
The little boy mistaken for Messi’s son gave us all a lesson in good ball control. What are the advantages of soccer for youngsters? We’ll let you know them here.
Social networks were abuzz for several hours after a mix-up between the son of among the best players on the earth, Lionel Messi, and slightly Dutch boy who went viral for his skill with the ball. This gave us the kick to wonder in regards to the advantages of soccer for youngsters.
The video was shared on Instagram 1000’s of times. In it, you may see a toddler resembling Mateo, Messi’s son, dominating the ball. Nevertheless, shortly afterward, it was clarified that the actual protagonist is Amin, an 8-year-old boy from the Netherlands.
The situation is right to remind us of the importance of sport in development. Along with improving physical fitness and balance, soccer might help children develop different social and emotional skills.
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The advantages of soccer for youngsters
The practice of sports is an especially helpful activity for youngsters’s development, because it provides them with quite a few advantages that allow them to strengthen their body and mind.
Actually, a study published by the journal Health Qual Life Outcomes, suggests that there’s a close relationship between health-related quality of life and sports practice in children.
Listed below are probably the most notable advantages of soccer in children’s development.
1. It improves their physical skills
Amongst an important physical skills that children develop while playing soccer are coordination, balance, and agility. Coordination involves the power to perform controlled and precise movements with different parts of the body at the identical time.
Balance refers to the power to maintain the body in a stable position while moving or at rest. Agility, however, is said to the power to maneuver quickly and flexibly in several directions.
As well as, soccer promotes visual-spatial awareness and eye-foot coordination, which has an impact on children’s motor skills and perception of the encircling space. As you may see, soccer just isn’t only a fun sport for youngsters, but it could possibly even be a invaluable tool for his or her growth.
It’s vital for youngsters to practice physical activities that help them develop these skills, as detailed by Frontiers in Pediatrics in this text. Science has verified that there are positive ends in these elements when soccer is learned as a toddler.
2. It improves their social and emotional skills
Along with physical skills, it’s obligatory for youngsters to develop social and emotional skills for his or her growth and well-being. Amongst an important ones they’ll acquire are the next:
- Teamwork
- Perseverance
- Resilience
That is the main target of this study published by the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. It reports the evidence of physical sports activities in children and their relationship with the event of healthy prosocial behavior. This will be defined because the ability to act voluntarily and positively, showing receptiveness, helpfulness, and cooperation in relationships with others.
3. It improves their cognitive abilities
In keeping with an article published in Frontiers in Psychology, soccer is a sport that stimulates quick decision-making and problem-solving in high-pressure situations. This skill is crucial for youngsters, because it teaches them the right way to overcome challenges and deal with stressful situations.
4. It strengthens their bone density
Playing soccer for young children can have vital advantages on their bone health. In keeping with a study published within the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, in 2016, children who participated in high-impact, weight-bearing sports, resembling soccer, had greater bone density in comparison with those that didn’t.
This characteristic is important for healthy growth. Childhood and adolescence are characterised by the constant remodeling of bone tissue.
5. It keeps their general health in good condition
Being a sport that requires constant movement, children who practice it could possibly improve their cardiovascular and respiratory health. This, in turn, helps reduce their risk of developing chronic diseases in the long run.
As well as, soccer might help maintain a healthy weight. That is explained in an article published within the Nutrients Journal, which evaluated the body composition of kids playing soccer.
It was concluded that “soccer practice is positively related to increases in lean body mass and reduces in fat mass”. Specifically, this translates into more muscle and fewer adipose tissue.
Sports also improve sleep quality. Children need adequate rest for optimal growth and development.
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Tricks to encourage soccer practice in children and reap the benefits of its advantages
There’s little question that soccer practice in children will be helpful for his or her physical and emotional health, in addition to for his or her social development. Bearing this in mind, listed here are some suggestions to encourage their practice:
- Provide them with a secure and supervised environment to play.
- Highlight the importance of normal practice and constant effort.
- Motivate them by example and energetic participation of their games and competitions.
- Soccer helps them develop teamwork and cooperation skills.
- Teach them to respect the principles, in addition to their teammates and opponents.
- Motivate them to rejoice their achievements and progress, not only concentrate on results.
By following the following tips, parents can encourage their children to practice this helpful sport and contribute to their personal development. The priority should at all times be for them to rejoice with soccer and never feel any pressure.
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All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to make sure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this text was considered reliable and of educational or scientific accuracy.
- Alesi, M., Bianco, A., Padulo, J., Luppina, G., Petrucci, M., Paoli, A., Palma, A., & Pepi, A. (2015). Motor and cognitive growth following a Football Training Program. Frontiers in psychology, 6, 1627. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4621303/
- Hernandez-Martin, A., Garcia-Unanue, J., Martínez-Rodríguez, A., Manzano-Carrasco, S., Felipe, J. L., Carvalho, M. J., Gallardo, L., & Sanchez-Sanchez, J. (2021). The Effects of Football Practice on Dietary Status and Body Composition in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Evaluation. Nutrients, 13(8), 2562. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8401613/
- Li, J., & Shao, W. (2022). Influence of Sports Activities on Prosocial Behavior of Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Literature Review. International journal of environmental research and public health, 19(11), 6484. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9180162/
- Mao, X., Zhang, J., Li, Y., Cao, Y., Ding, M., Li, W., & Fan, L. (2022). The results of football practice on children’s fundamental movement skills: A scientific review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9808820/
- Mitchell, J. A., Chesi, A., Elci, O., McCormack, S. E., Roy, S. M., Kalkwarf, H. J., Lappe, J. M., Gilsanz, V., Oberfield, S. E., Shepherd, J. A., Kelly, A., Grant, S. F. A., & Zemel, B. S. (2016). Physical activity advantages the skeleton of kids genetically predisposed to lower bone density in maturity: Physical activity and pediatric bone density. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 31(8), 1504–1512. https://asbmr.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/jbmr.2872
- Moeijes, J., van Busschbach, J. T., Wieringa, T. H., Kone, J., Bosscher, R. J., & Twisk, J. W. R. (2019). Sports participation and health-related quality of life in children: results of a cross-sectional study. Health and quality of life outcomes, 17(1), 64. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30987637/
- National Alliance for Yout Sport (NAYS). (2016, junio 20). Soccer receives A+ grade for health advantages for teenagers, study finds. Consultado el 19 de abril de 2023. Disponible en: https://www.nays.org/sklive/sure-shots/soccer-receives-a-grade-for-health-benefits-for-kids-study-finds/
- Pacheco, J. R., Rueda, S. R., & Vega, C. A. (2013). Conducta prosocial: una alternativa a las conductas agresivas. Revista Investigium IRE Ciencias Sociales y Humanas, 4(1), 234-247. https://investigiumire.unicesmag.edu.co/index.php/ire/article/view/56