Why is it so important for your child to become involved in sports? We all know there is a pretty strong list of benefits that our children gain from playing softball. Here are some of the most accepted and a couple you might not have thought about.
Sports give our kids the opportunity to strengthen and challenge their bodies. All the different movements involved with playing the game strengthens the body and helps a player learn how to move and adapt.
Sports challenges the mind and body with all the different strategies and techniques required to play the game. Every game and every practice is an exercise in learning, creativity and overall physical and mental development.
Sports creates an opportunity for young players to learn the benefits of socializing, work ethic, teamwork and goal setting. They also learn how to deal with success and failure. Both of which will happen often in this game which then allows our players to learn determination and persistence.
So those are the obvious benefits. Here are a few others that you may not have considered.
Softball teaches hand-eye coordination at a very high level. Depth perception and hand-eye coordination will be valuable in many other activities.
Softball teaches players to be ready to adapt and react to an unknown set of challenges. Every ball that gets hit, every pitch that gets thrown and every circumstance in the game is a unique event. This teaches our kids how to make split-second decisions. And as soon as they make one split-second decision, they will be faced with making another. Swing and miss, now get ready again. Over and over again.
Softball teaches kids to handle failure. Each time they play there will be many different challenges. Swing and miss, be upset or get ready for the next pitch? Get two hits out of your three at bats, dwell on the out or celebrate the two hits? Life will deal all players failures to deal with. Softball is giving them a great way to develop the skills to handle those failures.
Softball is a great game and a great tool for learning things that will make your child successful for ever. Get them in the game!
About the Author: Tory Acheson brings a wealth of knowledge to the Fastpitch Prep staff. He has coached at all levels of the game, including the last 25 years at the college level at the University of Wisconsin – Parkside, Tennessee Tech and Kennesaw State. He began his coaching career at the high school level spending 9 years Whitnall High School in Greenfield, Wis. and is now working as a professional softball instructor.
