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Kids and sports: Sports can offer important teaching lessons too

There is a beautiful saying that goes thus: “Life is a game, play it.” The statement signifies that the greatest lessons of life are learnt in a best way on the ground. The character of a child is molded by the games and sports he/she indulges in. Here are some great lessons that your child should learn on the sports field and you have a responsibility to ensure that he/she learns it.

1.Teaching the power of teamwork

Most of the games and sports are about teamwork. Except for those in which an individual faces an individual, all other sports involve lots of teamwork. Whether it is baseball, football, cricket or hockey, every member of the team is equally important and the success depends a lot, not only on how well an individual plays but also on how well the individual blends and plays along with the others. A team that stays together and plays together is always bound to be successful. Even in times of defeat and difficulty, the misery and sorrow gets divided as there are members of the team to share with. This is a very powerful lesson in life. Every individual is just a part of the family. Every family forms a unit in the society and human society is a part of Mother Nature. The child should learn this and start becoming a team player. That will make the child a good citizen a true patriot and a child of Mother Earth. So encourage your child to help along in the home duties and drill in the importance of being a member of the ‘home team’.

2. Playing to one’s strengths

While it is true that everyone is a member of the team, not everyone can do everything well. And that is where specialization comes along with the need to recognize one’s own strength. One child may be a born goalkeeper while another may be a good forward player. Sports teaches the child that it must recognize its strengths and work on them to serve the interests of the team to its best abilities. This also teaches the child to learn to recognize the strengths of others. You must encourage the child to inculcate the same values in everyday life too. This will help the child appreciate the diversity in careers and work lives. Guide your little one to concentrate on its weaknesses and work on them. At the same time, it should only look at others strengths and not nit pick their weaknesses.

3. Practice makes even the child perfect

A child may be born talented. But if he/she does not work on the skills and talents with constant practice, it does not work out well. Skill and talents get you to the top but it is practice that keeps you there. this lesson from sports can be directly applied to daily life as well. Excellence comes only with constant practice. Explain to your child how you have learnt everything in your life by practice and inspire the child to also inculcate this persevering nature. Perfection is not a small thing but it definitely lies in these small things.

4. Handling criticism

Where there is victory and defeat, there is bound to be criticism. The kid must be taught that receiving criticism does not mean failure. Taking the criticism in stride, the child must learn to improve and move on. Also teach your little one that sometimes he/she might be subjected to harsh criticism also. You must be there to shield the child from this unfair criticism also. If these aspects are learnt properly in childhood, the kid will be able to handle feedback and criticism later in life also. As far as the game is concerned, let the coach do the criticism part. You are there to help and be a support for your child.

5. Winning with grace

Sportsmanship is a vital virtue for life. When the child wins in the game, he must be humble for sports is a great leveler. He/she must refrain from rubbing the faces of the losing individuals. Being sportive and graceful in victory will always win more then the game – it will win hearts. Nobody who shoves their victories boastfully into the other person’s face is ever liked. This is a valuable lesson for life and winning gracefully actually enhances the taste of victory.

6. Losing in the right spirit

Just as winning with grace is important, the child must also learn how to lose gracefully. Losing is a vital component of life. Life teaches us that happiness is an interval between pains. And this lesson can be previewed on the sports field. Teach your child to celebrate the victory, no matter who achieves it. Teach him/her to congratulate the others who have achieved victory. It is only the defeats that show the true mettle of a man and your child should not be left behind in this aspect.

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