It’s hard to define parenting, but it is basically a giant mess of teeny-tiny complex decisions with each one having an impact on your kid in some way or another. On the lesser end of the scale, you have things like cereal or toast for breakfast and, at the more severe end, you’ve got which school should you send them to. But somewhere in the middle is choosing a sport for your child to enjoy.

Spoiler alert: it’s a bigger decision than you may have realised.

Body type, mentality, interest, physical demands, skill level; all if it means each kid is better suited to a different sport. So, how can you help your little one pick the on that will best suit their needs and interests?

1. Table of Contents

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   See What Sticks

The more sports you can expose your kid to the better chance you have of determining which is best for them, or which they will love more. That could mean getting a load of different sports up on YouTube. Or even taking them to live sporting games. Then it just becomes a matter of chatting to them about what they love and loathe about each one.

2. Spot The Signs

Every time you expose a sport your kid, make sure you are keeping a little eye on how they react. See what is interesting them. It could be the players, it could be the strategy, it could be the team play or playing as an individual. Watch, listen and make a note of any hints they give.

3. Let Them Play

You and your kid aren’t going to know what hits the mark until they actually get involved. That’s why you’ve gotta see what clubs are around you. See if there is a soccer clinic they can go to, sign them up for a badminton taster session, hire some ice skates at your local rink, see if there is a little league in your area. Anything and everything. What they thought they might like on the television may not become reality, and what they thought they wouldn’t like they may have a natural talent for.

4. Go One-On-One

It’s a rite of passage that a daddy has to go through; the teaching your child to play sports one-on-one. It’s about standing in your garden, throwing a baseball back and forth for three hours solid. Or buying some traffic cones and having your kid dribble a soccer ball in and out. It’s about helping your child develop in the most least-threatening environment ever. It is about fun and enjoyment and improving skills. It’s as simple as that.

5. It Comes With Responsibility

Getting stuck into a sport – any sport – comes with a few responsibilities that are worth teaching you kid about. Self-discipline, the taking part, being able to win with grace and to lose with honour. It is about looking after their kit and their equipment. It is about sacrificing time and effort to get better. That’s what sport will teach them, but you may need to give them a little guidance too.