Not all kids are alike. And while Kai down the street may flourish playing on a soccer team, Tosh is more of a solo player and likes individual sports. Both individual and team sports have their pluses and minuses. Let’s check it out…
Individual Sports
Individual sports such as surfing, swimming, wrestling, or tennis can offer a child a chance to go at their own pace. The focus can be to work hard at doing better themselves (get a better score, a better swim time etc.) rather than “win.”
Additionally, your child can be on a team but still compete individually. This allows them the camaraderie of teammates, but lets your keiki excel on their own.
Team Sports
Team sports such as football, soccer, or paddling all involve teamwork. Your child must learn to work together with other kids to get to that common goal. This will allow them to both rely on others and help others when needed.
So which one should your child do?
Let your child try them both out. They can do soccer one season, and then swimming or tennis the next. See which one allows them to excel. You may see that your child doesn’t like to be the focus of attention, so a swimming race all on their own may not be the best. On the other hand, make sure that if they do a team sport, they aren’t overshadowed, or don’t feel as if they’re lost in a crowd on the field.
Ultimately, you want your child to feel empowered and you may find they excel and enjoy both individual and team sports. Both can help them hone skills that will help them in life as they get older.
