This post has been inspired by @steemiteducation and relates to the channel’s current #steemithomework topic: How do you get kids to participate in sport? If you have some ideas or experience, you might want to submit your very own article; find our more HERE.

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I find this topic quite close to home, because I am far from being the sporty type myself. In high school I attempted Cheer-leading, but I was so uncoordinated that I kicked myself out of the team to do them all a favor. Then I signed up for the girl’s mini cricket team, but when I started to run away from the ball instead of for it, the captain very gently advised me that perhaps this sport just wasn’t for me. Next up was Netball, and I actually made a team with this one, the D team! Yes, they made up a D team especially for those who were hopeless at the game, but wanted to play nonetheless. I have to add that our poor little D team never won a game, not one!

While my two left feet and butter fingers got me nowhere and a sporting career was definitely not my destiny, what’s important is that I tried. I put myself out there, I learnt some new things and I accepted failure. Sport was just not my thing, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to at least give it a go. For this, I have my parents to thank as well as those teachers who gave me a chance, even though they knew that there was no way I was going to ever make that A team.

My parents had me at a very young age. This forced them to put tertiary educations aside and instead they took on blue-collar jobs that kept them busy for most of the day. They worked extremely hard and when they came home, this work did not end. Together my parents worked as a team to clean the house, make dinner, bath and prepare their kids for bed, collapsing into sleep ready to start again the next day. Although they had no big fancy qualifications, they worked hard and were soon rewarded with higher positions that earned them a more comfortable living.

Their hard work and ambition did not go unnoticed. Both my sister and I absorbed this into our beings and by the time we entered highs school, teamwork and ambition was in our blood. Yes, we did the usual teenage thing and watched tons of TV or cooped ourselves in our rooms listening to music, but we also “put ourselves out there”, just like my parents did. We tried new things, we worked hard at school and we enjoyed our time as kids as much as possible, knowing that adulthood is not all fun and games.

So, do you want to know what my advice is for getting kids to play sport? It’s easy! Simply be the example.

 

If you want your children to work hard, show them what hard work is.

If you want your kids to be team players, make them a part of your team.

If you want them to at least attempt to play sport, show them that it is OK to fail.

I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying. Michael Jordan
 

I would also like to add that in our modern world, what you as an adult mite define as "sport" might be completely different from what kids today view it as. Sports is not simply soccer, rugby and cricket. There are so many other awesome physical activities to do, from Skateboarding to Rock Climbing, things have gotten slightly more extreme! It's important that you make a variety of options available to kids, since you never know which sporting "niche" might grab their interest and pull them away from their TV and Xbox.

Last but not least, remember that sport must be fun! Play games as a family or spend quality time together hiking, rowing or playing a round of tennis. One of my favorite games as a kid was to bounce a tennis ball of a wall in the courtyard with my dad - it was just me, him and a good use of energy - I was in my element!

Much love - @sweetpea

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