present. Adding an element of physical literacy to the program would have been hugely beneficial for those growing legs. So his interest waned, and we generally ended up over at the playground within 15 minutes of the start of soccer practice, something that I was just fine with, at least he got a cool jersey and a ball out of it!
Fast forward one year to the present, same child just finished week two of T-ball, still not completely ready yet developmentally but the program is very well designed, with numerous rotating stations that focus on those motor skills they’ll need. Each station they attend (roughly 6-7 children in a group) is 10 minutes, any longer and you start to see the drifters and dandelion chasers come out. The best part, not once have they actually played the game of baseball, only learning the basics to piece it together down the road. Once my son got over his week one jitters on the social side of things, in week two he was able to actively participate to his abilities through the support of amazing young coaches and volunteers. He may have drifted his attention a bit, possibly started a laugh filled grass fight with a teammate, but he was coached according to his abilities. This is something we need to focus on not only for sports, but from all facets of the education spectrum.
So to answer my initial question of when to start your child in sports, it all depends on the child. Don’t force your child into a sport or activity that they don’t like, and don’t be frustrated if your child can’t keep up. Let them learn at their speed, let them explore their interests, let them follow their own path, even if that path leads away from the soccer field and towards the playground.
Play. challenge. grow 