Parents should avoid pressuring their children into sports competition too soon.
Sometimes, the initiative comes from the children. Because sports looks like fun, they pressure their parents to let them play, even though they are not ready for competition. At other times, the parents put pressure on the children. In some cases, they fear that, if they wait too long, their children will fall behind the others. Still other parents want to live out their own dreams through their children.
"If you're looking for the `right' age, the 8-10 range comes close," says Keith Zembrower, M.Ed., an educator, sports consultant and former Little League coach in Dallas. "At that level, children are beginning to grasp the concept of team and some have the discipline needed to play organized sports."
"The right age also varies with the sport," Zembrower adds. "Kids probably shouldn't play organized football until they are 13, but playing peewee baseball at 9 is okay for most children. Lessons for children younger than 8 in any sport are usually just baby-sitting."
Parents should consider their child's physical and emotional readiness for organized sport before signing up. Exposure to a sport does not have to be as organized activity, but simply playing ball with their children or encouraging them to play informal sports with others in the neighborhood, according to the Penn State Sports Medicine Newsletter.
Parents who decide on early coaching or private lessons for their child should understand that special attention can create an illusion of athletic ability. Some children excel at sports in the beginning because they have had the advantage of professional instruction. Unfortunately, the child who is a star at age 8 may not be as good as others at 14.
It is not unusual for children to want to play as many sports as possible and play them all at the same time, which is unrealistic, says the newsletter.
The sensible alternative would be for the child to concentrate on one or two sports for serious competition and have fun in other low-key games.
Children should be encouraged to play one team sport such as basketball or volleyball and one individual sport such as tennis or golf, the newsletter says. Those who have played only on a team have no idea of how to compete without the support or protection of team mates. Children who are restricted to individual sports don't have a clue about the meaning of teamwork.
Before a child registers for a team, the parent should ask about the number, time and length of practices, as well as the length of the season. Most experts agree that a total of three games/practice sessions per week is enough for pre-adolescent athletes.
"Practice sessions that last longer than 2 hours are hard to justify," says Zembower. "An hour to 90 minutes is about right. When practices last longer, children lose concentration and energy."