If your child has expressed an interest in playing sports, you’re probably wondering if it’s time to sign them up for organized practices and let them compete. While competitive sports are lots of fun and often bring out the best in children, like the ability to work hard and do their best. However, they also put them under pressure to perform, which some children may not be suited for.
A child’s readiness to enter competitions depends on a wide variety of factors, like their age, skill level, and the ability to self-regulate emotionally. If you worry that your little one is too young to deal with the pressures of competing, here’s how to determine if you should let them try.
Factor #1: Age
It isn’t generally recommended for children under the age of 8 to take part in competitions. Although they may find competitive games fun, they’re too young to handle the stress that goes along with them.
Because they’re often too fixated on winning, they have trouble following rules without cheating and can be sore winners. Losing can be a huge blow to their self-esteem and can cause emotional outbursts. Some children could even get so frustrated that they react violently.
At this developmental stage, they find it difficult to give others the spotlight and accept loss as a normal part of life. This is why it’s best to keep games fun and lighthearted until they get a little older and mature enough to lose gracefully.
Factor #2: Skills
A child may be completely in love with a sport, but if they’re not at a stage where they’re good at it, competing can do more harm than good. Less proficient players on a team don’t get much playtime, and even when they do, they may be disappointed with their performance. Rather than encouraging their passion for the sport, this may actually turn them away and affect their confidence. It’s much wiser to get them to focus on improving their skills than to let them compete straight away.
Factor #3: Reasons to join in
It’s important to talk to your child and assess how much and why they wish to compete. Their enthusiasm may help you decide in favor of it. For example, if they’re approaching it from the standpoint of wanting to improve and excel for their own sake, it could be the way to go. It’s important for them to realize that the real competition is always with oneself and that the focus should be on overcoming challenges instead of winning.
However, if they’d only like to try because their friends are doing it or because they picture themselves holding a trophy on a winner’s podium, they may not be in it for the right reasons. If they join a team, the chances are they’ll be disappointed and quit soon. If you can tell that they aren’t ready to compete, it may be better to stick to non-competitive physical activities for now. For example, they can visit a great indoor playground and play without the pressure of winning.
Factor #4: Emotional maturity
Emotional self-regulation isn’t fully developed in children and this should be considered when deciding about their participation in competitive sports. If your child is easily frustrated and overwhelmed when faced with obstacles, it’s likely that they won’t do well when they start competing. They’ll find themselves under tremendous pressure to perform, which can affect their mental health.
Help them adopt techniques to manage their emotions in a healthy way. Talk to them about their feelings and teach them how to verbalize what they feel and calm down when they get upset.
