A Child's Athletic Ability is About 'Experience,' Not 'Talent'

"My child might not be good at sports."
"They are slower at running compared to other kids."
"Should I enroll them in sports lessons?"

When raising children, you may sometimes worry about their athletic ability.

I am raising four children myself, and each of them has completely different strengths and weaknesses.
I hold JFA and JBA coaching licenses and have observed many children, but I believe that athletic ability is not determined solely by what you are born with.

In fact, my eldest daughter participated in elementary school track meets and relay races, but she was not particularly fast or good at sports when she was small.

What significantly influences athletic ability is how many different movements a child has experienced from a young age.

Running, jumping, throwing, climbing, hanging, crawling, and rolling.
These various movements are closely related to the development of the nervous system.

It is said that the human nervous system is about 80% developed by age five and almost complete by age twelve. Therefore, it is very important to experience various ways of using the body while they are young.

However, the important thing here is not to make them do rigorous training.

Making them run for long hours every day or forcing them to continue a sport they dislike can lead to them hating exercise.

Rather, what is important is to increase the things that the child finds fun.

Playing tag at the park.

Jumping rope.

Playing catch.

Making an obstacle course inside the house using cushions.

Even just doing those things is enough to build a foundation for athletic ability.

Also, I feel that the difference between children who are good at sports and those who are not lies more in their "confidence" than in their muscle strength or physique.

Children who have had the experience of "doing it" even once will start to take on more challenges.

Conversely,
"You're slow."
"Why can't you do it?"
If they are told these things repeatedly, they will lose confidence and stop trying.

Therefore, as a parent, I believe it is important to praise the process rather than the results.

"You ran until the end."
"You got faster than before."
"You practiced a lot."

I believe that the accumulation of such words of encouragement helps to develop both a child's self-esteem and their athletic ability.

Athletic ability is not something that only improves for children who start early.

At any age, it can change by accumulating experiences of moving the body in a fun way.

If there is anyone worried about their child's physical activity, I recommend starting by creating an environment where they can think 'moving my body is fun' rather than trying to make them good at it.

I also recommend that parents exercise with their children!
You spend irreplaceable time together, the child has fun, and the parent gets some exercise too.
I think it's nothing but a good thing!