What Are the Benefits Of A Sports Camp?
Among the various categories of camps, sports camps are the most popular of all. Taking a closer look at what happens during sports camps will make us appreciate it even more. You would come to realize that sports camps are worth money and time for families.
In this article, I will show you the long-term benefits of sports camps.
Reduce screen time, social media influence and other information overload devices
When you are on a breakaway on the field, you will not go to Snapchat or check Instagram likes. Though Social media is not all bad, it is also not a bad idea to take a break from it.
The activity at sports camps provides kids a chance to reduce the use of cellphones and technology. Moderation is never a bad thing. In fact, there is research that states that social media has effects on kids’ and teens’ mental health. Some have said that it does more harm than good.
ParticipACTION Canada, together with the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology, provides certain benefits of physical activity and guidelines for kids activities. A part of their recommendations includes a two-hour limit to recreational screen time in a day. Sports camps can help to break any habits of excess screen time.
Start a healthy lifestyle
Attending a sports camp is a great thing to do if you are ready to jump-start your sports career or transition to a healthier lifestyle.
Sports camps aim to propagate health and fitness. According to the World Health Organization, children aged 5 to 17 years old should do moderate-vigorous physical activity at least one hour daily. Sports camps can cover that one-hour activity.
However, ParticipACTION Canada also reported last year that only 35% of 5 to 17-year-olds in Canada reached their recommended physical activity levels. The authors said it was alarming. Kids should not be sitting too much and moving too little as they cannot reach their full potential.
Attending a sports camp can help to reduce this distressing trend in kids.
The Complete Guide To Camps, Combines and Sports Academies
Management of anxiety and depression
Scrimmaging, playtime, and sports are more than just fun. When kids and teens participate in physical activity, endorphins are released. This clears the mind of stress while improving their physical fitness. All of these decrease the tendencies to experience anxiety and depression.
Improve self-esteem and confidence
Building confidence is part of life at sports camp, especially if you excel in this. Even those who are not gifted in sports also develop skills and other aspects of the game.
It is important to note that confidence is not based on winning, but on the simple process of setting goals and achieving them. Sports camps focus on a holistic view. The only win that truly counts is the accomplishment of personal goals. This sense of confidence you acquire from reaching goals pushes you to be better and want more.
Learn skills and techniques from professionals
There are some sports camps that feature professional instructors in sports as varied as hockey, soccer, tennis, and more. There are some sports camps that offer instruction by professional athletes like Mark Moore and Josee Chouinard.
Boys and girls at sports camps like these benefit from training with professional coaches. Professional sports experience requires development, focus, and intensive training. Coaching from someone who has that level of experience is a rare moment for any child. You can reach higher performance levels, no matter what phase you are in. You will get a genuine assessment of what you need to improve to have a chance to follow their path.
Develop Enthusiasm
Kids who love sports get a chance to develop enthusiasm. Attending a hockey school will surely deepen your love for the world’s coolest game.
Develop responsibility and work ethic.
The commitment you acquire in a sports camp will help you in other aspects of your life. Athletes who are dedicated to sports develop into leaders, from business to politics and others.
There is a connection between confidence, discipline, desire to win, and success. Even if you do not do this professionally or succeed in athletic aspirations, you will still cultivate skills that help you excel.
Improve social skills
Sports camps bring together kids and teens from different locations and backgrounds. Through sports camps, you meet kids from other parts of the city or province you are in. This results in many benefits like friendships and many more.
Because you are constantly interacting, you also improve your communication skills. The instructors in the structured environment of camp lead and guide kids and teens through communication and cooperation. In short, sports camps can provide personal growth opportunities you cannot find at home.
Improve children’s long-term health outlook
The health among children and youth is changing, and it is not for the better. The prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and mental illness is high. Physical activity is a significant counteractive to this trend.
Strengthen your brain
There is an expanding body of research that proves how physical activity in childhood and adolescence can improve academic performance, cognition, and mental health.
Aerobic exercise increases blood flow to the brain, which leads to the development of neurons. This is a critical aspect of young minds. Moreover, the production of neurotrophins is stimulated by exercise, which leads to higher brain plasticity.
Exercising throughout life lessens the risk of developing brain disorders such as dementia.
The Complete Guide To Camps, Combines and Sports Academies
Develop fundamentals in physical literacy
Sports camps should include a varied curriculum with an educational component. Physical literacy means the confidence, knowledge, and understanding of the value, motivation, physical competence, and accountability for engagement in physical activities for life.
Education is important in nurturing kids’ awareness of the physical effects of exercise and other things they do every day.
Live Happier
One of the benefits of sports camps is that children and teens can continue to practice their sport and live healthily and happily. They can also learn to reduce athlete burnout.
Often, athletes who quit sports are those who experience burnout. Quitting equates to failure, and quitting affects a child’s self-esteem.
Moreover, those who love their sport are more inclined to practice hard, show discipline and leadership, and excel in their fields.
The most important of all is that children who enjoy sports camps are more fun and live healthier lives. Compared to those who just stay at home, children who live in parks and recreational activities are both happier and healthier—an integral part of your development as a professional athlete.
Sports camps can lead to professional alumnus. One day, you could be a featured alumnus who had time at a sports camp. No matter what, the camp should be an awesome and enjoyable experience part of your life. This should always be your primary goal. Even if you do not make it professionally, you can still find that sports camp can help you to get a career closely tied to sports like Scott Russel.
The point here is the list of benefits of sports camps would seem to be increasing, as more research is done into understanding human development. Sports camps are undoubtedly beneficial to children and teens’ personal growth.
Now that you are done with reading its benefits, are you currently planning to sign your child up for a sports camp?
Are Sports Camps Worth It? Yes, they can be, but you must choose based on your specific needs and goals. With a focus on getting individual customized coaching.
Here are some things to consider before choosing a sports camp
- How much individual time will your child get?
- What are the sports he/she like to practice?
- Is he/she trying out a sport for the first time? Or already an experienced athlete?
- What are his/her primary goals? Does he/she have the potential to become a professional athlete? Or just looking for something else to do during summer vacation?
- Have you researched virtual sports academies and camps?