SPORTS FOR CHILDREN: WHICH ARE THE BEST? (BY AGE) - ARTE - 2024

The best sports for children are soccer, tennis, swimming, martial arts, gymnastics, baseball, even dancing. The out-of-school offer in terms of physical activities for children and young people is increasing every day, a need that brings them multiple benefits for their health from an early age, but do we know how to choose the most suitable sport for them taking into account their age?

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), compiles the need of the child to develop their physical, moral and aesthetic capacities through physical exercise and sport in order to develop a balanced growth.

According to Sánchez Bañuelos (1996) and Pérez Samaniego (1999), the benefits that physical activity can bring to the health of the minor is classified in three dimensions:

• Physiological. The most prominent positive effect, among many, is the prevention of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
• Psychological. It can highlight, among others, the associated anxiolytic effect on the feeling of general well-being of the individual.
• Social. They are the possible effects on social promotion and self-esteem that this entails for the individual.

The cognitive, social and emotional development of children and young people requires a minimum of physical well-being for adequate development. However, these benefits that the practice of sport can bring them contrast with the cases in which the child is exposed to a situation of pressure in favor of achieving premature performances, sacrificing other more important learning for their age.

Some of the risks that parents take when considering that their child is an athlete and not a child are:

• Certain muscle groups in the child look unbalanced.
• Elements of the musculoskeletal system, such as the spine, are overloaded.
• School needs are neglected in favor of training the child.
• It causes excessive tiredness that affects the performance of your daily life.
• Exposure of minors to situations of stress and pressure due to high levels of demand.
• Hormonal disturbances.

Sports for preschoolers (3 to 6 years old)

Preschoolers are beginning to handle basic movements like running, jumping, or finding balance, so they are too young for organized sports. Physical activity contributes to a more balanced development of motor activities and neuro-muscular coordination in children.

It is an age in which they have little ability to concentrate, their vision is underdeveloped and it is difficult for them to follow the direction and speed of moving objects. For this reason, the activities suggested by specialists are running exercises, swimming, jumping, throwing objects, riding a tricycle or catching objects.

Pediatricians advise that a child do no more than three to four hours of physical exercise a week. In any case, each child has very specific characteristics and it is advisable to ask a specialist to assess the needs of your child.

Sports for children from 6 to 9 years

At this age, children have almost fully developed many of the basic motor skills. Their interest is in trying to improve them or learn new, more difficult skills.

They also begin to be able to follow instructions, so aiming them for an organized activity is already viable. Some of the most recommended are:

• Soccer
• Tennis
• Swimming
• Martial Arts
• Gymnastics
• Baseball

These sports should be practiced as a game, since a child should not be exposed to pressure at such an early age. Ideally, they should combine an individual sport, such as judo, and another collective, such as football. Children are developing their personality, and it is good for him to learn values ​​that benefit him and the collective.

By practicing intense physical activities of 1 hour at least three times a week, the child will strengthen bones and muscles.

Sports for children from 9 to 12 years

At this stage of the child's life, we find that his motor skills are in full swing and he already has the vision of an adult. Her level of learning is high and she is already able to remember and show attention.

This implies that they can learn tactics and strategies of play, so it is a good time to test if the child is ready to be part of a club that motivates him to compete. In other words, gambling would become a responsibility for the minor.

While a 6- to 8-year-old child becomes fatigued, has short-term interests, and may suddenly abandon one activity for another, after age 9 a phase begins in which they are happy to put their skills to the test. You are curious to learn, improve, display your skills, and be persistent in what you do.

For this age we could highlight athletics. It is a sport that brings together physical qualities such as running, jumping or throwing, exercises that will benefit the development of their abilities, skills and provide great educational value.

Sports for children from 12 to 15 years

The beginning of adolescence leads to an increase in muscle mass and strength, in addition to cardiopulmonary resistance, which presents its maximum values. This physical change does not only bring benefits.

The body also suffers from a loss of flexibility in both sexes and also temporarily decreases coordination and balance, which can affect performance in certain sports.

The onset of puberty varies between individuals, which means that those who develop the physiological change earlier will be taller, stronger and with greater muscle mass, which will allow them to have an advantage over the rest.

This promotes that in collective sports such as football, basketball or handball, we find boys or girls who stand out from the rest and others who, due to their decline in maturity, remain stagnant.

It is important to discuss the psychological issue with the latter. Parents and coaches should make them understand that their condition will change soon, in order to avoid possible frustrations that translate into reluctance and abandonment on the part of the child.

As a general rule, girls mature earlier by developing their shoulders and widening their hips. In the case of suffering a late physical maturity, sports such as gymnastics or skating are highly recommended, because they continue to maintain their flexibility.

Sports such as soccer, tennis, swimming or basketball are highly recommended for those guys who show a serious interest in competition. It is advisable to train one hour a day to maintain a regularity that leads you to reach a good level.

Sports for hyperactive kids

For children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other learning disabilities, it is important to determine which sport they should do.

Exercise offers a number of social and behavioral benefits for children with ADHD, but choosing which sport to do is not always easy due to its limitations. Some of these factors that make it difficult to integrate into a

sport are:

• Difficulty following directions. Children with ADHD often ignore the instructions of a coach or coach and make play difficult.
• Impulsiveness. They act without thinking too much and by being fast, they circumvent the rules and strategies of the sport or cannot contain their need to break the game turn.
• Lack of attention. Sports in which attention is an important part, pose a challenge for those with ADHD. They often lose concentration during practice and think about other things. Depending on the sport, it can pose a problem even for your physical integrity.
• Difficulty coping with failure or frustration. Losing is very difficult for them. That low tolerance for failure leads to tantrums, aggression, and other inappropriate behaviors in sport.

According to most experts, for children in whom hyperactivity is not controlled, it is better to aim for individual sports, since group sports and, especially contact sports, can pose a significant risk to them and to other children with which it matches.

Sports such as swimming, martial arts, tennis, fencing, horse riding, or gymnastics are activities in which children can receive individual attention from a coach.

The other half of the success of a child with ADHD is the parents. They should work on finding an activity in which their child does well, that interests her, has fun, and fits her personality.

Bibliography

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