As parents, we have an overwhelming desire to give to our children. When they hit preschool, we receive invitations to join a local baseball team or soccer program. As other kids join we sign our kids up too—the thought of our kids missing out on an opportunity being the driving force. We have the best intentions in mind, but do we objectively consider whether our child is ready to play? Unfortunately, a sports readiness exam does not exist. There is no written outline of the basic skills necessary for kids who enter the often harsh world of athletics. For young children (ages 3-6), readiness is both mental and physical. Some children mature physically before mentally while some are the opposite. Due to the variations, parents should evaluate physical and mental readiness separately. As the mother of five unique young athletes and the owner of a sports training center, I’ve compiled some guidelines that may help parents determine readiness:

Mental Readiness

Is your child able to sustain focus? Practice for a specific sport usually involves a group of other children and at least 30-60 minutes of attention. For this to be a pleasant experience for a child, the coach and the rest of the team, a young athlete must be able to sustain focus for the length of the practice. A child who is ready to play soccer on a team, should be able to kick a ball back and forth for 10-15 minutes without getting sidetracked by another activity or losing interest altogether. If a child cannot do this, practices and games will not be enjoyable. There is a big difference between a one day soccer clinic and a 10-week soccer season with two practices per week. A child must be interested enough in the activity to focus on it for the time required by the program in consideration.
Is your child able to take instruction? This is a tricky one for parents, since our delivery often affects how well our children take instruction. In evaluating a child’s readiness for sports, a determination must be made on whether or not a child is able to listen to instruction and then perform the movement or skill. Being able to hear a request, comprehend what is required and follow with execution are essential skills for participating in any sport. A child who is not yet able to process instruction will find games very frustrating.

Making sure a child is mentally ready to begin playing a sport is one of the keys to ensuring that the initial experience is more positive than frustrating. Another key is determining if a child is physically ready.

Physical Readiness

Physical readiness is not simply being physically gifted. Not every student is a math whiz and not every athlete is a superstar. Physical readiness is about possessing the basic skills necessary to take the field or court with confidence. Here are a few basic guidelines for determining physical readiness to play sports:

Does your child run and move with ease? Most team sports involve running for an extended period of time. Children should be able to run at different speeds and in various directions with relative ease. Most kids become more confident in their own bodies through exploration and play. A child who struggles to run and move will have a very frustrating sports experience.
Can your child perform the basic skills of the sport? Before asking young athletes to compete or perform, make sure they have the basic skills necessary to do so. A child is not ready to join a soccer team if she cannot kick a ball. Perfect technique is not essential, but familiarity with the basic motions required for any sport goes a long way towards making that first practice less intimidating. Furthermore, a child that fears a moving ball is probably not ready for the baseball team. If a child is uncomfortable playing catch in their own backyard, imagine how they would feel when the ball is flying at them in a game situation with a captive audience watching. Basic sport skills include kicking, catching, throwing and bouncing a ball. A child should become comfortable with these skills in a non-competitive environment before joining a team.

Mental Preparation: What Parents Can Do

1. Practice concentration in a pressure free environment. Practices have a beginning, middle and end. Prepare your child for this by putting on equipment, playing and then putting it away. Stretch the amount of time your child plays one game and always stop to clean up before beginning something else.
2. Be a coach…but stay fun and relaxed. Learning new skills should be fun, so make skill acquisition a game. For example, set up targets and instruct your child to kick a ball at them. Your child should learn to alter motion and behavior to meet your requests. Remind your child to listen to all of your instructions before beginning. And remind yourself to keep the instructions brief!

Physical Preparation: What Parents Can Do

1. Play tag. Sports require agility. At its most basic form, agility is the ability to change directions and avoid other players or objects. Playing tag teaches agility in a fun and low stress environment. Playing tag will allow your child to change direction, stop and re-start movement, and vary his or her speed all to avoid being tagged by you. Play in a contained area to maximize use of the above skills.

2. Teach the basics. As your child’s first teacher, you should serve as their first coach too. Before starting a sport, make sure your child is competent and confident in the basic skills. Play pass with a soccer ball. Set up targets and take turns trying to kick a ball at them. Play catch with your child. Repeat the target game, but change it up by throwing a ball. Teach your child to throw overhand and underhand. Roll a ball and teach your child to scoop it up. Bounce a ball back and forth with your child. Practice catching a ball off the bounce and practicing dribbling a ball with both hands. A youth sports coach will teach your child some of the skills and rules for soccer but if your child arrives confident in his ability to kick the ball, the experience will be more enjoyable.

Just like academic readiness, athletic readiness begins at home. As parents, we have an opportunity to be involved in our children’s first exposure to sports. If their first exposure to sports is done in a fun and non-threatening way, a child will enter the world of sports excited and enthusiastic. The best preparation takes place as play. Grab a ball and head outside. You could be laying the foundation for a life of successful physical activity.