All parents want the best for their child, and that often comes with the prospect of multiple extracurriculars specially designed to give them a leg up when it comes to applying to educational programs years down the line. However, not all extracurriculars are created the same; languages and chess club may look great on paper, but soccer classes can have a meaningful impact on your child’s wellbeing both now and for years to come.
Here are the primary benefits of enrolling your child in a local soccer camp:
It Improves Physical Health
Any physical activity will improve your child’s physical fitness or help them maintain it as they get older. However, soccer can strengthen your child’s cardiovascular system in a way that most other sports can’t. While baseball and football do require your child to run at points, there are many stops and starts that don’t keep the heart rate high in a way that effectively builds endurance. Plus, soccer requires your child to change directions frequently, which boosts your child’s overall agility and balance, two things that often decline as they get older if they don’t take special care to preserve them.
It Teaches Teamwork and Leadership
Soccer is a team sport that often requires each player to communicate with those around them. Unlike some sports, where there might be a lot of shouting from a quarterback or a coach, soccer forces individuals to develop a shared understanding, which provides a strong foundation for effective teamwork. Exposing your child to this early on shows them how to accomplish the same goal down the line when it comes to group projects in school or the workplace.
Furthermore, soccer offers players enough leeway to still exercise their initiative and leadership. Since there is no central figure commanding the whole team like there is in football or baseball, each player can – and often needs to – develop strategies to manage their team’s advantage on the field without consulting their coach or teammates between plays.
It Facilitates Bonding
Since soccer is a team sport, there’s always a component of developing friendships through shared struggles on the field. Each player has to build trust in their teammates to be effective and win games, which is why one of the core skills that soccer camps teach is teamwork. However, this trust can grow into a full-fledged friendship within the team and across the broader soccer community, the longer that your child plays the game. Additionally, soccer can even offer an opportunity to facilitate stronger family bonds as each member shows support for one another at the games.
To find out more about the benefits of soccer, or to find one of your local youth soccer camps, call the Total Soccer team today!
