Lil' Wands Lacrosse

Many parents wait to sign their kids up for team sports until they’re in elementary school. However, there are many benefits to introducing kids to team sports in the toddler and preschool years, especially when the focus isn’t on competition and winning.

If you’re thinking of signing your small child up for a team sport, consider the following benefits.

Working Together:
The ability to cooperate with others and collaborate as a team is one of the most valued skills. Teams sport are a fun and effective way to foster these skills.

Sports give kids a chance to work together to achieve a common goal. They learn to rely on others as well as themselves. Kids also get better at assessing their skills and weaknesses along with assessing others.

Taking Turns:
Toddlers and preschoolers often struggle with taking turns. It can make it difficult for them to get along with others and make friends. Team sports require kids to take turns. It’s often much easier to get kids to take turns when playing a sport than when sharing toys. They can later transfer these skills.

Leadership:
It’s never too early to prepare your child for a leadership role. One of the more important traits of a leader is confidence. Sports are one of the best ways to instill confidence in kids. As they develop their skills, they’ll become more sure of themselves.

Team sports give kids an opportunity to step into leadership roles. Kids may help one another learn rules and some may begin to lead during gameplay, guiding others and making decisions.

Humility:
Humility is an often-overlooked social skill but is highly important when it comes to sports. Kids who are skilled at sports sometimes feel a sense of superiority over their teammates. This can lead to conflicts both on and off the field.

Kids who start young have a more level playing field. They have more respect for their teammates. Sports also help kids figure out their strengths and weaknesses. Understanding how your and others’ strengths can complement one another is an important life skill.

Lasting Friendships:
Many parents focus on playdates as a way to help their children find friends during the preschool years. While kids can build friendships in one-on-one scenarios, team sports expose them to a wider variety of kids with different backgrounds and personalities.

Kids can form long-lasting bonds through sports. They learn to rely on one another. They also celebrate victories and commiserate over losses. Organized activities help them learn to play with one another and get along.

Ready to Introduce Your Child to Team Sports?
Social skills are just one of the many benefits of playing team sports from a young age. Kids also develop physical skills, gain confidence, learn to follow instructions, and more.

If you’d like to enroll your child in a play-based team sport, go to Lil’ Wands Whole Child Sports Teams for more information. We use fun activities to introduce toddlers and preschoolers to team play.