6 IMPORTANT FITNESS SKILLS TO FOCUS ON FOR YOUNG ATHLETES
Fitness and sports are often clubbed together, with most parents not really knowing the importance of both in their child’s development as a healthy human being. In addition to improving physical health, fitness programs for teens and kids can help improve various facets of mental, emotional, and social health.
A better fitness lifestyle can do wonders in enhancing a child’s performance in sports, especially for young athletes who dream of competing on the world stage in international tournaments.
Enrolling your child in physical fitness classes right from an early age gives them a head start, by helping them improve 6 skills that are a vital part of every sportsplayer:
- Agility:
Agility controls the direction and position of the body while maintaining a constant, rhythmic motion. A regular fitness routine for children will help them be fast on their feet at all times. For example, changing directions to hit a tennis ball.
- Balance:
Balance is all about control or stabilizes the body when a person is standing still or moving. This is an important feature right from the time the child learns to walk. When fitness is incorporated into a child’s life, the distribution of weight in the body becomes equal, and this will help them grow into better athletes.
For example, sports like in-line skating.
- Coordination:
This feature helps kids read and understand their bodies from within, allowing them to follow a synchronizing rhythm.
For example, dribbling a basketball requires good hand-eye coordination.
- Speed:
Speed enables to move your body or parts of your body swiftly. This builds up with speed exercises, running/jogging exercises to build momentum. Many sports rely entirely on speed to gain an advantage over other players who are opponents. For example, a tennis player moving forward to get to a drop shot.
- Power:
Power is a combination of both speed and muscular strength, a vital requirement for many physical sports. For example, volleyball players getting up to the net and lifting their bodies high into the air.
- Reaction
Reaction time is the ability to react to what you hear, see, or feel. This can be enhanced by fitness practices that offer mental stimulation. For example, an athlete quickly coming off the blocks early in a swimming or track relay or stealing a base in baseball.
If you wish to see your child learn from the best sports players in India, register for upUgo’s Advanced Sports Training For Kids program today!
-Magaret Preethi Yesudass