Kids and sports: 5 popular misconceptions

It's true that we tend to think that basketball accelerates growth while gymnastics slows it down. To date, there have been no studies proving that - rather, we believe that a smaller size helps with gymnastics, while a taller build helps with basketball. Ultimately, wouldn't it be a natural choice to gravitate towards a particular sport based on our size or body type?

In any case, there's no perfect sport, and all are very beneficial for skeletal development. Getting in the habit of playing sports at a young age contributes to good bone development and strengthens the muscles and the heart. If you have room in your schedule, feel free to introduce them to baby gym or sign up for baby swim, which are perfect sports to help support their psychomotor development.

However, too much sport, particularly for kids who really train intensively with weekend competitions, tournaments, or workshops, could have an impact on their growth. The key? Be reasonable (no more than 8 hours of sport per week) and have fun!

You might want your little one to play a sport, but don't know which way to point them based on their age or personality. We get it - it's true that between team sports, martial arts, gymnastics, horse riding, dance, athletics… (we'll stop there) it's not always easy to know which way to go.

Stay right there, we have some tips to help you choose the perfect sport...

"I can't bring my child to practice at 5PM, I'm working." Both true and false! Either you find a generous soul to bring your child to their evening practices, or it can truly become complicated to align your professional life and your kids' sports! Some of us have tried to get our teens to ride their bikes or use public transport to get to their handball team or dance troupe, but sometimes their motivation is low - or it might be out of the question for safety reasons.

So how can you organise your schedule?

Have you thought about sports clubs at your child's school? They exist so that students can practise a sport in addition to their required physical education classes.

There are also school sports federations that allow students to participate in meets and competitions at the local, regional, academic, national, or even international level.

There are associations for preschool and primary schools, as well as for secondary schools. Associations also exist for independent schools.

So, there's an idea for getting your kids involved in school sports at any level - better focus, concentration, and results guaranteed! Plus, no more issues with driving around in the evenings!

That depends on the sport!

First of all, there's a license and its cost at a sports club, which can vary a lot between sports. For example, a judo license is around 34 Euros, tennis is 18, football is 30-50, and athletics is 26.

But to that, you'll need to add your annual dues, which can often be paid in several instalments, but depending on the sport, they can quickly add up to around 500 Euros a year. Then there's the equipment to deal with (some gear is very financially accessible), and possibly some individual lessons if the desire is there.

In short, not all sports are accessible for all budgets. However, it's now possible to find used equipment and choose more affordable sports or school sports associations. With some sports associations, for under 20 Euros, kids can try several sports, which can also help them choose the sport they like best. They can also practise several times a week, train to become a referee, and discover team spirit in other ways. It's a way to go from martial arts to football without breaking the bank!

Both true and false!

If your child is part of a local sports club, then the schedule is often for evenings and weekends. So this limits the time available for homework, and children sometimes struggle to fit everything in.

A tip? Sports organisations connected to schools. They often work with school schedules. This may provide your child with more time in the evenings to do their homework at their own pace. It's also easier in primary school when homework is fairly limited: 15 to 20 minutes are enough to complete their work. Setting a pace means knowing how to listen to ourselves and respect our own rhythm. We aren't all the same and we don't all operate in the same way. Once our children's needs are identified, they can blossom and find the right balance between sports and homework.

Sport helps to unwind and optimise self-control after spending a day sitting and listening in class. It's important to release tension and blow off steam. So, for kids who can do it, evening sports are good too!

Sport is good for our kids. It should be adapted to their needs, pace, family schedule and budget, and homework, so that they can find the right balance to blossom and have fun without wearing themselves out.

And finally, because being a team player also develops as a family, why not organise some active weekend outings such as walking, hiking, cycling, swimming, or even football, which aside from getting everyone moving, also create quality family time.