I have been playing soccer for many years now and I have also encouraged my two children to start playing for our local club, Bedwell Rangers FC. Soccer is a great sport for children to play and below I am going to provide you with numerous benefits that kids get when playing soccer. If you are reading this and do not want to let your children play soccer (for whatever reason), I hope that I can change your mind by the time you to get to the bottom of the page.
Helps Kids to Stay Healthy and Fit
Go to the local grocery store nowadays and you will see plenty of kids that clearly spend too much time at home sitting on their behinds and playing video games such as Fortnite. I have no issue with children playing video games, but they need to go outside and exercise regularly and soccer is a great way to do this. Playing soccer regularly helps to improve cardiovascular health, coordination, flexibility, and strength.
It Teaches Teamwork
Being able to work in a team is a skill that is required in order to be successful at school and in the workplace. If you cannot work in a team, then you will find it difficult to hold down a job, unless you work independently. Soccer is a team sport, and everyone has to work together in order to win, so by playing soccer your children will learn all about teamwork. When working as a team, communication is important to ensure that everything goes to plan. If every player is not singing from the same hymn sheet, then things will go downhill pretty quickly. Therefore, you children will learn about communication, which is another important life skill.
It Can Boost Self-Esteem and Confidence
Confidence is something that is needed in life. If you go into an interview and the interviewer can clearly see that you are lacking in confidence, then there is a really good chance that you will not get that job. Playing a sport like soccer can help your children gain confidence, especially if they join a local team and start playing in front of small crowds each weekend.
Improves Concentration Levels
When you are playing a game of soccer, you need to be switched on at all times. If you lose concentration for one second and do not follow your man, then you can find yourself conceding a goal that could easily have been avoided. This is something that your teammates will not thank you for. With each game they play, your children will learn to keep their concentration levels for longer.
Promotes Cognitive Development
When your children are playing soccer, they will improve their visual-spatial awareness as well as their problem-solving skills. How does problem-solving come into the equation exactly? Well, let us say that your kid is playing against another kid that is causing them issues. They will need think quickly of a way that they can solve the issue, which will improve their cognitive flexibility over time.
It is Fun
Kids have to enjoy the sport that they are playing, and soccer is an exciting and fun sport to play. In fact, this is one of the main reasons why soccer is one of the most popular sports in the world. We are certain that if you take your children to play soccer that they will have a really good time.