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Get Moving: The Benefits of Youth Sports

By Craig Hall, For the News Tribune, 10/16/19, 1:15PM PDT

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Youth sports are a significant part of the lives of many families in our community. It is easy to focus on the tangible results from these sports — goals scored, baskets made, games won

Youth sports are a significant part of the lives of many families in our community.

It is easy to focus on the tangible results from these sports — goals scored, baskets made, games won. However, at the Y, we believe there is much more to youth sports than just the final score and stats sheet. We know participating in youth sports is instrumental in the development of life skills for youth. According to author Daniel Harri, the benefits can be broken down into four categories: promote self-discipline, boost self confidence, enhance overall health and develop better relationships.

The first category, promote self-discipline, deals with the child's commitment to a regular schedule for the chosen sport. Most of our sports require one night of practice and one day of games. The child must commit to these requirements and expectations. The practices also promote self-discipline as the child follows directions from their coach in order to further develop their skills. Also, youth will be encouraged to practice on their own to further develop skills, which instills self-discipline.