What is the best sport for your child?

The father watches the boy play wrestling with his friends and already imagines a judo champion at home. The mother sees in the delicacy of her daughter’s movements a born dancer. What seems to be just a projection of the parents’ desires onto their children is, in fact, the best way to know the ideal sport for each child. That’s because, while the little ones still can’t express what they want, adults end up making the choice.

According to Soraia Chung Saura, a professor at the Department of Pedagogy of Human Movement at USP, the first big mistake is ignoring what she calls the child’s manifest power. “Common sense leads one to believe that, if the child is afraid of water, it is best to introduce him to swimming from an early age. But that idea is completely wrong,” she says. “First, because he works against his will, which is probably something else, like playing ball or dancing. Second, because it can traumatize her. Sport is, above all, related to pleasure.”

Pediatric orthopedist Wilson Lino Junior, from Hospital Infantil Sabará, in São Paulo, agrees. “Parents should observe what their child likes to do and how he likes to play while he is not yet old enough to discern,” he explains. After that, the ideal is that the child himself expresses his will. And even then, maybe in a year she’ll change her mind. “Childhood is the phase of experimentation, testing, discovering new things. So, if the little one wants to go swimming and, next year, asks to switch to karate, instead of scolding, parents should encourage. The more sports he knows, the more he will be able to know what he really likes”, says the orthopedist.

Although the American Heart Association suggests 60 minutes of intense physical activity a day as ideal, there are children who may need more than that to deplete energy and others who are overwhelmed with less. Observing your child is, again, the best method for not making mistakes. “If the child complains of pain or shows discouragement for other activities that he liked, it may be that he is too tired”, says Wilson. To help with the evaluation, Abelardo Bastos Pinto Jr., president of the School Health Committee of the Society of Pediatrics of Rio de Janeiro, recommends that parents are always in contact with the pediatrician. “Follow-up and supervision will guarantee the necessary security of indications for each sport and the intensity of practice”, he says.

Experts also warn of another point: “Physical activity is when the little one spends energy in a playful way, playing, and it is the most recommended activity until the age of 3”, explains Wilson. Sport, on the other hand, is directed, but for children under 6 years old, it still does not have the sense of competition. “Until that age, the child is too young to understand the notion of the collective”, completes Soraia.

As every rule has exceptions, there is the case of sports suitable for children under 3 years old, such as swimming and yoga classes for babies. “Swimming develops psychomotor and respiratory capacity. Normally, I release the little ones from 1 year old, with the caveat that it is essential to ensure the hygiene and safety conditions of the place”, says Abelardo. The yoga classes, on the other hand, work on breathing and the development of balance in a playful and smooth way, making babies imitate the poses and sounds of animals. “Of course, concentration and focus should not be required for meditation. As in sports, the class is adapted for age and works a lot on stretching, which is very valuable at this stage when you start walking”, says Wilson.

As they don’t yet have formed cartilage to support large loads, children can get hurt if they go beyond the limits of an activity. But this hardly happens in a supervised class – in general, by a physical education teacher. Taking this into account, it is possible to state that the risks are practically zero, while the benefits are countless. A sedentary lifestyle increases the likelihood of diseases such as coronary heart disease, heart attacks and obesity, raises blood pressure, predisposes to diabetes and lowers good cholesterol. “The worrying thing is that all these diseases are starting to appear in young children, before the age of 10. That is, we are not just talking about a risk for when they reach adulthood”, warns the pediatric orthopedist. “And the simple inclusion of regular physical activity in the routine is capable of inverting this negative situation”, he adds. From an orthopedic point of view, it helps in the formation of bones, muscles and joints – which, if worked correctly, are strengthened, preventing, in the future, problems such as arthritis, osteoporosis and bad posture.

Another proven advantage of playing sports regularly is the fact that it helps to improve school performance. A study published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine evaluated 12,000 children aged 6 to 18 years and concluded that physical exercise contributes to cognition, increasing the supply of blood and oxygen to the brain, reducing stress, improving mood and concentration.

Each personality, a sport

Don’t stay still for a minute

This profile is usually the easiest, as active children, who are always running and jumping, need to expend a lot of energy. They are usually interested in football, basketball, tennis, volleyball and athletics.

Prefer to play alone

The more shy or quiet ones usually choose the more solitary sports, such as swimming, horse riding and dancing.

Enjoy body contact

They are the famous tomboys and tomboys, who love wrestling, pushing games, running, activities that can be seen as rougher. For these children, fighting sports or martial arts, such as judo, jiu-jitsu and karate, in general, are the most popular.

are perfectionists

Typically, children with this temperament pursue individual sports as they can better keep track of things. They are more likely to be interested in athletics, gymnastics and tennis, for example.

love music and fun

Combining music with sport is the best way to please these children. Capoeira, ballet or dance, in general, are the preferred activities.