Child and sport. The Tale of an Unathletic Child

20.03.14, 17:55

Every parent wants the best for their child - from health to fate in general. And health is almost inextricably linked with sports. We decided to ask the question of how to instill in a child a love of sports without causing harm, either physical or moral, to knowledgeable people - those who train the youngest athletes.

Alexander Natfullin, knockdown karate

First of all, you need to listen to the wishes of the child himself. In no case should you be forced to do what you don’t want, you shouldn’t be overloaded. It’s generally better to start with short sessions, literally half an hour. You should come to the first training sessions with your child to make him feel calmer. Be sure to pay attention to how the coach behaves with his students and in what conditions the classes are held.
In karate, the main task of initial training is to develop coordination, flexibility, and increase the level of general physical education. If a child wants to stop studying for a while, it is better to meet him halfway. Otherwise, you can completely discourage the desire to engage in any sports.

Marina Khomenko, athletics

The physical education teacher at school plays a big role in introducing a child to sports. It is he who can discern abilities for a particular sport and advise going to a certain section. It happens that children learn about the section from friends and come and sign up because they want to do it, because this is the sport that attracts them.
In general, of course, you need to try different options, see what the child likes, what he has abilities for, and develop them.

Nuriman Araslanov, boxing

There must be a sincere relationship between an adult and a child. A parent needs to be really interested in what his child wants and likes, and not just do something for show. And be sure to remember that the child is in the search stage, looking for a place where he will really feel good, where he will like it.
Of course, in no case should you scold if something doesn’t work out or if the child decides to stop classes and learn something else.

Yuri Lozhkin, hockey

What you definitely can’t do is force it. You need to treat the child with interest and help him with his choice. Here the role of the parent is much more important than the role of the coach. A personal example also works very well: if parents are interested in sports, then the child will most likely be interested. Well, playing sports together is doubly good: it benefits both the child and the parents.

Oksana Safronenkova, swimming

Parents need to support all their child’s endeavors. In your free time, it’s good to work out together: swimming pool, ice skating, skiing - depending on what sport the child is interested in. At the same time, you can see what your child has achieved in his studies, what progress he is making, and then you can take part in joint sports competitions. And praise! It is necessary to praise.
Even if a child practices some kind of sport and then decides to change direction, it’s okay. At the youngest age, there is still more general physical training; specialization begins a little later.


What all coaches are unanimous about is that you must definitely listen to the child’s wishes and under no circumstances force him to do something he doesn’t want to do. Otherwise, it won’t take long to discourage any desire to study.


And don’t forget about personal example!
It’s not for nothing that they say that you need to educate yourself not your children, but yourself - after all, your child will be like you.

How to attract a child to sportsChildren's sports and child health Most parents are concerned about the problem of low mobility of their children, their reluctance to communicate with peers and participate in developmental sports. The child is constantly busy with virtual communication on the Internet and is not eager to radically change his daily routine and develop his physical abilities. Today, the most popular sports for girls are represented by: acrobatics, rhythmic gymnastics, swimming, basketball, volleyball, sports dancing and shaping. For boys, the choice is wider, these include boxing classes, as well as football, hockey, martial arts... What does it take for a child to want to play sports? - Encourage your child to play the sport that he likes. The best motivation for a child is to have fun during training, make new friends and receive praise from the coach and parents. -Support your child if he does not want to play a sport that for some reason you like. - Let your child make mistakes. Making mistakes and overcoming difficulties is part of learning. If a child is constantly afraid of doing something wrong, he loses the desire to learn. - Allow your child to set a realistic sports goal and be responsible for achieving it. Unobtrusively help him choose achievable goals that will increase his motivation to train, but will not turn them into a pursuit of results. - Always be interested in your baby’s successes and failures. Support him in everything, but don't take his hobby too seriously. - Remind your child that sports are good for health. Be a role model and a comrade. In your free time, play sports with him. What not to do? 1. Don’t replace your child’s athletic goals with your own. Many parents mistakenly consider their child’s success in sports to be their achievement. Remember, your child is a unique person with his own interests and hobbies - let him realize them on his own. 2. Don’t look for excuses for your child’s sports failures. Parents believe that they are helping their child by blaming his losses on poor equipment, weather or incompetence of the judges. Unfortunately, by doing this, you prevent your child from learning from his mistakes. Children quickly get used to blaming others for their shortcomings. 3. Encourage your child to actively participate in competitions, but do not focus on winning. If you only expect your child to win, your disappointment in the event of failure may cause him to lose interest in physical education in general and competitions in particular. Explain to yourself, and then to your child, that defeat is not a reason for frustration, but just one of the stages of training. Regular exercise is a good way to increase physical activity at any age. Find out how to choose a sport for a teenager and a child. 4. Do not criticize your child or give him endless instructions during training. This will only confuse the baby and make him feel stressed. Talk to him in a positive way, give recommendations sequentially, and not in a long list. Keep in mind that children can only absorb a little information at a time and will have a better understanding of what to do rather than what not to do. The most important thing for a child! Typically, children want to play sports because they are fun. If classes are carried out under pressure, the child quickly loses all interest in physical education.

