Next week we're going to have a first in our family: our little guy is starting soccer for the first time! We have literally no idea what to expect, but we do know that he needs cleats, shin guards, and a ball.
The good news is the first couple of years of organized sports for littles is pretty lax, and the other good news is you're (probably) already doing all the things you need to do to get your kids all ready to play sports with all the other littles out there!
If you're in the same boat as our fam, and you're getting ready to see your littles do their thing on the soccer field, the baseball diamond, or the football field for the first time, then take a look at some of the things that will help them get the most out of playing organized sports this year!
Sharing
See, I told you you've been working on things that will help them in sports! Sharing is one of the key things that will help them get the most out of their time playing organized sports. Nothing is harder than seeing your little freak out because they have to wait their turn while others play. It's kind of mortifying. So working on sharing is pretty much the most important part of prepping them for sports.
Board Games
Okay this one has been big for our son. Considering the fact that he's 4, he's still prone to losing his cool when he doesn't win or get his way. SO. We started playing board games with him as a way to show him that even if he doesn't win, he still has fun playing. This is something that will be a big part of sports: you're not always going to be on the winning team. The first couple times that we played a game as a family, it was pretty much the worst. He cried. A lot. There was a lot of explaining. A lot of redirecting. A lot of games. Change up the games, make sure there are some where there are teams and some where they play solo so they learn how to celebrate their personal victories and team victories.
Practice
Depending on the sport they'll be playing, it's a good idea to get them out where they'll be playing and practicing! I don't love playing soccer. Shocking? Probably not. But he loves it! So going outside and kicking the ball around for a little bit every day is not going to kill me and it will help him feel more confident when he does start playing a real game. Is your little doing swim team? Gear up for a lot of pool days, mama! Baseball? Pitch and hit in the backyard. A little bit every day will help them to feel like they've got it down once they're out with the team.