Some children aren’t natural athletes and there may be a lot of reasons why they don’t like sports. They might not like teams, competition or are shy and afraid of embarrassing themselves.
SPOTLIGHT - Examples of unstructured activities
Some activities should supervised by an adult, however the child should lead the activity.
SPOTLIGHT: Why is physical activity important?
Physical activity is necessary for the health and development of growing bodies. It can also have a positive impact on your child’s behaviour, performance at school, attention span and social skills. Other benefits of regular physical activity:
(credit to Canada’s Physical Activity Guide for Children)
Some children prefer unstructured play, where they don’t have to be guided or keep score like in sports. Unstructured play is open-ended where the child uses their own imagination and decision-making to plan their activity. Unstructured activities help children develop some of the same skills as children who play sports and also:
If your child is not interested in sports, find out why. Knowing his/her reasons will help you and your child find other activities he/she will enjoy.
It’s important to keep your expectations realistic. Sometimes parents imagine their kids playing the same sports that they did or have hopes they’ll be the star of the team. But remember that the goal is to have fun, be active and help your child grow and develop to their best potential.
Being supportive of your child’s interests and abilities may be just the encouragement he/she needs. Help your child practice skills at home in a supportive environment. By giving your child the chance to improve in a non-competitive environment, he/she may gain the confidence needed to excel in the physical activities he/she chooses.
Here are some non-team sports your child may want to explore: