Tips to Prepare Your Teens for a New Sports Season

Every start of the sports season is a new beginning, and this is when athletes need to get in the zone when it comes to preparing for all the events that are about to happen. Many teens wait for the beginning of their practices and competition all year long and when this moment finally arrives, they want to be as ready as they can be.

From having all the right equipment, to getting better at the competition, there are many ways you can help your teen prepare for a new season. Parents often see this as an opportunity to practice with their children.  Also, in creating a new bond using the kids’ favourite sport. If you’d like to motivate your children and teach them how to be successful, there are some tips and tricks that will help you start the season as a true champ.

Consider sports camps  

If your teens are interested in pursuing a career in sports or simply like to be surrounded by peers who enjoy the same activities, then enrolling them in a sports camp could be the best decision. These camps are perfect when it comes to practicing and learning new skills, but also when it comes to socialization and helping your teen overcome social anxiety. All the activities are carefully selected, from those that will help your kids upgrade their skills and routines, to those that will inspire them to improve other aspects of the game.  Such as, different techniques, mental games, and how to play an individual and team sport.

Healthy diet

A healthy diet isn’t important just during the season, and it’s also important to think about the food your teen eats once the season is over. It’s crucial to teach your children how to eat properly and what the best food for their age might be. It will be hard to prevent them from eating junk food but try to find a balance and prepare fast food in a healthy way. Make your own bread and burgers, use the oven to make some French potatoes, and make healthy juices instead of store-bought ones. Also, hydration is a must.  So, always try to remind them to drink plenty of water.  This will keep their muscles relaxed and prevent them from getting tired too quickly.

The right gear

When it comes to sports gear, every season brings something new and exciting for your teens. From new comfortable leggings that will help your teen move more rapidly. To activewear that might help them even before the season starts.  There are always lots of new choices you need to look into. In addition to that, make sure that the equipment your kids used the previous season is still in good condition. Ask their coach to give you advice on what your teen will need.  As well as how you can boost their performance with new gear. Keep in mind that the right gear could help young athletes boost their performance.  So, don’t be afraid to check out some of the best options that are perfect for your teen’s favourite sport.

Mental health

This is one of the most overlooked things when it comes to preparing your teens for a new sports season. Children, especially teenagers, can be sensitive and perhaps easily hurt. It doesn’t matter if they’re being teased by other kids or they’re simply afraid they won’t be good enough.  All these things could end up causing serious mental health problems. So, you need to talk to your teen about the importance of being active, feeling the desire to compete, and having something they would invest their time in. Explain to them why we sometimes need to lose and why it’s important to fail to become stronger and learn how to cope with the negative side of competing. Teach them how to keep their head up and continue practicing even when things get tough because this is what all professional athletes do.

Get a sports physical

Sometimes parents tend to forget that their teens are fragile because their bodies are still developing and changing.  So, it’s crucial to get a physical to detect any possible problems. From unhealed sports injuries to some that could’ve happened before the new season, you need to do this examination.  And, know everything there is to know about their condition. Sometimes things like asthma, heart conditions, or injuries are detected during these tests,  So, this is the best reason to get your child to the doctor before the season starts.

There are many ways parents could help their teens prepare for a new sports season.  However, the most important thing to do is to have faith in them and always boost their spirit. You need to cherish the fact that your child wants to be active.  As well as have a hobby, or even start a professional career.  So, your attention and support are crucial.

How to Get Your Dog Involved in Family Sports Activities

If you’re looking to get your dog involved in outdoor activities, then family sports may be the perfect solution. Most dogs enjoy going along for a run or a bicycle ride with their owners.

Getting them involved in organized sports is also a great idea. There are several reasons why getting your dog more active is a good idea.

1) Great way to bond with your pets!

If you have children, this is a wonderful way for some quality time with all of them at once. Exercise and physical activity are always beneficial to the health of humans and animals alike, so it’s a win-win for everyone!

It’s an excellent way to get out of the house on beautiful days that would otherwise go unused. You can even do some bonding with your neighbours while you do it.

2) Let’s your dog indulge their natural instincts.  

Most dogs are naturally predisposed to running, fetching, and other forms of hunting-type activities. They love the chance to run around freely with lots of new sights and smells for them!

You can make a day out of it by visiting parks or even just taking a walk down the street near your house. You have the opportunity to let them chase some balls or just play with each other!

3) Increases activity levels & helps prevent obesity/health problems.   

Dogs that are overweight are at higher risk for all kinds of health problems, not least being diabetes. Dogs that exercise regularly also have better overall mental health, too.

It’s a great way to keep your dog in shape and healthy while you have fun with them outside. They’ll love the chance to run around and burn off some energy!

4) Helps strengthen the bond between your pets and family members.   

Balancing exercise for all family members helps make everyone healthier and happier. It gives you another opportunity to spend time with your dog doing something other than playing video games or watching TV together.  

You’re also setting a great example for any children who may want a pet of their own someday, teaching them how important it is to take care of animals by keeping them active and happy at the same time!

5) Great way to train and socialize pets.   

Some dogs (and even cats!) like getting the chance to play with other animals, especially if they’re the same size and breed.  This can be a great way for your dog to learn good social skills and get trained by you at the same time! It’s also an excellent outlet for important mental stimulation, further reducing destructive or obsessive behavior in house pets.

So How do I Get Started?  

If you’ve never been involved in organized sports before, don’t worry! There are lots of dog-friendly options out there!

Start out by asking around among friends and family members who have active lifestyles – they might just know a few places where you can get involved. Check out local pet stores, groomers, and vets for more information.  

If you’re still having trouble, the American Kennel Club is a good place to start.  They maintain listings of all kinds of dog-friendly sporting activities in your area, including agility training courses and even swim teams!  The Australian National Kennel Council is another option.

How to Prepare Your Dog for Sport Activities   

Getting your pets involved in sports is a lot of fun, but it doesn’t always go as expected. If you want to make sure they enjoy and excel at their new hobby, then take the following steps:

1) Make sure they’re healthy enough

It’s never a good idea for dogs who are sick or stressed out to participate in physical activity. It might even worsen existing conditions like arthritis or canine cancer. Always check with your vet before they start participating!  

2)  Make sure they’re socialized

Dogs that have been neglected or abused don’t always get along well with other animals. It can be very dangerous if an aggressive dog gets on a swim team, so keep this in mind when you’re thinking about bringing them along!

3) Make sure they like water.  

Unfortunately, not all dogs like to swim or play around in the water. If you hope they participate in canine sports, then you may have to find alternatives for any dogs who can’t stand being near wet stuff!   

4) Condition your dogs before training begins.    

Involve yourself in lots of car rides and other activities that get your dogs comfortable being around new people and places before their first day of actual team training begins. It will reduce the chances of them getting overwhelmed by what’s going on around them, helping prevent injuries as well!

5) Keep ’em hydrated!     

Dogs are just as susceptible to dehydrating and heatstroke as we are, so make sure you always bring along plenty of water for them throughout the day. Especially if they’re swimming! Keep lots of water bowls available wherever your pets may be playing around during their practice times.   

6) Reward good behaviour!    

You can’t expect your pets to just get better at sports overnight – it takes a lot of repetition and positive reinforcement from their owners. Make sure you praise them all the time when they do something right, whether it’s fetching a specific ball or not getting distracted by another animal on the field. A small healthy treat goes a long way! They’ll learn faster what they should be doing in order to earn treats and affection from you!

7) Remind yourself that it’s fun!   

Even though some dogs may be more naturally inclined towards sports training, participation in any kind of athletic activity is a positive thing for them. As long as you’re having fun with your pets and encouraging their best efforts, then don’t worry about whether or not they’re following along perfectly or keeping up. Let them enjoy themselves!   

There you have it, folks!  Simple pointers on how to get your dogs involved in dog-sports activities. Keep in mind that every dog is different and may have different needs for a positive experience during training sessions. Be sure you’re not pushing them too hard, and remember to reward the good behaviour when they do something right!

 

Help Your Children Pick the Right Sport

Being a parent is the best feeling in the world.  However, it’s also one of the hardest things in the world, especially when it comes to being a responsible parent. Doing that is far from being easy.  So, you need to do whatever you can to make sure your kids are happy and protected.  But, also encouraged to follow their dreams. This is particularly the case when speaking about motivating them to pursue their sports dreams and making all their wishes come true. The only way to make that happen is by having them pick their perfect sport on their own – doing this instead of them or forcing them to pick an idea that suits you the most is never a good idea. Instead, think about their wishes and aspirations, and try to find a way to help them pick the right sport that’s going to work for them the most.

Watch them carefully

The best way to make this process successful and efficient is to listen to your kids’ wishes, respect them, and follow their lead as much as you can. However, there’s another thing you can do.  And, that might turn out to be even more efficient when it comes to younger kids – watching them carefully and trying to figure out their preferences.

Some kids are active and love running around the house from the moment they start walking, while others are passive and prefer using their hands or feet. The former might, therefore, grow into successful runners, and the latter into successful basketball or soccer players. Since you’re with them every single day, you could figure these things out early on and encourage them to follow their natural preferences.

Talk to them

 

Another way to help your kids pick the right sport for them is to talk to them openly. Some kids are into popular sports – soccer, volleyball, handball, basketball, or baseball.  While, others prefer something less usual and common that might allow them to show their talent and unique abilities. That’s why talking to your loved ones is crucial because you need to know their wishes and thoughts.

While doing that, though, you need to stay open to everything they say and try not to slow them down. If your kid is into golf, for instance.  Then, you need to encourage them to explore their passion no matter how you feel about it. The same goes for all sports, whether you like them or not, because it’s your kids who’ll be enjoying them and not you.

Talk to other parents

This is another idea you might take into consideration.  Especially, if you can’t understand your kids’ preferences, or if your kids aren’t sure what sports they’re into. With millions of parents in the world struggling with the same problems, you shouldn’t have a problem finding someone who might give you a tip or two, and help you reach a solution.

Reaching out to parents is easy – just talk to your own friends or siblings who have kids of the same age and have gone through this process. They’ll share their experiences with you and help you and your children make the right decision, but don’t be afraid to consult strangers as well. If you use the stories shared by the users of a versatile Mumli motherhood app, for instance, you’ll be able to learn quite a lot about this entire process and manage to help your kids pick the right sport for them. This way, you’ll know that you’re doing the right thing.  Plus, making sure they’re using the most of their potential when it comes to sports.

Let them pick on their own – and make mistakes

In the end, this might easily be the most efficient and natural way to go. After all the encouragement and support, your kids are going to be able to make up their own minds and reach their own decision. Letting them pick on their own isn’t a sign of bad parenting, even though this is what most people think.  On the contrary, this is a way to show your kids that you support them.  As well as trusting them to do the right thing.

Of course, this entire thing is nothing but a process full of mistakes and errors, but that’s quite fine. Your children will try out different sports before finding the perfect one.  Nevertheless, it’s your job as a parent to be there for them every step of the way.

Once your kids find a sport they love the most, there’s just one more thing to do.  Find them a sports camp where they’ll be able to develop their skills and take them to a new level.  So, please check out the options available at Australian Sports Camps!  This will help them gain more confidence and work on their abilities.  And, they’ll soon fall in love with playing their favourite sports more than ever!

 

 

How to Help Your Kids Follow Their Sports Dreams

Being a great parent means helping your kids follow their dreams – whatever they’re into – and you need to make sure you support them in all their activities. This is particularly true for children who are athletic and into sports because some of them may have a chance to turn their dreams into reality in the end. Becoming a professional athlete is never easy, but it’s much less stressful and difficult if you have parents who support you.  So, if you wish to be one of the best parents in the world, this is precisely what you need to do. If your children have problems following their dreams, here are a few things you might be able to do to help them.

Take them to a great sports camp

Sports camps are among the most effective and interesting ways for your loved ones to enjoy sports on a whole new level. This is where they can meet other kids who share their passion, discover what they’re good at, and figure out what it’s like to be a professional athlete. Sports camps have been attracting children for ages, and there’s a reason for that, and their benefits are numerous.

Still, not all sports camps are the same and you have to invest quite a lot of time and energy into finding the best camp for your children. Talk to them, ask them for their opinion, and try to find a solution that works for them as well. Once you do that, you need to continue being an amazing parent – from driving your kids to their camps and other sports events to cheering for them every single time, these are all the things that will help your children fall in love with sports even more and enjoy their camping experience.

Be there for the selection process

In case your children are still not sure what sport they’d like to explore in the future, you might have a problem – if they don’t know what to do, they probably won’t be able to make the right choice on their own, and they’ll just end up wasting their time and energy on wrong sports. That’s why you need to be there and help them reach their decision before it’s too late.

There are two things you need to do when it comes to helping your kids make their choice – support everything they say and be there for them whatever they choose.  Then make a suggestion of your own, that might suit your kids, without them even realizing it. Whichever alternative you opt for, you’ll be making a huge difference in your kids’ sports lives, and that’s something they won’t forget!

Support every step of their career

Once your kids pick the perfect sport for them and spend a few years developing their skills, you need to help them take the next step and find a way to become professional athletes. This is a process that takes a long time and requires tons of patience, but it’s also something that might help them realize all their dreams and become the athletes they’ve always wanted to become.

Your role in this process is quite simple – drive your kids around, make sure they attend all their practices, provide them with all the necessary equipment, and send them to sports camps as often as you can. All these things require money, though, which is why lots of parents are struggling to do them, but if you find great personal loans, you won’t have to worry about these things. You’ll be able to finance your kids’ sports careers and invest money in their future, and that’s something you can’t put a price on.

