When we recently surveyed kids 8-12 who play sports outside of i9 Sports, 42% of children surveyed would rather play video games than play sports. Well, we disagree! That’s why i9 Sports keeps the focus on kids having fun playing real sports!

Did you know that kids spend an average of about five hours per day watching television, playing video games and surfing the Internet? This means that over the course of a year they spend more time in front of a screen than in school.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting screen time to two hours per day. According to a study by Harvard School of Public Health, children who watch more than five hours of TV per day are more than four times as likely to be overweight, compared to children who watch less than two hours per day. Overweight children have an increased risk for many preventable health problems.

Check out these tips from the National Institute of Health for decreasing screen time:
•   Remove the television or computer from your child’s bedroom.
•    Do not allow TV watching during meals or homework.
•    Do not let your child eat while watching TV or using the computer.
•    Do not leave the TV on for background noise. Turn on the radio instead, or have no background noise.
•    Decide which programs to watch ahead of time, and turn off the TV when the program is over.
•    Suggest other activities, such as a family board game, puzzle, or going for a walk.
•    Keep a record of how much time is spent in front of a screen. Try to spend the same amount of time being active.
•    Be a good role model as a parent. Decrease your own screen time to 2 hours a day.
•    If it is hard not having the TV on, try using the sleep function so it turns off automatically.
•    Challenge your family to go 1 week without watching TV or doing other screen-time activity. Find things to do with your time that get you moving and burning energy.

You can see why we love youth sports, and we hope you do too! So sign up for a Summer sports programs and camps that your child is sure to love!

You may also be interested in these related blog posts:

Help Your Kids Achieve Greater Self Esteem Through Sports

Life Lessons Learned Through Youth Sports

“If you are interested in joining an i9 Sports Program visit www.i9sports.com to find a location near you!”

We recently surveyed 300 kids that play in youth sports leagues outside of i9 Sports and the results shocked us!

36% of young athletes surveyed have seen a verbal fight between parents. 9% have seen a physical fight between parents.

28% of young athletes surveyed have seen a verbal fight between coaches. 5% have seen a physical fight between coaches.

With findings like this, it’s not surprising that 31% of players surveyed wished adults weren’t watching their games - they said mostly because adults yell too much, are too distracting, make players nervous and put pressure on them to play better and win.

We are happy to say that these statistics don’t hold true in i9 Sports leagues. It’s also why i9 Sports became the first national organization to require that parents sign the i9 Sports Parental Pledge to be positive and actively work to create a positive culture at our games.

You can see why we love youth sports, and we hope you do too! So sign up for a Summer sports programs and camps that your child is sure to love!

You may also be interested in these related blog posts:

Be a Positive Sports Parent

Five Easy Ways to Keep Your Family Active in 2012

“If you are interested in joining an i9 Sports Program visit www.i9sports.com to find a location near you!”

Do you ever wonder why we focus on kids having fun in i9 Sports leagues? It’s because it’s what kids want! We recently surveyed 300 kids that play in youth sports leagues outside of i9 Sports and the results may surprise you:

• When asked their #1 reason for playing sports, the number one answer was to have fun.
  
• When asked how they feel if their team loses, 63% said they still have fun.
• 84% said they sometimes wish they had more fun when playing youth sports.
  
• 84% said at one time they quit a team or wanted to quit. Why? 47% said  because “it wasn’t any fun.” 29% said some teammates were mean. 23% said there were too many practices that interfered with other activities.
• 31% wished adults weren’t watching their games –  they said mostly because adults yell too much, were too distracting, made players nervous and put pressure on them to play better and win.

We believe that the lessons learned through sports are just as important to kids’ lives on and off the field. Why shouldn’t the learning be fun? We want to make sure that all kids enjoy their i9 Sports experience!

You can see why we love youth sports, and we hope you do too! So sign up for a Summer sports programs and camps that your child is sure to love!

You may also be interested in these related blog posts:

Help Your Kids Achieve Greater Self Esteem Through Sports

Teaching Players to Never Give Up!

“If you are interested in joining an i9 Sports Program visit www.i9sports.com to find a location near you!”

It’s Valentine’s Day and love in the air! That’s why we thought it’s a perfect time to share some of the many reasons we LOVE youth sports.

SPORTS ARE FUN!
What better way for your child to spend time with friends, learn new skills and have fun with a group than youth sports! i9 Sports leagues emphasize fun and good sportsmanship over winning, so they’re a great way to increase your child’s social skills, introduce them to new friends and have a great time while they’re at it!

