Basketball Programs Can Teach Kids More Than Just The Game

Playing basketball is a great activity for kids; it’s fun and can teach them skills on many different levels! Physically, it’s an excellent cardiovascular and muscle workout that will enhance their fitness and make them strong, yet the real benefits of playing basketball go way deeper than a mere workout. At All Sports Kids, our basketball programs are designed to give your child all the benefits that come with playing and learning a new sport.

Are you still on the fence about signing little Suzy or Johnny up to play? Maybe you’re not sure how joining a program beats going to the park to play a game of pick-up? Below are just some of the reasons that you should ‘make the call’ and invest in a new extracurricular program for your child.

10 Key Life Lessons That Basketball Teaches Kids

Basketball training camps and participating in games teaches kids real-life skills that set them up to succeed in their future careers and relationships. We have a full basketball court in our air-conditioned facility at All Sports Kids, and we’ve seen firsthand how much children benefit from playing. Here are our top 10 real-life skills that kids learn from basketball.

1. Hard Work Always Pays Off

Basketball teaches kids that if you want something, you have to be prepared to work at it. The coordination that it takes to consistently nail perfect jump shots or regularly make free throws only comes about through training. To do this, you need to practice over and over until it becomes second nature. Not only will their hard work pay off on the court, but also in creating an established work ethic.

2. Winning Isn’t The Only Reason To Play

Focusing on winning games as the goal of playing basketball is common, but it doesn’t equip kids for when things don’t go their way. With winning as the goal, a lost match is a setback that can take a lot of energy and coaching to come back from. The truth is, there is so much more value in the practice and playing basketball than those sweet, but fleeting moments of victory at the end of a game.

3. Failing Is Valuable

Failing is never a goal, or something we set out to achieve, but some of life’s most valuable lessons are learned when we fail. Learning from your mistakes is an invaluable skill. Finding the courage to try again, (and again, and again!) forms the foundation for success that is constructive, not destructive.

4. What It Means To Be Part Of A Team

Basketball teaches kids to work together. It helps them learn that it’s okay to acknowledge your weak areas, and allow others to shine in those moments. Working as a team teaches ‘give and take,’ it teaches interdependence and community. Playing for the same team gives kids a common goal that will help them bond with their fellow teammates. Our All Sports Kids photo gallery gives you a sneak peek into some of the special times kids have had with us since we opened in Tamarac, Florida in 2014.

5. Making Sacrifices For Something You Value

Being involved in a team sport such as basketball sometimes means giving up other activities. Often it will mean missing out on social events that clash with practice or game times. It will mean making hard choices because they’ve committed themselves. All of this is great practice for when they are older and face difficult choices that will impact their lives.

6. Time Management

Basketball, much like other sports, requires a dedicated commitment to be at practices and games. Involvement in basketball won’t give them a free pass to skimp on the schoolwork they have to get through, but it will help them to learn to use their time wisely. They’ll become experts at planning their time to accommodate all the things they want to do.

7. The Other Side Of Success

Success, or winning, is also an opportunity to learn. Winning graciously, while being aware of the feelings of the team that lost, is not something that always comes naturally, but is the mark of a true champion. Being proud of your achievement doesn’t mean you have to bring the other team down.

8. Step Up & Take The Lead

There are moments in every basketball game when it all rests on one player and their ability to step up and own the moment. Learning to recognize those moments and knowing how to seize them is a skill that carries through to adulthood and a successful career.

9. How To Push Through Adversity & Challenges

Every basketball player has known the pain of injury. There are times that need you to dig deeper and push yourself further than you thought you could. Kids discover their resilience and their ability to push through pain and tough challenges through playing basketball.

10. Respect Others

In a society that tends to be me-focused, basketball helps kids see beyond themselves and their needs. They learn to treat others with respect, they value their teammates and protect each other’s dignity.

Basketball Programs Equip Kids For Life

Basketball is a sport that will benefit your kid physically, but also mentally and emotionally. The life-lessons they’ll be taught by playing a team sport will see them through childhood and beyond as strong, capable and resilient, but also compassionate and caring. At All Sports Kids, you can sign up for regular basketball coaching, or you can enroll your kid in one of our summer basketball sports camps to keep them busy during their break from school! Call us today at 954-746-5437 to find out more.