Be ready for changes

Kids are known for changing their minds quite frequently, and it doesn’t matter how old they are and what the situation is. So, don’t be surprised if your kids ask you to help them pick another sport because they don’t want to spend their time on the previous one anymore.

This entire process might end up being boring, stressful, and time-consuming, but it’s also one of the most important processes in your kids’ lives. That’s why enduring it and remaining positive is a must, and that’s precisely what you need to do as well when your children start being uncertain regarding their future sports careers. But, if you keep being supportive and listening to their needs and ideas, they’ll certainly find a way to be happy with their choice.

Helping your kids follow their sports dreams is a long process, but a fun one. Just stay calm and keep listening to your children, and they’ll appreciate all your support and care, and eventually end up realizing their full sports potential!

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Design for Play: A Guide to Creating Backyard Playing Field for Kids

No matter how big your apartment is and no matter how much manoeuvring space your kids have, the chances are it’s not going to be enough. Kids of all ages love spending time in the open and that’s why lots of young parents consider moving into a proper house. Unlike apartments, houses usually come with some space in the front or the back, and this is where your kids can spend their free time. However, if you want to make that happen, you need to spice up your backyard and make sure it’s ready for your children. Turning it into an area where they can enjoy various sports might take a while, but it’s not impossible.  So, if you’re trying to do that as well, here are a few ideas you might want to take into consideration.

Define the space

Not all children need the same amount of space for playing sports, and not all sports require the same amount of space. This is why you have to think about the space you have and the space you need.  As well as defining the amount of space you’ll be able to dedicate to your kids and their sports activities. Think about the size of different sports courts and pitches, and think how big you can go.

In most cases, this is the entire backyard, especially with tiny backyard spaces that don’t have enough room for anything else. In other cases, though, you’ll be able to have some room for some outdoor furniture and hang out with your loved ones while they’re enjoying playing soccer, basketball, football, or other sports.

Define the sports

Most children love simple sports we’ve just mentioned.  And, if that’s the case with your kids as well – great! This means you won’t have to invest too much time, money, and energy into designing a space for them in the backyard, no matter how old your kids are and how many kids you have. However, some children are fans of other sports – from volleyball and handball to lacrosse and squash.  So, that means you’ll have to think outside the box before you’re able to create a perfect playing area for them.

But, regardless of the sports your kids prefer, there’s one issue you have to consider – will they be able to use their new backyard space for several different sports? For instance, they can use the grass space for soccer, and football, and if you opt for an improvised basketball court, they’ll also be able to play handball and squash there. This makes everything easier and more practical, and your kids will be free to explore different sports without feeling confined.

Define the boundaries

Speaking of feeling confined, this is one of the most important features of your kids’ new outdoor space. They should feel free and encouraged to explore different sports and activities.  But, also they should also be safe and protected. This means you should make sure nothing bad happens to them while they’re playing and having a great time, but that’s not easy to do.

One of the things you have to do is talk to your kids about boundaries and teach them not to leave their backyard no matter what happens. Most kids will try to run after a ball and catch it before it ends up on the street, but this is far from safe. You need to tell them how dangerous that behaviour can be, but you should also think about using  protective fencing products that will help you do that. Installing fences is now easier than ever, and if you pick the right fence, you’ll take the visual appeal of your backyard to a new level, which makes this a win-win scenario for you and your kids.

Define the refreshments

After enjoying their favourite sports, your kids are going to feel hungry and thirsty, and that means they’ll rush into the kitchen and demand some refreshments. Most parents aren’t fans of this behaviour, especially if the kids are dirty, muddy, and sweaty.  Which, is why they prefer having them eat and drink in the open.

Installing a small outdoor kitchen shouldn’t be too hard, no matter how much free space you have in the backyard. All you’ll need is a fridge, a few chairs, and an BBQ oven – and you’ll be able to prepare your children all the food and drinks they need!

Turning your backyard into a space where your children can play all day long isn’t too hard.  So, start turning these ideas into reality today!  But, if that’s still all too difficult,  you can consider alternate options, such as sending your children to an indoor or outdoor sports camp:  Australian Sports Camps.

Author Name: Emma Joyce Emma Joyce is a mom who likes to write about her life as a parent. Since exploring the difficulties of balancing two active boys and her job, she learned how to multitask.  As well as sharing that experience with other busy mums. Emma also writes about and her interest in sport, children’s sport and sport related activities. Author’s Website URL – http://www.smoothdecorator.com/