As a parent, it’s important to enroll your child in different activities so they can learn more about who they are and what they are passionate about. Who knows, maybe they’re the next Lionel Messi or Simone Biles, they just haven’t tried the right sport out yet! There comes a point in every child’s life where they begin to realize what sports they like and which they don’t. If this hasn’t quite happened yet and your still stuck in the trial-and-error stage, here are a few reasons why soccer should be a top contender!

1. Great Source of Exercise

If you’re looking for a high energy sport that will wear your child out, soccer is an excellent option. In a soccer game, players are always on the move in a high paced environment. Dashing down the field, lunging for the ball, or chasing an opponent, soccer is high energy with minimal contact!

2. Social Skills

Friends on the field are always your best friends off the field. Since soccer is a sport that revolves around teamwork, children get to develop their social skills and hopefully make friends that will last a lifetime!

3. Perseverance & Discipline Development

At a young age there’s little to no technical rules in soccer that the players need to stress about. However, soccer is a great way for children to learn to focus, work on their listening skills, and learn from their mistakes!

4. Improves Coordination

Balance and coordination are an important part of soccer and are important motor skills to develop at a young age. Soccer teaches children how to multitask by keeping their eyes-up and the ball at their foot, while at the same time communicating with their team.

5. Develop Teamwork Skills

Soccer’s all about working and communicating as a team. Teamwork is a hard concept for children to grasp, so by participating in a team sport, the kids will learn how to work together and reach a common goal!

6. Improve Strength & Flexibility

There’s no doubt soccer can become a difficult sport to play as players get older. It can become physically demanding with all the kicking and running, but it’s no doubt a great way for children to develop major leg and core muscles!

7. Healthy Competition

Depending on the age that you’re enrolling your child at, who knows if they even understand that soccer is a sport where you’re competing against the other team! As much as it sucks to lose, healthy competition is important to prepare for what the future holds!

8. Personal Achievement

Even though soccer is a sport that focuses on the teamwork aspect, it also allows your child to make personal improvements. They get to learn that their hard work pays off and recognize the benefits of showing up to practice every week!

9. Simple Sport

As you age, the technical and competitive aspect of soccer increases, but the basis of the game is quite simple. It’s an easy sport for your child to learn which makes it extra fun for them at a young age!

10. You Can Get Involved

As a parent, soccer is an easy sport to get involved in! With lots of volunteering, cheering at the sidelines, or even coaching, there are so many ways you can share the fun with your child!

At the end of the day what’s important is that your child is having fun. Until they can say what sports they’re enjoying the most, soccer is a great option for being their first! If you visit our Pinterest Page, you can find loads of drills and skills your player can work on to become the best they can be whether they’re new to the sport or just beginning!