This is a sponsored post on behalf of Let’s Play, but all opinions are my own.
What do you remember most about playing sports as a kid? Apart from the actual game the benefits of being physically active, becoming involved in a sports community has a lot to offer a child. And when it comes to the children I’m raising, I hope that the virtues of sportsmanship exceed their fields, courts or matches. There’s a lot I want them to remember.
As some of you may remember, I’m a 2015 Play Ambassador for Let’s Play, a Dr Pepper Snapple initiative to encourage kids and families to make play a daily priority. Today I’m over at LetsPlay.com sharing Five Parenting Tips During Sports Season and it’s filled with values I want my little players to remember during this season of their lives. While thinking about those values, I started to think about my own experiences as a soccer player and the many, many memories the game contributed to my childhood.
Here are a few of the most impactful:
I remember my dad. He showed up for every game. Sports became the glue that bonded that relationship together through lots of family drama.
I remember falling in love with water. Is that strange? To this day, I love the taste (or non-taste) of being hydrated.
I remember running. The rush of adrenaline as my legs and body would travel distances is something I’ll never forget. As an adult, who doesn’t exercise nearly as often as I should, I look forward to getting out there and playing with my kids every day.
I remember trying. I don’t remember winning or losing, but I remember the times when I tried my best and the times when I didn’t. I remember giving up and watching the opposing team score because I stopped and let my team down.
I remember building friendships. I may not remember the specific moment I met these individuals, but I do remember those moments that built trust and love for a few of my teammates who I still remain close friends with today.
I remember not being very good at my sport. I was good enough to be on competitive club teams, but was far from being the best of the players.
And I remember getting better. It took me hours and hours of dedicated practice, but each time, I saw myself improve.
I remember the players that got sad when we lost. I remember feeling bad for those players. As long as my dad smiled at me after a game and I knew I tried my best, I didn’t care if we won or lost.
I remember the meanness. Every mean thing that an opposing player said to me while on the field – from having ugly curls, thick thighs or crispy brown skin – is stuck in my memory.
I remember vindication. Being able to outrun most of those nasty girls, even if their meanness penetrated my heart, and denying them a goal into our net.
There is so much I remember about my experience playing sports that I want my kids to experience for themselves. Despite the good and the bad times, I learned a lot and grew from it. Like travel and education, sports offer children another way to absorb life lessons. In addition to the joys of being physically active (which is so important to staying healthy and feeling happy), the experience of playing group sport impacted my childhood in profound ways.
Make sure you hop over to LetsPlay.com to learn more parenting tips for sports players on and let me know what you would add!
No Comments