What Is the Best Age to Learn Basketball?
Basketball is a sport for all ages. Whether you’re playing or watching, it’s one of those sports with a universal appeal that just makes it so exciting. It’s a sport that most kids will be exposed to early in their life. So it makes sense that there are plenty of basketball programs out there made for kids around the ages of five to seven years old.
Children need regular exercise to stay fit, healthy, and active. However, their exercise should be fun, engaging, and do more than just teach them about fitness. Basketball is a great sport to teach kids physical and social skills. The training helps keep them focused while the achievements can serve as their motivation. There’s no better sport to help kids develop a healthy love for fitness and teamwork.
Here are three benefits to your child learning basketball early on!
Improves Physical Fitness
Studies have shown that kids need at least an hour of physical activity every day. It can be hard to motivate kids to get moving every day when they’re glued to their computers and smartphones. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it can be an obstacle to their fitness and health.
Learning basketball will not just be a fun way to get them active, but pursuing it can help them become more physically fit. Basketball is a very active sport. Apart from all the running, players need to learn coordination and develop their critical thinking. All these qualities serve to boost their health.
Once your child learns the basics, another great thing about the sport is that it can be played almost anywhere. That should ensure that they get at least an hour or two of exercise in a day while practicing the fundamentals.
Improves Strength, Motor Skills, and Endurance
Basketball is a sport that also requires strength, meaning kids will go through strength training. This will do wonders for them in the future as studies have shown that appropriate strength training is good for kids. Bodyweight movements allow children to understand and gain better control of their bodies.
Age-specific exercises help children enhance their muscles and skeletal system without compromising their developing bodies. Some moves that kids will have to learn will be pushups, lunges, squats, and more. Each movement will serve to strengthen their muscles and improve their performance. Not only will they come out as healthier people, but they can become strong athletes in the process.
Learning to play basketball also improves kids’ hand-eye coordination through shooting and passing. Running up and down the court while switching from offense to defense helps them increase their endurance. With all the jumping, stretching, and running they’ll be doing as they play, children also gain flexibility that will help them with other athletic endeavors.
Instills Good Interpersonal and Intrapersonal Skills
Basketball is a team sport, but often it will involve communicating and socializing with more than just the coach and teammates. Kids will learn and develop side by side with fellow trainees, competitors, and more. In training alone, kids will develop a healthy attitude towards themselves and others because of the nature of the game.
Communication is essential in basketball, on and off the court. It’s a great way to teach them about cooperation, healthy competition, and rivalry. When their team wins, kids can learn about humility, sportsmanship, and what it takes to be successful. In losing, they can learn to cope and handle defeat with grace—along with what it takes to get back up. These skills are simply part of the game.
Basketball life lessons such as learning to be a good teammate and the importance of good sportsmanship are additional benefits. Combined with the socialization they experience while being part of a team, these personal skills are some of the most positive outcomes from learning basketball.
Conclusion
Basketball is a beautiful sport that kids can learn a lot from. You can pick it up at any age and still learn something new, but nothing beats the early life lessons and physical benefits of playing it young. It’s very important to take care of a child’s fitness and mental health in their early years.
The sport is a way to ensure that your child is active and learning while having fun. That’s one of the essential things in teaching a child. It should be fun for them. With a team, their support system, and a simple game, they can have the time of their lives. With all that in mind, virtually any age is the best age to learn basketball, but why not start young?
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