14 Ways To Motivate a 10-Year-Old Boy To Play Sports
The question for many parents is, “How do you motivate a 10-year-old boy to play sports?” Motivating young children is not as hard as it may seem. The reality is kids deal with a lot more distractions, interactions, and deceptions than we as parents ever did. With the new reality of this digital world, parents must realize that children have many more options than sports to engage and take their attention away from actions that will promote long term athletic and life success. Parents are not only preparing their children for success, but, more importantly, for life success; playing sports can and should be an integral part of any child’s development.
In the past, children may have gravitated to sports because it was one of the most prominent visible social outlets. Now children are distracted with other options: some good and some not so good. We’ve already talked about the importance of sport and how it can help children develop, so I won’t discuss why children would play sports, but instead how to inspire them to do so.
14 Tips – How do you motivate a 10-year-old boy to play sports:
1. Eliminate Negative Distractions
If your child has negative distractions, eliminating them first will make it much easier to influence or encourage them to do anything. To do this, you must establish a relationship with your child so you have credibility and influence that stick even when you are not around. Additionally, you must not let your child dictate the household. Too often, parents give in so often that the child feels he or she is in charge. But children do not have the wisdom to take the lead! When children are left alone, that allows them to be led astray into many actions that can lead to adverse outcomes. Stay close to your child, establish a relationship, talk to them, so you know whats going on. When you get to know your child, you will be able to discern if they are being influenced in negative ways during school or when they are around other children, and even other parents. If you hear the phrase, “but so-and-so’s mom let’s them do it!” over and over again, you’ll know they are being negatively influenced by someone else’s parent. You must be active, vigilant, and proactive in the times we live in. Know where you stand and be willing to stand firm, regardless of what other parents may or may not allow.
2. Let the child choose the sport.
Allow your child athlete to select an activity, sport, or interest that they would enjoy. Even if it’s not a sport, you should support them. It is easier for children to be motivated when they are excited about what they are doing and feel included in the process.
3. Watch others of the same age play.
Take your child to see other young children play the game. Take children to professional and collegiate sports competitions, if you can. But more importantly, take your child to games involving their peers of similar age and the sports levels just above them. Let your child see others having fun as they play sports.
4. Watch games on television.
Get sports books and rent popular movies about sports with your child. We have a list of sports movies that are great for families. Children are commonly interested in what they become familiar with, and sometimes when they say they’re not interested it’s really because they don’t understand or have any appreciation for it. As they discover more about a sport, it might inspire their interest to start playing the sport.
5. Play the game with your child.
Try not to focus on teaching or telling your child about a sport, but rather try to play with them. Take time out of your day to play a sport with them. Make it fun and not just to about teaching skills but rather about engaging the child and moving your body. It is not necessary that young children focus on instruction or drills. Your child can have fun by just playing, running, and being silly.
6. Encourage and praise the efforts made by your child.
One of the best ways to inspire anyone, including your child, is with consistent praise, encouragement, and support, followed with sound instruction. If you want to offer criticism, choose to replace it with encouragement and praise, followed with a reasonable amount of instruction/correction.
7. Change the game and keep it fun.
Choose a different game and learn it as a family with your child. Bring friends along. Look for diverse opportunities for them to play on different leagues, teams, and with their friends. Changing it up also builds the foundation for a well rounded, physically fit athlete.
8. Take a fun break.
Give them plenty of free time away from sports to follow their own desires, activities, and other interests outside of sports games. Too much emphasis on sports at a young age can tax children out and put children on the path to sports burnout. This often happens in this new world of professionally trained children.
9. Make it a family day.
Plan an active family outing to play a sport of family tennis, soccer, touch football, basketball, BMX, or safe rock climbing. Invite other friends if possible, and make it a family event with treats, food, and good music. Children naturally like being around family; when you include family, it adds a feeling of excitement.
10. Be an example
Be the hero. I have witnessed firsthand the impact of living my life in front of my children. The realization that they are watching every single detail; the mistakes, the rewards, my dedication, my weaknesses, and ultimately my willingness to develop my gifts and live them out in front of them. They have watched me race motocross at the national championships, coach soccer, show weakness, admit my mistakes, and through this, I have witnessed a growth within them that is special. Your children will follow your lead and the example you set.
This doesn’t mean that everything will be perfect, but only that they will have a compass, and it is highly probable that at some point in their lives, they will commit to the direction that they were raised to go. That direction is being a positive person in society, that can lead with integrity, accomplish dreams as well as play sports.
11. Reward with treats and gifts
I like to reward my children, as it motivates them and keeps them fun. It also puts moderate pressure on them to perform. It teaches them about the rewards of good performance versus quitting or not performing well. You can reward them by allowing them to choose their favorite movie on movie night, or buying a small lego set, or going on a bike ride. Rewards can be simple and used as a way to spend more time together as a family.
12. Spend quality time with your child
We must understand that children need direction and guidance; they simply do not have the wisdom to raise themselves. Children don’t know the impact of all their decisions. Be sure to spend quality time with your children, so you can build credibility and influence with them. If they believe in you, they will most likely be willing to try something when you suggest it.
13. Become a coach
One of the better ways to encourage your child to play sports is by becoming a coach. This will usually involve at least a couple of days a week commitment. When your child sees you are the coach, they will likely get motivated and feel proud that their mother, father, or both will be coaching their sports team. I have coached my children’s teams for the last three years, and it has been one of the best experienced of my life and one that I believe my children will remember.
14. Become that dedicated soccer mom
The term soccer mom often has a negative connotation. But in reality, mothers that dedicate themselves to their children and family are something that should be celebrated. Whether your child is playing soccer, volleyball, football, or involved in the latest school activity, it is good to support the 100% in these efforts. When a child sees that you are supportive of their interest, they get excited to take on new challenges such as sports. This level of support may involve driving, waiting, rushing, and being late at times, but your child will feel valued and likely motivated to return your commitment.
How do you motivate a 10 year old boy to play sports?
You can motivate ten years by removing negative distractions, letting them choose the sport or activity, support your child in their choice, and playing the game with your child. Lastly, the emphasis should be on having fun; if you implement the above actions while focusing on having fun, your child will be more motivated to play sports.