{"id":4694,"date":"2017-07-28T17:46:38","date_gmt":"2017-07-28T17:46:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=4694"},"modified":"2025-07-10T08:05:32","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T12:05:32","slug":"why-sports-should-be-fun-for-young-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/why-sports-should-be-fun-for-young-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Sports Should be Fun for Young Kids"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-4700\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/why-sports-should-be-fun-for-young-kids-2.jpg\" alt=\"Fun in Youth Sports\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/why-sports-should-be-fun-for-young-kids-2.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/why-sports-should-be-fun-for-young-kids-2-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Can_Parents_Help_Athletes_Have_Fun\"><\/span>How Can Parents Help Athletes Have Fun?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_83 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/why-sports-should-be-fun-for-young-kids\/#How_Can_Parents_Help_Athletes_Have_Fun\" >How Can Parents Help Athletes Have Fun?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/why-sports-should-be-fun-for-young-kids\/#To_help_young_athletes_have_fun_first_look_at_their_goals\" >To help young athletes have fun, first look at their goals.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/why-sports-should-be-fun-for-young-kids\/#At_such_a_young_age_the_only_goals_for_your_child_should_be_to_have_fun_with_friends\" >At such a young age, the only goals for your child should be to have fun with friends.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/why-sports-should-be-fun-for-young-kids\/#If_your_kids_want_to_try_another_sport_or_grow_tired_of_one_they_are_practicing_do_not_force_them_to_stay_in_the_sport\" >If your kids want to try another sport or grow tired of one they are practicing, do not force them to stay in the sport.<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/why-sports-should-be-fun-for-young-kids\/#Related_Articles_on_Kids_Mental_Game\" >Related Articles on Kids&#8217; Mental Game:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/why-sports-should-be-fun-for-young-kids\/#Improve_Your_Mental_Game_From_Anywhere_In_The_World\" >Improve Your Mental Game From Anywhere In The World<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>A sport parent asks:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8220;My 5-yr-old niece is playing softball and right now she is experiencing issues of not wanting to bat with fear of getting out. It\u2019s real bad and embarrassing, she keeps crying and having tantrums in the dugout. Also today after finally batting, she was on second and was forced out at third, she then had a tantrum right there on the on field. She ran away from the coaches and refused to move. Any help would be appreciated.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sports can benefit young kids (ages four to nine) for a variety of reasons, but <strong>pressuring<\/strong> them, especially when they\u2019re very young, is a bad idea. It sounds like this child feels pressured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Dr. Ross Flowers, sports give your children not only the opportunity to develop motor and coordination skills, but emotional awareness, analytical reasoning, decision-making skills and many more individual and team-based skill sets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, in this case, it&#8217;s unlikely she&#8217;ll realize these benefits until she starts having fun playing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"To_help_young_athletes_have_fun_first_look_at_their_goals\"><\/span>To help young athletes have fun, first look at their goals.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Ask them why they want to play, what do they want out of sports?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At such a young age, if they say something like &#8220;winning&#8221;, or &#8220;to be really good,&#8221; you\u2019ve got a challenge on your hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"At_such_a_young_age_the_only_goals_for_your_child_should_be_to_have_fun_with_friends\"><\/span>At such a young age, the only goals for your child should be to have fun with friends.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>If they do have expectations like, <em>&#8220;I need to be the best,&#8221;<\/em> or, <em>&#8220;We need to win,&#8221;<\/em> let them know that all you want from them is to have <strong>fun,<\/strong> and you don\u2019t care at all how good they are or how many wins they get.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Treat losses just like you would treat wins, <strong>focusing<\/strong> on positive, <strong>teamwork<\/strong>-related aspects of the game such as how well your children shared the soccer ball with their teammates or how much fun it looked like they were having.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Michael VJ Stanley, retired college hockey coach and youth sports coach of 30 years, said in an interview with us, <em>&#8220;We can\u2019t stress enough how important it is that they be safe and they have fun\u2026 When you have a child that age how many times a day do they change their mind?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"If_your_kids_want_to_try_another_sport_or_grow_tired_of_one_they_are_practicing_do_not_force_them_to_stay_in_the_sport\"><\/span>If your kids want to try another sport or grow tired of one they are practicing, do not force them to stay in the sport.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>This will ruin the fun of the sport for them, and that is all you should be <strong>focused<\/strong> on at such a young age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Seventy percent of children drop out of sports by the age of 15, and many of these drop outs could be avoided if the parents simply remembered that when it comes to sports, fun comes first!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once your children know that fun comes first, tell them that making mistakes is how they get better, and the sooner they are able to let go of a mistake, the more they are able to improve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Remind your children once again that sports are supposed to be fun, and mistakes are just a part of the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"related-articles-on-hockey-mental-game\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_Articles_on_Kids_Mental_Game\"><\/span>Related Articles on Kids&#8217; Mental Game:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/why-sports-must-be-fun-for-young-athletes\/\"><strong>Why Sports Must be Fun for Young Athletes<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/helping-young-athletes-have-more-fun\/\"><strong>Helping Young Athletes Have More Fun\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/should-parents-only-focus-on-fun-in-youth-sports\/\"><strong>Should Parents Only Focus on Fun in Youth Sports?<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"block-f49818fa-7c7a-4ee3-b5ee-66581aad2c71\">*Subscribe to\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/sports-psychology-podcast-by-peaksports-com\/id152566009\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>on iTunes<br>*Subscribe to <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0ynyaalKxbnNmsoeL8gF5X?si=8224669de9b3435b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/a> <\/strong>on Spotify<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Improve_Your_Mental_Game_From_Anywhere_In_The_World\"><\/span><strong>Improve Your Mental Game From Anywhere In The World<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/mental-training-for-young-athletes.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6868\" style=\"width:138px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>We\u2019re certain that, as a parent,&nbsp;you want to help your child develop confidence and discipline in sports and life.&nbsp;And as a sports parent, you\u2019d love for your children to reach their potential in sports.&nbsp;But encouraging your child to <strong>strive for greatness without pressuring them<\/strong> can be a challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can get expert mental coaching with us from anywhere. Meet with us via Zoom, Skype, FaceTime or phone call. With today\u2019s video technology, we are able to connect with athletes and coaches all over the globe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Call Us Today to Schedule Your Free 15-Minute Session.<\/strong><br><strong>Find Out How Your Athlete Can Benefit From One-on-One Mental Coaching!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How Can Parents Help Athletes Have Fun? A sport parent asks: &#8220;My 5-yr-old niece is playing softball and right now she is experiencing issues of not wanting to bat with fear of getting out. It\u2019s real bad and embarrassing, she keeps crying and having tantrums in the dugout. Also today &#8230; <a title=\"Why Sports Should be Fun for Young Kids\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/why-sports-should-be-fun-for-young-kids\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Why Sports Should be Fun for Young Kids\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4701,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35,7,18,6],"tags":[612,301],"class_list":["post-4694","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pressure-from-parents","category-sports-psychology-for-kids","category-young-athletes-pressure","category-youth-sports-psychology-blog","tag-fun-in-youth-sports","tag-pressure-in-youth-sports"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4694","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4694"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4694\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4701"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4694"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4694"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4694"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}