SPORTS ARE HEALTHY!
Exercise is great for your child’s health - both mental and physical. Youth sports are a great way to keep your child fit and happy. And the best part is that they enjoy themselves! According to the Surgeon General, playing sports can help decrease obesity, lower cholesterol, reduce blood pressure and diabetes risk for children, as well as relieve stress. Research has shown that sports can also lessen boredom and help ease anxiety and depression. Playing sports can also help develop self-esteem and confidence by providing a sense of belonging and bonding.

DEVELOP LIFELONG HABITS EARLY!
Playing team sports helps children learn the importance of self-discipline, preparation and resilience, which they will carry forward throughout their entire lives.

LEARN HOW TO WORK AS PART OF A TEAM!
From group projects in school to building a career, interacting as part of a team is something we all eventually must learn. i9 Sports leagues emphasize the importance of teamwork. Children learn camaraderie, cooperation, and leadership. Playing sports makes children part of a community and gives them the feeling of belonging to something larger than themselves!

You can see why we love youth sports, and we hope you do too! So sign up for a Spring sports program that your child is sure to love!

You may also be interested in these related blog posts:

How Will Youth Sports Help My Child?

Teaching Players Never Give Up!

“If you are interested in joining an i9 Sports Program visit www.i9sports.com to find a location near you!”

The Super Bowl has been bringing families together for decades. With the big game just days away, parents should start thinking about their plans right now. Involving your little ones is a lot easier than you think.

Use the game to help your child understand football. All of the positions and terminology can be difficult for young children understand. Parents can make watching the game more fun by providing age-appropriate explanations. Younger kids may only need to understand to cheer and jump up and down when the “home team” has the ball. Older kids are ready to know a little bit more about the rules of the game.

Be patient. Watching football with a child is much different than watching it with adults. It’s next to impossible for a child to sit through an entire football game. This can be a challenging time for adults who actually want to watch the big game. So be prepared with fun things to do during commercials or when the little ones get bored.

Here are some ideas:

1. 1. Hide balls of small items around the house, send the kids on a mission to find them during commercials or breaks.
2. 2. Have kids guess which team will score first, if the next play will be a run or a pass or what the score will be at the end of each quarter.
3. 3. Older children will enjoy a Football Bingo game. Before the big game, parents can print out cards with football phrases (i.e. “touchdown” or “field goal”). As kids hear the words during the course of the game, they can mark Bingo cards with popcorn or pennies.
4. 4. Be prepared with football theme coloring sheets or the favorite team’s mascot.
5. 5. Make megaphones out of recycled materials like paper towel rolls or colorful paper so they can help you cheer on your favorite team.

And don’t worry, even though Sunday is the end of the NFL season, i9 Sports Spring Flag Football will be here soon. CLICK HERE to register now to SAVE!

You may also be interested in these related blog posts:

Fun and Thrifty Ways for Families to Go Green!

Do your Kids have New Year’s Resolutions?

“If you are interested in joining an i9 Sports Program visit www.i9sports.com to find a location near you!”

The fun & frenzy of the holidays are behind us. A brand new year is ahead and it’s a popular time to focus on making changes, and setting our resolutions and goals for the months ahead. A common goal people make for the New Year is to stay active, and we’re here to help! Here are 5 easy ways for you and your children to stay active & healthy in 2012!

1. Have a fun exercise contest during the commercial breaks of your favorite family TV shows. See how many sit-ups, laps around the room, or jumping jacks you can do. Or how about a bubble chasing contest - take turns blowing or chasing and bursting as many as possible!

2. Start a new family tradition for the New Year - an after dinner walk! Set aside 20 to 30 minutes after your evening meal to take a walk around the neighborhood. Have a dog? Bring him along!

3 . There are plenty of fun outdoor activities to keep you busy during the Winter. Build a snowman, make a snow angel or try ice skating. No snow where you are? How about a game of tag or hide & seek - you’ll have a great time and keep warm while you do it!

4. Dance to the music! This is a great activity that the whole family can enjoy - who doesn’t like to move when they hear great music on the radio? Crank up the tunes and have a dance competition!

5. Get those closets all cleaned out! Another popular resolution for the New Year is to reduce clutter. Get the best of both worlds by having a closet cleaning competition. Hauling out old toys, shoes & clothes is a great way to keep active. See who can collect the largest pile for donating!

