There are so many benefits to encouraging your child to live a healthy lifestyle. This mental and physical wellness can be instilled from a young age, there are so many great sports providers and facilities that cater to this young market — we thought we’d share a handful from Southern California to inspire you to get your kids active.
Gymnastics is a great sport for all ages as there are skills that can be built from very early on. Toddlers can benefit from the coordination, strength building and social aspects; whilst slightly older children can build skills such as self-esteem, discipline, goal setting and social skill-building. If this is a sport your child really gets into there is plenty of room for progression and transferable skills that can be used for other athletic sports, for example, cheerleading and dance.
One provider in particular who also appreciates the lifelong benefits of sports for children is Redwood Empire Gymnastics, as they say ‘it’s not just gymnastics, it’s learning for a lifetime’. They have classes for toddlers, boys, girls and adults meaning you can find a class that’s right for the age and ability of your little one. Looking to compete? No problem Redwood Empire Gymnastics also has a competitive programme for athletes at a variety of levels. Whilst face to face teaching has currently been put on pause you can still enquire about new starters ready for when classes resume.
Swimming is a popular first sport for care providers to introduce children to because not only does it incorporate fitness into their routine it also teaches a valuable life skill that could save their life as it will reduce the risk of drowning. This is a very important skill to teach your little ones, particular you live near a beach and want your kids to feel confident in the water. There are many reasons that guardians choose to start their kids swimming young, here are just of the handful of the key reasons; increased quality time between baby and caregivers, builds muscle, may improve cognitive functioning, and improves coordination and balance.
There are plenty of providers you can choose from if you want your child to have swimming lessons. One that we recommend taking a look at is AquaTech Swim — they have two different locations around San Fransico so you can pick whichever is more convenient. Their courses start at tadpole level which is aimed at babies and toddlers aged six months to three years, parents/caregivers accompany their little ones in the pool for the interactive session led by an instructor. Currently, lessons are restricted to just 4 students per instructor so if you are keen to get lessons don’t hesitate to enquire and book yourself in.
This might not be a sport that comes to mind when you think of activities for your children to participate in but Martial Arts has many benefits for child development. Not only can it build confidence, self-esteem and discipline like with other sports but it also enables children to learn about conflict resolution, anger management and self-defence is a safe environment. If you are struggling to keep up with your kid’s energy levels an environment that encourages children to be physical in a safe way might be the perfect solution to behavioural problems you are experiencing at home.
One provider we would like to highlight to you is Intensity Martial Arts — they have seven beliefs that are prevalent throughout their facilities and classes.:
- ‘Our core values: Courtesy, Integrity, Perseverance, and Self Discipline
- Creating student Leaders that aren’t afraid to make the right choices
- Having fun while working up a sweat
- Providing high-quality instruction and guidance
- Giving our students the tools necessary to keep themselves and their loved ones protected
- Creating a family atmosphere where all ideas are shared without fear
- Making a mark in our neighborhood as a safe haven for our community members’
They have a variety of classes available for all levels from ages 3 and up. So whether you are looking for an outlet for your preteen or want to start your youngest in something new this a great club for the entire family. Take a look at their class schedule to see the different classes available!
Next up we thought we’d talk about All-Star Cheerleading! This is a sport that is hard not to love even as a spectator — it combines circus acrobatics, dance, gymnastics and more to create routines that are physically challenging for the athletes and impressive to watch as an audience. What we particularly like about this sport is that it can be enjoyed by boys and girls from a young age as there are plenty of different levels to compete at from tiny up to Senior. You may have seen cheerleaders at the sideline during a football game but All-Star cheerleaders are completely different. They don’t cheer for a sports team but instead compete for themselves in a sport that can be highly intensive. Cheerleading conditions the full body and teaches great discipline which is important for children plus they’ll love the social aspect fo training and competing with other kids their age.
If you are interested in signing your kid up for cheerleading take a look at Cheer Obsession Athletics, they have options for sideline teams and All-Star teams so you can pick the option that is right for you. Located at 555 Rohnert Park Expressway, Suite D, Rohnert Park, CA 94928 they have fantastic facilities and coaches that can help your children reach their full potential.
Finally, we have one more sport for you that we think kids would love to take a swing at… baseball! This is another sport that has many great advantages for little ones including; enhanced motor skills, builds patience when under pressure, good sportsmanship (win or lose), and encourages teamwork. With summer well underway Baseball season is here and it’s never been a better time to get your children active after a lazy few months under Covid-19 restrictions.
If you are looking for clubs perfect for kids of all ability and ages take a look at is Sierra Youth Sports, they have incredible pitches that are well maintained throughout the year to create the perfect space for Baseball practice. Their group sessions are aimed at kids between 3 and 14 (divided into classes based on age and ability). If you are looking for a great way to introduce sports to your family give baseball a try.
We would love to hear from you if you have any experiences to share with these organizations, or others you would like to mention in your community. Tell us what sports you do, what you are passionate about, or what you are thinking about doing next.
Thanks for reading, and stay active!
Cheers for now
Charlotte
Team SPORFORYA
Originally published at https://www.sporforya.com on July 31, 2020.
