Kids should play basketball because it is a fun way to be social, learn new skills, and stay healthy. But there are so many other activities competing for the attention of kids, sometimes it can be difficult to decide which option to choose.
Today, we are going to discuss the top five reasons kids should play basketball. We will spend time going into detail for each reason so that you the rest of our readers, will be able to narrow your choices down – and hopefully that includes basketball.
Playing on a Team
Naturally, kids can be selfish, and not necessarily in a negative way. They are developing a sense for who they are in the world. In order to do that, they need to look at the world from their perspective.
This is where basketball comes in. It is a team sport. The team has to work together in order to accomplish a goal to be successful. This means individuals need to sacrifice their own wants and needs for the good of the team.
Kids will learn to work together, share responsibilities, and learn to rely on their teammates to be
successful. They will come to understand, with proper coaching, that learning to trust others to perform their job is an essential part of life.
There will be times when a team fails, too. It is easy after a loss to blame an individual or individual event for the team’s failure. Kids will learn to accept winning or losing, reflect upon their performance, and look forward to the next competition.
This ability to learn from mistakes and try again is an excellent lesson in resilience which kids can use for the rest of their lives.
Social Skills
Social skills are vital for a person’s development and success in life. One must learn the proper etiquette and behaviors to be a part of a healthy social group.
Basketball is a great place to practice these social skills. First off, kids will learn to interact positively with other kids. They will also have the opportunity to make friends, solve conflicts, and work together to solve problems.
Practical matters such as taking turns and sharing are also taught. For example, waiting in a line for one’s turn, performing, and then returning to the line is essential in understanding that the game is not always focused on any one individual.
In fact, depending on a player’s ability, some kids will naturally be relied upon more than others. A healthy, well-adjusted individual is able to identify the differences in ability and respect others regardless of their ability or contribution to the team.
Think of these lessons as life-long tools that are introduced in youth basketball but will be used for years to come.
Healthy Hearts and Lungs
A healthy, active lifestyle is a life-long pursuit. Basketball provides kids with the opportunity to develop their heart, lungs, muscles and bones.
Kids can expect to breathe hard and feeling sore when they run up and down the court repeatedly. The back and forth nature of the game creates a form of interval training that is sure to benefit the cardiovascular system.
The muscles, bones, joints, and tissues all get an amazing workout, too. Think of all of the shuffling, changing direction, cutting, jumping, bumping into other players, and reaching that is performed.
All of these movements performed frequently and consistently will give kids a great workout.
Gross and Fine Motor Skills
We talked about running, jumping, moving side to side, bending and twisting. These are all gross motor skills kids will develop when playing basketball.
Basketball requires fine motor skills, too. These are skills requiring a great degree of coordination, control, and application to perform correctly.
Consider dribbling, passing, and shooting just a few of these sport-specific fine motor skills. No other sport will specifically teach dribbling, passing and shooting a basketball. Because of this, a kid will develop a whole new set of skills that can be maintained and carried over to other sports.
A Lifetime of Activity
Having fun playing basketball may lead to a lifelong love of sports, which kids can play all the way into their adult years. For instance, there are many leagues for adults that are separated by skill level.
Although basketball can be rough on the knees and ankles, it is relatively safe compared to more extreme contact sports, can be played inside, and requires minimal equipment to participate. This makes it an optimal sport to play for years to come.
–Now that you know the top five reasons kids should play basketball, I hope it makes your decision a bit easier when confronted with so many different choices. Keep on playing!
