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Organized activities don’t have to mean sports
By VIRGINIA JUSTICE
&ŽŽƚďĂůů͕ďĂƐĞďĂůů͕ƐŽŌďĂůů͕
soccer — team sports are all over
ƚŚĞĮĞůĚ͘^ŽŵĞƉĂƌĞŶƚƐƐĞĞŵ
consumed with their kids playing
organized team sports, dreaming
that their child could become the
next super athlete, making mil-
lions as a professional. The fact is,
only one to three percent of young
athletes turn professional. That’s
a very small percentage, and likely
ƵŶĂƩĂŝŶĂďůĞĨŽƌƚŚĞĂǀĞƌĂŐĞĐŚŝůĚ͘
ƌĞĂŵŝŶŐŝƐďĞŶĞĮĐŝĂůĂƐůŽŶŐĂƐŝƚ
ŝƐƌĞĂůŝƐƟĐ͘
The reality is that some children
ƐŝŵƉůLJĂƌĞŶŽƚŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚĞĚŝŶƉĂƌƟĐŝ-
ƉĂƟŶŐŝŶŽƌŐĂŶŝnjĞĚƐƉŽƌƚƐ͙ĂŶĚ
that’s okay. Does this mean they
ǁŝůůďĞŝŶĂĐƟǀĞ͕ůĂĐŬƚĞĂŵǁŽƌŬ͕ĂŶĚ
ďĞĂŶƟƐŽĐŝĂů͍,ĂƌĚůLJ͊dŚĞƌĞĂƌĞůŽƚƐ
ŽĨŽƚŚĞƌŽƉƉŽƌƚƵŶŝƟĞƐƚŚĂƚĨĂĐŝůŝ-
tate teamwork and provide physi-
ĐĂůĂĐƟǀŝƚLJ͘dŚĞŝŵƉŽƌƚĂŶƚƚŚŝŶŐŝƐ
helping children discover their pas-
sion and have fun, especially during
the summer months when they are
prone to boredom.
If your child is musically inclined,
the marching band may be their
“sport,” or the drill team. It takes
ĐŽŽƌĚŝŶĂƟŽŶ͕ƐƚĂŵŝŶĂĂŶĚƚĞĂŵ-
work to march while playing an
ŝŶƐƚƌƵŵĞŶƚŽƌƚǁŝƌůŝŶŐĂŇĂŐ͕ĂůŽŶŐ
with learning the choreography
required to turn corners as a group.
If a child expresses an interest in
ŵƵƐŝĐŚĂǀĞƚŚĞŵĞdžƉůŽƌĞĚŝīĞƌĞŶƚ
instruments. Music teachers can
be found and instruments rented,
so parents do not have to make a
ůŝĨĞƟŵĞĐŽŵŵŝƚŵĞŶƚƚŽĂƉŝĂŶŽ͘
Kids interested in drama or the-
ater can create and perform daily
plays for the family. They could
build the stage and props for their
performances. Avid readers can be
encouraged to start a book club
with other readers or volunteer to
read to younger children. Perhaps
suggest that your children grow and
tend a vegetable garden, then do-
nate extra vegetables to your local
ĨŽŽĚďĂŶŬ͘,ĞůƉĐŚŝůĚƌĞŶďĞĐŽŵĞ
involved in volunteering — many
ŶŽƚͲĨŽƌͲƉƌŽĮƚƐƌĞůLJŽŶǀŽůƵŶƚĞĞƌƐƚŽ
ƐƵƌǀŝǀĞ͘ƵĞƚŽƐƵŵŵĞƌǀĂĐĂƟŽŶƐ͕
ƚŚĞLJŽŌĞŶŶĞĞĚĂĚĚŝƟŽŶĂůǀŽůƵŶ-
teers around now. Call your local
nursing home, ask if your children
can bake cookies for the residents
a bike, go on a hike. Parents can
set up a scavenger hunt or create
ĂŶŽďƐƚĂĐůĞĐŽƵƌƐĞ͖ƚŚĞƐĞĂĐƟǀŝƟĞƐ
involve physical movement and are
great fun. Walking to the library to
check out books could be a weekly
ĂĚǀĞŶƚƵƌĞ͘^ĐŚĞĚƵůĞƟŵĞĚĂŝůLJĂƚ
your local park or playground — a
bit of planning on your part can
relieve summer boredom.
Children should be nudged to
try things that interest them but
not pressured into something they
Strategies
do not enjoy. Sports should be fun;
that’s why we call them games.
But, especially for younger kids, the
emphasis should be on enjoyment
ĂŶĚŚĞĂůƚŚ͕ƌĂƚŚĞƌƚŚĂŶĐŽŵƉĞƟ-
ƟŽŶ͘^ǁŝŵŵŝŶŐŝƐĂŶĞdžĐĞůůĞŶƚǁĂLJ
to exercise; your child might enjoy
lessons to become a stronger swim-
mer. Many sports don’t require
ďĞŝŶŐƉĂƌƚŽĨĂƚĞĂŵƚŽƉĂƌƟĐŝƉĂƚĞ
— tennis, disc golf, cycling, running
and kayaking, to name a few. Local
ƉĂƌŬƐĂŶĚƌĞĐƌĞĂƟŽŶĚŝƐƚƌŝĐƚƐŽŌĞŶ
ŽīĞƌĂƌĂŶŐĞŽĨĂĐƟǀŝƟĞƐĨŽƌLJŽƵƚŚ
of all ages, year-round.
Whatever your child’s passion
ͶƐƉŽƌƚƐ͕ǁƌŝƟŶŐ͕ƌĞĂĚŝŶŐ͕ĐŽŽŬ-
ing, music, the arts — get behind
it. As parents, we are instrumental
in helping our children succeed at
what interests them most. Their
pursuits may change as they grow,
but experiencing more only serves
to create a well-rounded adult.
________
WĞŶĚůĞƚŽŶƌĞƐŝĚĞŶƚsŝƌŐŝŶŝĂ:ƵƐƟĐĞ
ŚĂƐďĞĞŶĂƐƵďƐƟƚƵƚĞƚĞĂĐŚĞƌĂŶĚ
a parks and rec volunteer. She and
ŚĞƌŚƵƐďĂŶĚŚĂǀĞƚǁŽĐŽůůĞŐĞͲĂŐĞĚ
daughters.
ĂŶĚƐƉĞŶĚƟŵĞǀŝƐŝƟŶŐ͘KƌŐĂŶŝnjĞ
a group of children to clean up
the yard of an elderly or disabled
neighbor, an excellent way to build
ĂĨŽƵŶĚĂƟŽŶĨŽƌĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJŝŶ-
volvement.
It’s important for children to stay
ĂĐƟǀĞĨŽƌŚĞĂůƚŚ͕ŚŽǁĞǀĞƌ͕ƚŚĞƌĞ
are many ways beyond sports to
accomplish this. Encourage children
to get outside and play, have a wa-
ƚĞƌďĂůůŽŽŶĮŐŚƚ͕ǁĂůŬƚŚĞĚŽŐ͕ƌŝĚĞ
Early Childhood Education Classes: Preparing our youngest learners.
The Early Childhood Education Program
equips students with the tools needed
to work with young children from birth
to eight years of age.
GET STARTED ON YOUR NEW CAREER: 541-278-5941 | getinfo@bluecc.edu | www.bluecc.edu