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Try It, You Might Like It!
Sports Ideas for Fun and Fitness
By I.J. Schecter
Though children's lives change over time – LPs become CDs, Commodore 64s become laptops, Three's Company becomes The Simpsons – their need for physical activity remains an endearing constant. Individual and team sports teach kids valuable lessons about cooperation and provide constructive outlets for their chugging metabolism.
And experts agree. "Organized sports activities are a great way for your child to learn how to get along with others and keep fit," says Catherine Cram, exercise physiologist and owner of Comprehensive Fitness Consulting, LLC, in Middleton, Wis. Cram says to be certain that you allow your child to choose an activity that he or she is interested in, and don't push your child to take part in a sport just because you think it's one in which she should be involved. "Show your support by becoming involved in your child's sport and provide positive, but no-pressure encouragement. The most important lesson you can teach your child through sports is the value of fair play, a cohesive group effort and good sportsmanship."
Here's a quick primer on some of the sports you might be considering for your not-so-small one.
Tennis
At a Glance: Players hit a fuzzy yellow ball back and forth over a net, with one accumulating points when the other's ball falls short or sails beyond the court boundaries. Four points wins a game, six games wins a set (or seven, if you're forced to win by two), and two out of three, or three out of five, sets wins a match.