  • Bullied at school
  • Doesn't want to study
  • Doesn't want to play sports
  • “A healthy mind in a healthy body” - Juvenal.

    “You need to maintain the strength of the body in order to maintain the strength of the spirit” - Victor Hugo.

    This article is devoted to how to instill in a child a love of sports and physical education. What to do if a child wants to quit sports? Do you need to force it? You will get answers to these and many other questions from this article.

    Where to begin?

    The very first thing you need to do before sending your child to any sports section is to visit a doctor and find out if the baby has any contraindications.

    Secondly, parents need to decide why they want to send their child to sports.

    There are two options here:

    • to improve health and develop qualities such as agility, endurance, flexibility;
    • to build a successful career as a professional athlete in the future.

    Based on this, the requirements for the athlete will vary.

    The third step will be choosing a sport, and here again there are options. Most parents choose the sport for their children themselves. Overall this is wrong. It is better to provide your child with several options, among which he will choose the one he likes best.

    Swimming is a good base for any sport and for the body as a whole. It perfectly develops the musculoskeletal system. You can enroll your child in this sports section as early as 5 years old.

    Why do children need sports?

    Adolescence is a period of active physical and mental development, at this time the formation of many organs of the body is completed, and the formation of the character of a maturing personality occurs. Physical education and sports contribute to the harmonious development of a teenager from both a physiological and psychological point of view.

    Physical education and sports contribute to the formation of muscle mass and make ligaments more elastic. Teenagers involved in physical education have more developed coordination. With active loads, boys develop a male type of constitution faster. Good physical shape implies a strong physique, endurance, agility, and provides the necessary strength for studying and communicating with friends.

    Sport builds a strong will, determination, teaches how to overcome difficulties and move towards a goal despite any circumstances. The athlete’s focus on results pushes him to train with special effort, to sacrifice a lot in order to achieve victory. Sport is the art of achieving victory by overcoming incredible difficulties.

    Many sports involve teamwork, which helps develop communication skills and camaraderie. In addition, children who play sports will be far from bad habits.

    Why don't children want to play sports?

    • The teenager avoids difficulties and is afraid of losing. This happens when a child is not confident in himself, he does not have the ability to concentrate and overcome difficulties. Defeat or failure is a blow to their sick pride. Sometimes moms and dads themselves aggravate the situation with their statements about unjustified expectations.
    • Feeling unwell after training. As a rule, children recover quickly after training, but they also get tired quickly. A teenager's body is subjected to a lot of stress, so it is possible that he will feel unwell after playing sports. It’s harder for those who started training at an older age due to lack of physical fitness.
    • Overwork due to studying. Lessons, homework, and in high school exams take a lot of energy.
    • The parents chose the wrong sport, without listening to the advice of psychologists and the opinion of the child himself. Imagine that a boy dreams of becoming an Olympic champion in boxing, but he is enrolled in swimming, or a girl who dreams of becoming a figure skater is enrolled in athletics. When choosing a sport for a child, it is important to take into account his body type and type of nervous system. Some prefer team sports, others prefer individual (single) sports.
    • In some cases, children do not want to go to the sports section only because they do not know why they need it. Here the parents’ task is to awaken the child’s interest in sports.

