School may have just gotten out for summer but it’s not too soon to start thinking about the fall. Maybe your child is taking that big leap from elementary to middle school; or, from middle to senior high. Or, you’re struggling with the fact that your “baby” will be starting first grade. Changes like these are of course positive but they can at the same time be difficult for your child to embrace wholeheartedly. Changing schools for example brings with it a whole new world of meeting new friends, learning new subjects, working with new teachers and accepting new responsibilities.

Sometimes just moving up a grade level can conjure up new fears and create an emotional experience for young children. I remember last year when my son started third grade. Fortunately, I was somewhat prepared for his reaction to this new level of education having been through it with my older daughter. After just one week, he came home from school and stated, “Mommy, third grade is WAY different than second… for one thing the teachers are WAY tougher… And, I don’t know anybody in my class.”

If this kind of scenario strikes a chord in your household, summer may be the perfect time to register your child in a sports activity. Even if your child has been regularly playing sports for several years, sometimes learning the skills involved with a new sport can add to his or her self-esteem. Most importantly, your child doesn’t need to be the star of the show in order to benefit from a higher level of confidence. Your child needs only to understand that what he or she does can help achieve the team’s goals. According to Dr. Lyle Micheli of Boston Children’s Hospital and author of The Sports Medicine Bible for Young Athletes, “Any kid who believes they are contributing to the team effort will learn self esteem.”

So strong is the power of sports in building self-esteem, says Dr. Micheli, “if your child is having difficulty in a team sport like baseball or football, encourage your youngster to take up an activity that allows him or her to succeed by competing against him or herself, such as jogging, cycling, strength training or swimming.” Many times the sense of accomplishment a child needs is swimming one more lap today or running one more time around the track than he or she did the previous week. Throughout each challenge be sure to consistently use positive communication and feedback with your child.

Building confidence is one of the most important foundations you can lay in your child’s life. Keep in mind, however, that in order for sports to work, the experience needs to be properly managed by you, the parent. And, one of the reasons parents love i9 Sports leagues is that they are specifically designed to increase a child’s self esteem. Elements such as no tryouts or drafts, equal playing time regardless of ability, and the opportunity to play highly valued positions such as quarterback, provide an experience for your child unlike other leagues. The confidence he or she learns on the field will likely spill over into other aspects of your child’s life – like school, which will make all of the difference.

Linde Hyder, i9 Sports Mom Blogger

You may also be interested in these other related blogs:

Getting Your Child to Open Up About Their Sporting Experience

Life Lessons Learned through Youth Sports