And don’t forget about upcoming programs with i9 Sports! Beyond keeping yourself fit, improving your mood and increasing your energy level, keeping active can be just plain fun. And remember….children learn by example, so it’s never too early to get them focused on staying fit & healthy. The habits they learn now can carry over into adulthood!

As a dedicated sport parent, you often get up early on the weekends, pack up the kids and head to the games. Do you ever wonder…what’s in it for my child? What does he or she get out of this? Well the benefits of youth sports are huge, and they can carry over into adulthood:

• Better socialization skills! Youth athletes develop relationships with their teammates and coaches, learn camaraderie, and how to work together to achieve a common goal.
  
• Improved self-esteem and confidence! Team sports are great esteem builders. Giving and receiving encouragement and respect from peers can help children feel good about themselves and is a great way to build their confidence.
  
• Enhanced school performance! According to the American College of Sports Medicine, student athletes generally do better in school. They can experienced increased concentration, classroom behavior, and memory.
  
• Increased leadership skills! Team sports teach children the importance of rules, and give them the opportunity to act as leaders by assessing the strengths and weaknesses of teammates and opponents and compensate for those qualities.

i9 Sports places a heavy emphasis on fun and good sportsmanship in our leagues because we want to foster a lifelong love of sports in our participants! We’ve gotten such wonderful comments from parents about how much their achievements on the field have meant to their children. And that’s the most important thing of all!

You may also be interested in these other related blogs:

Be a positive Sports Parent

Parents benefit from youth sports participation, too!

“If you are interested in joining an i9 Sports Program visit www.i9sports.com to find a location near you!”

Did you know that Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team? Albert Einstein was told he was stupid & wouldn’t amount to anything! Before Henry Ford found success in the car business, he went broke five times! Winston Churchill failed the 6th grade and stuttered!

These remarkable individuals made significant contributions and achieved great success after overcoming adversity. That’s why it’s important for us, especially as sports parents, to teach our children the value of persistence. The best way to help children accomplish their goals is to encourage them to never give up!

Parents want their kids to be the best at whatever they attempt to do and that includes the sport that they play. But, it’s not easy to watch from the sidelines as they struggle. Give children a chance to try, and they may fail, then encourage them to try again! Don’t rush to judgment if they don’t win every time!  At this early stage of their sports experience, the better evaluation tools are whether they’re enjoying themselves, improving their game, and trying their best.

You may also be interested in these other related blogs:

Helping Your Kids Stay Positive in Sports

Help Your Kids Achieve Greater Self Esteem Through Sports

“If you are interested in joining an i9 Sports Program visit www.i9sports.com to find a location near you!”

i9 Sports is dedicated to making your child’s youth sports experience a great one. We want your child and your entire family to enjoy the i9 Sports Experience. Because parental involvement is so pivotal to a positive experience, we want to share some tips to encourage positive post-game conversations:

Post Game Conversation Guide:

Focus on fun. Ask your child if they had fun. Making sure it is fun for the kids is our main focus. If fun is also your focus, it is more likely to be the case each and every week!

Focus on development. Organized sports activities are not only a great way for children to learn a sport, but are also a great way to build their confidence and self-esteem while learning to play the game. Ask your child what they learned today. You may be surprised to hear that it’s a lesson that is valuable inside and outside of the game.

Set realistic expectations. We’ve all heard the old expression, “You can’t win them all.” By placing the emphasis on fun and skill development over competition, winning or losing becomes less important.

Tell your child that you are proud of them. Point out the fact that they played harder this week, got better at some aspect of the game, or had a great practice. This will be the icing on the cake of a great experience!

You may also be interested in these other related blogs:

Win or Lose, Be a Good Sport

Work With Not Against Your Child’s Coach

“If you are interested in joining an i9 Sports Program visit www.i9sports.com to find a location near you!”

When it’s a positive experience, team sports are one of the best ways to help kids develop life skills, promote a healthy lifestyle, and increase self-esteem. However, did you know that a survey among youth athletes revealed that:

• 31% saw parents yelling at or arguing with officials;
• 28% saw parents yelling at or arguing with coaches; and
• 27% heard parents or coaches using foul language.

These kinds of statistics and the unwanted pressure that they place on kids is why i9 Sports was the first national sports organization to develop and implement a parental pledge.

Signing the Parental Pledge, reminds you why you enrolled your kids in sports in the first place - to help your child develop physically and emotionally. The role of an i9 Sports fan is to support all of the kids in the game in terms of their effort, improvement, and the amount of fun they are having.

We can’t wait to see you at the game!