    How to get a child to play sports?

    First you need to establish the reason for the reluctance, then try to eliminate it.

    Lack of self-confidence can be corrected paying attention to, albeit small, but still achievements and victories, always praising them for it. Any comparisons of a teenager with other children or with anyone in general are prohibited. If your performance at a competition is unsuccessful, support him, find positive moments, be sincerely proud of your child, because the greatest victory is victory over yourself. Be sure to tell your son or daughter about this. Convince him that next time he will perform better, and today the athlete gained invaluable experience.

    Do not forget to undergo an annual examination, and if you experience any ailments, be sure to contact a specialist.

    If the child is very busy at school and other clubs, then you need to either reduce the number of classes, or instead of professional sports, engage in lighter sports, without spending too much time. For example, doing morning exercises or practicing at home on a wall bars will be enough to gradually involve the child in physical education.

    Of course, parents need to know how to persuade their child and how to encourage him to play sports. Draw his attention to the fact that representatives of the opposite sex like a sports figure more; explain that successful athletes are very respected people. Also inform that at the university where the teenager will study, athletes have great privileges.

    Motivation to exercise

    Various gifts are not a way to “lure” a child into sports. This is absolutely wrong and fraught with consequences. The result of such a bribe will be further blackmail on the part of the child. The activity itself will not bring him joy, and he will “serve” the training only for the sake of the gift. In this case, you should not expect outstanding results. One can only hope that over time, spending a lot of time in training, the child will get involved in them and begin to take the sport seriously.

    Shouting and punishment are not motivation. You need to patiently and skillfully inspire your child to move forward towards their goals.

    The most difficult thing is to cope with the initial stage. You need to especially strongly support your child when he just started going to the sports section; in the future it will become easier. The first success will inspire the teenager, he will have a burning desire to work harder to improve his results.

    It will be great if the child starts playing sports with his friends at school or in the yard. The desire not to appear weaker than one’s friends is a serious motive for a child between 7 and 10 years old.

    An attentive attitude towards your child will allow you to understand him correctly and choose a sport that is completely suitable for a teenager. It’s okay if things don’t work out right away with sports. Some guys don’t join it right away, but at an older age. Perhaps your child will start studying as he gets older.

    What is sports motivation and what should parents do to ensure that their child’s interest in sports does not fade away? We tell you in this article.

    Sport is an integral part of the harmonious development of a child. That is why more and more parents send their children to sections, but the child is a restless creature, and the enthusiasm caused by new impressions fades away very quickly. Just yesterday your child was happily running to training, but today he is capricious and wants to watch cartoons instead of going to the gym.

    Most often, a crisis occurs in the first six months, and sooner or later parents are faced with the question of what to do in this situation: force, scold, punish or, conversely, not put pressure on the child and give up?

    Psychology of motivation

    Conscious activity is impossible without motivation, and sport is no exception. To motivate both yourself and another person (especially a child) correctly, you need to understand what this phenomenon is and how it works.

    Motives motivate us to perform any action. They can be very different: the desire to receive a material thing or to assert oneself, moral duty, interest in the process itself, and so on. Psychologists call motivation the totality of these motives plus any external factors (for example, the influence of another person or living conditions).

    The most common motives that motivate a person to play sports are:

    • the desire for physical and moral perfection - sport develops the body, strengthens the body, and develops character;
    • the desire for self-affirmation - sport provides an opportunity to become a leader, gain the respect of others, receive praise and recognition, and also have success with the other sex;
    • social factors - fashion for a healthy lifestyle, the prestige of sports in the city/country/world, many friends-athletes, family traditions;
    • the desire to satisfy spiritual needs - sport gives new experiences, allows you to feel part of something bigger, provides more opportunities to communicate with peers and authority figures.

    In general, all these motives are united by the feeling of satisfaction that the athlete experiences.

