Teaching kids good behavior takes incredibly hard work and endless patience because we all know that it doesn’t happen just like that. When a parent feels that all these efforts go straight down the drain could get on his or her last nerve and trigger an angry response.
According to a policy statement (Effective Discipline to Raise Healthy Children) recently released by the American Academy of Pediatrics, “aversive” discipline techniques like yelling and spanking are a really bad idea. Not only do studies show that they don’t work that well, they can have long-term negative effects.
How Do Sports Teach Discipline?
Ask any successful athlete about the key to their success and they’re likely to mention discipline. Indeed, discipline is an essential foundation for any sport and it is also a key aspect to succeed in other areas of life, especially your career. It helps to achieve a certain mindset towards achieving great things.
Coach Influence
A sports coach can have a powerful influence on a child’s life, it can potentially be more than a teacher or parent. During practice or classes, the coach is in a position that demonstrates the value of vigorous effort, continued focus and delayed gratification even when it is difficult. During a competition, players can see the positive results of following the coach’s instructions, in real-time.
Feedback
Unlike other activities, sports can provide instant feedback on a choice’s effectiveness. A player who practices diligently will improve faster than one who slacks and is lazy. Although this also applies to studying and academic performance, the timeline between their choice and a report card is usually too long for a child to make a meaningful connection.
Goals in Context
To reach their goals, discipline is one of the most effective tools that successful people use. Sports provide a realistic demonstration of how applying discipline and will in everything help reach desired goals for competition or mastering a sport skill. Kids who see and realize how discipline greatly helps in achieving their goals in sports will more likely apply it to other aspects of life.
Relevant Motivation
One of the problems with kids’ performance at school or house chores is motivation. It is tough to study for a test or work on cleaning a room with discipline when a child cannot see an immediate effect of the work. Sports, again, due to the vivid and often immediate reward of pushing hard, teach the values of discipline.
Being disciplined helps with staying organized, active, having more self-control, and staying focused. These skills are skills that your kids can bring along in their lifetime, they can come in handy at school, work, and even at home.
It’s normal to struggle with discipline — every parent does, at some point. So having your kid participate in sports could be the best idea! With the guidance of our amazing coaches, your child will surely learn discipline and many more values that will help him or her succeed in life.
Gift your child this fantastic opportunity of playing sports, book a trial class now.
Do you have questions about this blog? Get in touch with us.
ProActiv Sports – More than Just Sports Coaching
