ACTIVE FUN IN THE COMMUNITY - ORGANISED SPORT FOR CHILDREN

Why is organised sport for children so important?
Organised sport helps to get children out and about, and contributes to setting up lifelong enjoyment and participation in sport and recreation. Participating in organised sport creates helps to encourage children to start being active for life.

Getting children physically active is brilliant for their health, happiness and learning.

What are the benefits of organised sport for children?
There are many benefits for children who participate in organised sport and activity. There are the physical benefits – healthy bones, bodies and cardiovascular systems and reducing the risk of future health problems. Organised sport and activity also helps children to control their movement and coordination.

The social benefits are also big. Being part of a team gives children opportunities to make friends, build communication skills and learn about values such as dedication, honesty, courage and fairness.

Organised sport also helps children to build their self-esteem along with leadership, problem-solving and decision-making skills. Furthermore, it helps with learning in the classroom.

Organised sport is also supported by adults and role models who provide a safe and fun environment for children. It helps to bring families and communities together.

Most of all participating in organised sport offers new life experiences and is great fun for children.

How can parents support their children playing sport?
There's no doubt about parents being important in encouraging children to play sport, but there are some important things to remember:
* don't push children into sport too early, when they haven’t got the skills to play the sport
* children learn at their own pace, so don't expect too much from them - they can get easily discouraged if too much pressure is put on them
* parents model good behaviour for kids
* remember that it's for them – and not for you as a parent
* many adult games are just too hard to grasp and modified versions are more appropriate – like ripper rugby and indoor sports for children, such as soccer and netball.

How can parents get involved in their children's sport?
Parents can get involved with children’s sport by coaching or organising a team. Or you could offer to assist at games with things like transport.

SPARC works with Regional Sports Trusts and National Sports Organisations – they have lots of information on how you can get involved and about the clubs in your area.

What can parents get out of being involved in their child's sport?
For parents, involvement in children's sport provides is a chance to be part of the community and to build relationships with other parents.

Parents benefit in being involved in their children's sport because they:
* get more active/healthy together
* take part in children's learning and development
* meet new people
* know they're doing something really important to help their children
* gain important new skills by leading activities, teams or events.

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