    In sports, motivation is:

    • general - is formed gradually and constantly, long-term goals and motives for playing sports are laid in the mind;
    • specific - relevant for a particular training session, competition or preparation stage.

    This must be taken into account and the child’s interest must be warmed up both in classes in principle and in each individual event.

    Suitable sport

    Not a single piece of advice on proper motivation will help if you force a child to do something that he doesn’t like and doesn’t like. That is why, first of all, you need to think carefully about what discipline is right for your child.

    It’s good if he is already crazy about football or dreams of becoming a swimmer, but if the child himself does not have specific wishes, he should choose a sport according to the following criteria:

    • Child's temperament. Of course, it is not worth using sports as a strict guide to action and considering only sports that suit his temperament. And yet, the child’s character traits must be taken into account and those disciplines in which he will be comfortable and in which he is likely to achieve success must be considered.
    • Physical data. Stories of professional athletes regularly prove that the initial parameters are not a death sentence or a guarantee of success, but it is still worth taking into account your child’s physical fitness. For example, tall and agile are good for basketball and volleyball, fast and agile for football, and light and coordinated for gymnastics or track and field.
    • Goals and objectives. There is a fundamental difference between playing sports for the soul and with a view to a professional level. In the first case, it is better with gentle loads and a convenient location, in the second, look for the most professional coach and the kind of sport that the child will truly “burn.”

    Once you decide on the sport, interest your child and take him to his first lesson, the difficult path of raising an athlete will begin. As a rule, children come to the section with some initial motives. The main task is to preserve and develop them. During training, the coach will do this; the rest of the time, the participation and correct behavior of parents is important.

    How to instill in your child a love of sports and motivate him to continue training?

    Show support

    This is the first and most important way to motivate a child. Support him in all his endeavors, try to go to all competitions, pick him up and meet him from the section at least for the first time and, of course, cheer him up if he loses. Let your child know that you are proud of him and that his efforts are pleasant and important to you. Parental involvement is especially important for very young athletes, because at this age mom and dad still remain the center of the universe.

    Important: When motivating in this way, do not overdo it. If a child thinks that this is the only way to earn your recognition, respect and praise, he may continue to do something that he does not like or is not suitable for. Parental support should be calm, without a hint of sacrifice.

    Tell us about the advantages

    Regularly, but unobtrusively, tell your child why playing sports is useful and necessary. The main thing is to do it according to your age. It is unlikely that a five-year-old boy will find the argument “girls like athletes” convincing, and it is difficult to attract teenagers with conversations about disease prevention. Think about what is important to your child (popularity, respect, self-affirmation, career, beauty), and focus on this.

    Use books and films

    This point logically follows from the previous one. Support your arguments with interesting books and films about the sport your child plays. Films about great athletes are especially good - they are very inspiring and charge you for success. On Youtube you can watch spectacular videos from competitions and demonstrations. And it’s even better if the child finds an idol among the sports stars and, looking at him, strives to achieve the same high results

    Notice the little things

    Of course, you don’t expect that after a week of training your child will become the next Kharlamov or Akinfeev. It is very important to show this to your child - notice even the most seemingly insignificant changes and praise the child not only for major victories, but also for small successes. I mastered a new technique, came first in cross-country, took a prize in a regional competition - all this can and should be celebrated. The most important thing is not to over-praise the young athlete, so that neither he nor you yourself become infected.

    Be an example

    Personal example is important in any aspect of education, and sports are no exception. Obviously, exhortations about the benefits of sports from parents who spend all their free time on the couch in front of the TV will not work even on a small child. Likewise, in a family where physical activity is an organic part of everyday life, children have practically no problems with motivation.

    If you are not “friendly” with sports, at least change your lifestyle: do exercises regularly, walk a lot, go with your child to water parks and nature. Show by example that movement is life, that sport brings a lot of positive emotions. You can also arrange joint activities: this is not only useful, but also a reason to spend more time with your child.

