There are many positive aspects to playing sports. Sports encourage teamwork, physical fitness, and an effort towards improving skills. Children can learn just as much through playing sports as they can in a classroom. 

Playing sports plays a role in the development of a child’s self-esteem. A key to developing self-esteem is the child’s secure feelings of unconditional love from his parents. If you can help your child find a sport that they like, the long term effect is the joy and pride of being a part of a team or of having an individual talent or skill. 

At some point, they will experience losing a sports game. When children lose they are learning one of life’s lessons. Learning how to lose is an important part of development. As parents, we should not overprotect them, but allow them to experience losing. One way we can do this is to not always let them win when playing games at home.

Teach them that it is normal to feel sad about losing, but to look at the positive aspects of what happened. Encourage your child to find what they did right and try to do it again the next time. 

Be careful not to compare to other family members or close friends who happen to play a sport better. You don’t want them to feel like you are disappointed in them. They are likely to feel bad after a loss and it is not helpful to make them feel insecure or inferior. 

Sometimes children will beg to play a sport, only to decide they want to quit a short time later. As parents we should determine whether they really dislike the sport or are feeling unskilled. Sometimes a child may not be good at one sport but may excel at another. Encourage them to not give up so quickly until they find the right fit for them.

With sports, children can learn about their own abilities, about interacting and working with others towards a common goal, and most importantly that no matter if they win or lose, their parents will be proud of them.