I think it is safe to say that my family has been a “basketball family” for most of my life. I cheered throughout high school and college, my sister played basketball, my Dad even coached Boca Hoops for a few seasons. The court became our family’s social life for many years until high school was inevitably graduated and college was completed. #dailybocaavery’s grandparents are pretty much chomping at the bit, hoping and praying she joins an organized sport in Boca Raton as soon as possible. And she’s still pretty little.
OK fine, I can’t wait either. But which sport is right for my kid?
So, I reached out to Joe Dawson, the Athletic Director at Grandview Preparatory School (and I have to brag as the newly appointed Associate Director of Advancement there- we have the #1 Boys Basketball team in Palm Beach County!) to find out when I can start exposing my daughter to Boca’s wide world of sports.
Which Sport is Right for My Kid?
How can parents best “test out” different athletic options for their child?
I always advise parents to start kids in sports at a young age. The most important thing is to see which sport your child has the most fun playing; which one they enjoy the most. Parents should take the initiative to sign their kids up for different athletic options to see which one clicks.
As a coach, at what age do you think parents could (or should) start exposing their children to different sports?
It depends on the child of course, but you can find out at an early age whether or not your son or daughter has the potential to excel at a certain sport. And that’s exciting!
Again, it’s up to the parent, but younger children can really thrive in a group setting while interacting with other teammates and making friends. Organized team sports are also an optimal setting for younger kids to develop their social skills.
Obviously teamwork might be a challenge at age two, but what do you think the top benefit is having your child be part of a team in elementary/middle school?
At that age, teamwork really lends itself to building solid social skills and positive interactions in a group setting. It exposes kids to other kids with various backgrounds and they all work towards a common goal together. We also shouldn’t discount that playing a sport is great exercise for children.
How does Grandview Preparatory School make an effort to encourage their students to join the athletic program?
At the lower/elementary school level, we have after school opportunities for kids to be involved with sports such as soccer, basketball and flag football.
At the middle and high school levels, that’s when the team sports come into play. Grandview Prep offers a wide variety of sports for all types of athletes. Swimming, golf, tennis, basketball, cheerleading, volleyball– these are all great options for kids to get involved.
Grandview also has a no cut policy, which allows every student the opportunity to play on a team and improve their athletic skills.
Sounds like I better get my kid started! Play ball MBMoms!
Joe Dawson is the Athletic Director at Grandview Preparatory School and was voted Small School Coach of the Year by the Sun Sentinel in 2014.
Sponsored: This which sport is right for my kid post was sponsored by Grandview Preparatory School. All opinions expressed in this blog post are my own and not influenced in any way by the sponsor. Any statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with provider. Please refer to this site’s Disclosure for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.
