It's no surprise that sports can greatly benefit a child physically, psychologically, and socially. A 2008 Women's Sports Foundation Research Report concluded that children’s athletic participation is also associated with increased levels of family satisfaction, great achievement in study, and an overall better quality of life for children. And a study published in last month’s American Journal of Preventive Medicine showed that kids who are active at age 5 wind up with less body fat at ages 8 and 11.
But one hotly debated discussion focuses on the kinds of sports kids should play, with parents mistakenly thinking, "Lizzie is so quiet, we should let her join in basketball and soccer to try to get her to open up." But increasingly, experts are suggesting the healthier instinct (直觉) might be, "Lizzie is so quiet. Maybe we should sec if she likes playing with a big team like softball or if she likes ballet or swimming, where she can work more on her own terms."
“Participation in any sport is going to provide kids with life skills----the ability to focus and to concentrate, the ability to handle pressure in tough situations, the ability to stay calm when things aren't going just right,’’ explains Orlando-based youth sports psychology expert Patrick Cohn. Those lessons will carry over into future, non-sports attempts.
Team sports certainly offer benefits not as easily obtained via individual activities, as players leant how to communicate and work with others, and there’s the potential to develop leadership abilities. Team sports also help kids develop their social identity. Our sense of worth is developed through what we achieve and a sense of belonging.
Individual sports offer unique advantages, too, like developing a child’s sense of independence. “Hero, you don’t depend upon teammates," says Cohn. "You take full responsibility, whether you do well or perform poorly." Many of Cohn’s young clients complain about pressure from team mates or coaches to make zero mistakes or carry more of the team than they may want to; these kids may enjoy a solo sport like tennis or gymnastics.
Individual activities keep kids away from comparing themselves to the best players on the team, a habit that does little to help confidence levels. Instead, it encourages them to compare their skills to their own past performances. With individual sports like swimming or track, it’s easier for the child to participate on his own, at his leisure(闲暇), without having to round up a bunch of like-minded peers.
Above all, while some children enjoy the excitement of competition, others are more likely to benefit from the freedom of individual sports, and finding the right balance can be necessary for children’s enjoyment. What parents think is encouragement, children often consider as pressure. So try to understand what they want from sports.
| Title | Team sports and individual sports |
| Sports benefit children | • Sports can greatly benefit children physically, psychologically, and socially. • Sports are associated with increased levels of family satisfaction, (1) _______ achievement and better quality of life for children. |
| (2)________ ideas | • Parents usually want their children to lake part in the team sports which don’t (3) __________their children’s character. • Experts think that any sport will (4) children to focus, handle pressure, stay calm when things are going (5) _________. |
| Team sports | • Children can learn how to communicate and work with others. • Children will have the potential to develop leadership abilities. • Children will develop their social (6) ____. |
| Individual sports | • Individual sports may help develop children’s sense of independence and (7)______. • Children tend to compare their skills to their own past performances and are likely to (8) ____ comparing themselves with the best players. • Individual sports also seem to be more (9) ______ to children. |
| Conclusion | • Finding the right balance is a (10) ____ for children’s enjoyment. • Parents should try to understand what their children really want from sports. |