    Don't compare with other children

    But what you definitely shouldn’t do when trying to motivate a child to play sports is compare with peers in the context of “But Sasha is from a parallel class...”. At best, you will face even greater resistance, coupled with stubbornness; at worst, broken self-esteem, the child’s lack of self-confidence and all the ensuing problems.

    Enter a reward system

    It is no coincidence that this item is at the end of the list. The easiest way to motivate a child is to promise him rewards for attending training sessions and winning competitions. No one wants to miss out on a new toy, gadget or favorite dessert, but such motivation will not be genuine, and the child will get used to commodity-market relations. However, this does not mean that children cannot be rewarded for their efforts in training - just make sure that the child goes to them not only for the sake of gifts.

    Don't push

    If a child categorically does not want to go to training, is naughty, cries or refuses to try, do not ignore these warning signs. Perhaps the reason is the coach, the team, or too much workload - by identifying the problem, you can solve it. But it may also turn out that your child simply does not like sports or wants to do something else.

    Have a heart-to-heart talk with him. If, instead of practicing techniques or throwing a ball into a hoop, he dreams of learning a foreign language, drawing or studying mathematics in depth, give him this opportunity. Physical activity can be transferred from the gym to the park or home, replacing training with outdoor games and trips to nature.

    Let's sum it up

    Young children do not always understand what they want, therefore, having sent their child to the section, parents should guide him delicately and wisely. Regardless of whether you plan to raise a champion or your goal is exercise for general development, sports involve difficulties and hard work, which most often makes you want to quit.

    Remember that for a child, sport should be a source of health and positive emotions, so you also need to motivate through positivity. Spend more time together, watch films and programs about athletes, praise your child for his achievements and be sure to explain that failures are also part of this journey and there is nothing to worry about.

    If you feel that your child’s reluctance to play sports is becoming categorical and you can’t cope on your own, talk to a coach and don’t hesitate to consult a psychologist. Competent people will help you understand the problem and not injure the baby.

    Dear readers, if you see a mistake in our article, write to us about it in the comments. We will definitely fix it. Thank you!

    Once upon a time there lived a father and mother, and they had three children. The parents and older children were sporty people - they all did exercises together, rode bicycles, mom and dad played tennis on weekends, the eldest child regularly went to the pool from the age of four, the middle child took part in the hockey section from the age of five. But the youngest turned out to be completely unsportsmanlike. Whatever his family did to introduce him to a healthy lifestyle...

    Do as we do

    It was customary in the family to do exercises in the morning, no matter what. As soon as the baby began to walk, the parents, by their example, tried to awaken in the child an interest in doing the exercises. The eldest, and then the second child, willingly joined their parents, at first awkwardly and ineptly imitating the movements of their relatives, and then they got used to it and began to do exercises every day, choosing exercises on their own. And the Unsportsmanlike child every time lay down on the sofa or carpet and watched his family with pleasure, even gave them advice, but did not want to join in at all. Neither suggestions to portray funny little animals to music, nor the example of older children, nor exhortations about the health benefits of exercise, nor the belief that one can become stronger this way, nor the films, cartoons, or fairy tales read on the topic helped.

    Parents tried to teach an unsportsmanlike child to ride a bicycle. However, neither the three-wheeled one, nor the four-wheeled one, much less the one with two wheels, aroused in him the slightest desire to learn how to ride it. The kid shouted that he was afraid, tired, and it was hard for him. All attempts to get him on a bicycle ended in a scandal: the parents got angry, the child fell and cried.

    So the boy remained an eternal passenger on the trunk of his parents’ bicycles.

    Let him be taught

    “Since we cannot introduce him to sports ourselves,” the parents decided, “then let professionals take care of his physical education.” And they took the youngest child to the sports section. We started with the pool, firstly, so that he would be under the supervision of a senior, and secondly, swimming is good for both posture and the nervous system. But the Unsportsmanlike child turned out to be allergic to chlorine; after working out in the pool, he became lethargic and sleepy, and not at all cheerful, and with the onset of cold weather he began to catch colds often.

