Many parents come across the question of whether or not it is worth all of the money to put their kids in sports camps. Many times they view it as glorified and expensive babysitting. While at times they may be right, youth sports camps provide many underlying benefits.
The unique times we are in have had a detrimental effect on our children. The social interactions that they missed out on have had a negative effect on their overall mood, behavior, development, and well being. Now that COVID has subsided in a number of states, and our children are primarily back at school it is the perfect time to put them into more social sports related activities. Sports camps are ideal because the majority of them take place outdoors providing the safety that we hope for when protecting against the virus.
Sports camps positively impact your son or daughter by enforcing teamwork, strategic thinking, and encouraging self-confidence, perseverance, problem-solving, independence, and responsibility. While sports camps differ from sports teams, camp programs still encourage physical activity and competition. Establishing a mindset of staying active will transfer into their teenage and young adult years.
The purpose of athletic sports camps is to teach youth about sports and other non-sport-specific skills. Camp programs help kids grow into well-rounded, healthy individuals who can try new things and push themselves to excel at anything in life.
They learn to work together, make choices, take responsibility, develop creative skills, build independence and self-reliance, and gain confidence. All are necessary steps on a child’s path to a healthy, productive life.
So next time you are wondering if it is worth the money to sign them up for that camp remember that it is much more than just hiring a babysitter for a few hours a day. You are paying to have them experience a number of lessons that help them to grow into amazing young people.