    Then the parents took the little one to the hockey section, reasoning that since the middle one liked it there, then maybe the youngest one would be interested. While the newcomers were taught how to skate and practiced the basic techniques of the game, the Unathletic Child agreed to attend classes. But as soon as team training began, the boy began to cry and refused to practice. The coach explained to the upset parents that hockey is a team game in which the player must always take into account the situation and adapt to his comrades. And the Unathletic child is unable to cope with the demands placed on him, and, feeling that he is letting others down, he is constantly stressed. And it would be better for him to try himself in another sport, an individual one.

    After thinking a little, mom and dad decided to send the Unathletic child to the wrestling section, reasoning that knowledge of the techniques would be useful in life, if anything, he would be able to stand up for himself.
    But, despite the suitable physique, according to the coaches, the unathletic child did not stay there. The coach asked the parents to take the child away because he constantly violated discipline: he was very bored with repeating the same exercise over and over again.

    In general, this same kid attended several more sports sections, but not even a month passed before he was asked to stop attending classes or he himself refused to go to them. In complete despair, the parents turned to a child psychologist for advice.

    Important!
    The optimal time to exercise is early morning or evening. In the morning it is better to go to class on an empty stomach, in the evening - at least an hour and a half after eating and at least two hours before bedtime.
    Do not let your child go to the section if he has even a slight rise in temperature or other signs of an inflammatory process.

    On a note: A child with chronic diseases should not be sent to the following sections:

    Boxing
    -Rugby
    -American football
    -Karate

    Where do unsportsmanlike children come from?

    In the last ten years, the idea of ​​a healthy lifestyle has so captured the minds and hearts of people that it has even become somehow indecent not to engage in any kind of sport for one’s own health. And modern parents strive to introduce their children to sports as early as possible. For example, for newborns there are not only special exercises, but also a program of developmental activities in the pool, and for older children a whole range of sports activities is offered. But what to do if he responds with resistance to all attempts to introduce a child to sports?

    I often hear complaints from adults about their children’s reluctance to play sports. The boys' parents are the ones who worry the most about their child's lack of athleticism. It is believed that a boy must play sports - this affects the formation of masculinity and masculine personality traits. But what’s wrong with a boy gravitating toward quiet activities that require thought and silence? Playing sports alone will not make children more responsible and reliable.

    Parents also worry that the child loses interest in classes as soon as something stops working out for him or it turns out that he needs to make an effort to achieve a result. On the one hand, I understand the anxiety of mothers and fathers: after all, if a child already at this age gives in to difficulties and does not strive to achieve success, then what can be expected from him next. On the other hand, you can understand a child. In preschool and primary school age, children are faced with many “difficult” tasks even without playing sports: studying at school (and for many, studying begins much earlier - from 3-4 years old), acquiring communication skills with peers, a growing body also adds difficulties. Therefore, children often perceive sports as another unpleasant responsibility.

    For many children, sport is important as an opportunity to get rid of pent-up energy and give vent to emotions, and only for some is it a way to assert themselves by achieving some success. It often happens that the types of sports activities offered by parents do not correspond to either the interests or temperament of the child. Conventionally, several types of unsportsmanlike children can be distinguished.

    Parents send their children to sports clubs to:

    They grew up strong, strong, and healthy;
    - there was a place to throw out excess energy;
    - were able to set goals and achieve them;
    -develop will and endurance;
    -learned to overcome fear;
    -learned to communicate in a new team;
    - met the expectations of parents;
    - acquire a highly paid profession in the future.

    Fidget.
    He wants quick results and a constant change of activity. This child is not suitable for sports that require hard and long training, such as gymnastics or figure skating. Such a child will be suitable for activities that allow him to be in constant movement, for example cycling, some team games. If a child is successful in his studies, then he is captured by the spirit of competition, excitement and a desire to achieve more appear.
    Exercise for a little fidget should consist of many non-repetitive movements, for example: jumping, turning over, climbing a ladder, hanging on rings, jumping, crouching, stretching - and all this to cheerful music.

    Contemplator.
    If a child is thoughtful and calm from birth, he is not interested in running somewhere or achieving something. Lost in thought, he misses balls while playing volleyball and crashes into a tree with his bicycle, having been staring at something interesting. He likes to observe and think, so it is best for him to engage in tourism, such as kayaking. The most important thing is not to allow the contemplator to sit hunched over for hours at a computer or with a book in a stuffy room - you can read in the fresh air. And as a warm-up, traditional seasonal activities, such as swimming in a river in summer or skiing in winter, are well suited. It doesn’t interfere with thinking and is good physical exercise.

    Nonconformist.
    This child is stubborn and self-willed, does not like to obey the demands of others, and refuses to do “like everyone else.” Even if he is attracted to the proposed sport, he may refuse it if his parents insist on classes. He dreams of standing out and distinguishing himself. Some extraordinary sport is best suited for him - fencing, horses, orienteering or activities that include physical training: martial arts, circus studio, sports dancing. It is advisable to simply let such a child know about the opportunity to study in one or another section, and not lead him there by the hand and not insist on studying.

    Jonah. If a child is used to not being able to do anything, if he has low self-esteem and a high degree of self-doubt, then he will give in to any difficulty and, fearing further failures, will not even want to try to do something. But if a loser feels successful, then he will study with pleasure and strive to achieve more. When choosing classes for him, you should first of all focus on the personality of the teacher and the atmosphere in the team. Relationships between children should be friendly, not competitive, and the teacher should not be too demanding and know how to support his students. For a loser, individual sports are better than team sports, so that there is no fear of letting others down. And at first it is better to avoid competitions and praise the child for the slightest achievements and even their absence.

    Buy your child a sports complex: it develops dexterity and allows you to independently manage your skills. And the baby is happy to demonstrate his achievements to all family and friends who may come;

    Encourage your child's active play from an early age. Play tag and snowballs with him;

    When teaching a child to ski, skate, roller skate, bike, etc., be friendly, lenient and not very persistent. Don’t expect great success from your child, praise him as often as possible;

    Encourage your child's seasonal activities (swimming and cycling in the summer, skiing and sledding and ice skating in the winter). Ride and swim with your baby, it’s more fun and safer, and during the game it’s easier to teach your child;

    When choosing a sports section for a child, you should always take into account the child’s talent and interest, and not give free rein to your vanity. A little person will only benefit from activities that give him pleasure.

    If the child does not want to play sports

    As practice shows, you can always choose activities for your child that will allow you to maintain good physical shape and improve health. You can do this without torturing yourself or your child. The main thing is to decide for yourself whether you want your baby to be just healthy and strong, or whether you want to make him a professional athlete. In the second case, you need to be very careful in choosing the type of sport and place of study.

    Many children themselves sooner or later come to the idea of ​​the need to play sports, if they are not discouraged from all interest in sports activities in early childhood.

    For example, one unsportsmanlike boy in the fourth grade wanted to play volleyball with his friends, and he enrolled in a section at school. And another girl, only in the ninth grade, thanks to a new teacher, became interested in tourism and not only made new friends, but also got rid of the annual debilitating colds. And another sickly and unathletic boy was so tormented by his peers in the yard that at the age of 10 he himself found and enrolled in a boxing section.

    There is nothing wrong with a child not playing sports at all. If he does not have sports interests, it is enough that he leads an active lifestyle, for example, walking a lot, walking, and doing physical education at school.


    One day, returning from another unsuccessful training session, an unsportsmanlike child said to his mother: “If I could decide for myself what to do, I would go dancing...” And at the age of six, this unsportsmanlike child began to enjoy ballroom dancing, where he I had to watch my posture, do exercises and warm-ups, and participate in competitions. But the main thing is that he really, really liked it all. And sports parents stopped worrying and began to be proud of their unsportsmanlike child.


    Author: Marina Kravtsova, child psychologist.
    Graduated from the Faculty of Psychology of Moscow State University.
    Author of the books: “If a child tells a lie”, “If a child takes other people’s things”, “If a child fights”, “If a child does not like to read” - Eksmo Publishing House, “Outcast Children. Psychological work with a problem” Publishing house “Genesis”.