With the school year about to start for many kids and teens, new sport seasons are getting underway as well. And while the first few weeks of each season are usually filled with running drills and conditioning so the team is ready for their first game, there are things you and your teen can do even before practice starts to help ensure that he or she is ready come game day.
To help you know what you can do to be of assistance to your teen, here are three tips for preparing your teen for fall sports season.
Make Sure They’re Healthy And Protected
At the beginning of each new sports season, it’s very likely that your athlete will be required to have some type of sports physical where a doctor will sign off on the health of your child prior to them participating in their chosen sport.
According to Gail Swisher, a contributor to NationwideChildrens.org, the doctor will help you know if your child’s medical history may be problematic, like if there’s a history of asthma, allergies, or diabetes. Having this knowledge beforehand can help both you and your child’s coaches know how to best keep your teen healthy.
In addition to this, you should also ensure that your teen and the rest of their team has the proper equipment to safely play their sport. Depending on what sport your teen is participating in, this might mean using a mouth guard, pads, specific shoes, a helmet and more.
Help Them With Exercises
As was mentioned above, a lot of the first practices for your child’s sport will be focused on fundamentals and conditioning. In almost all sports, the players have to be properly conditioned so they can last throughout the entire game with enough energy to be competitive.
While a lot of this conditioning will be done at practices, Peter Schwartz, a contributor to USA Football, shares that you can encourage your teen to come to practice already in decent condition by helping him or her with exercises. To start off, try doing some body-weight exercises with him or her on a consistent basis and then work up to things like strengthening their legs for power and endurance.
Be Ready For The Time Commitment
Playing sports is about much more than just having a few games. Especially as your athlete gets more competitive, there will be a much bigger time commitment for both your teen and you.
According to Andrew Garda, a contributor to Bleacher Report, it’s wise to speak with your teen prior to their season starting about the type of time commitment you’re both looking at. This could include late or early practices, weekends filled with games, and hours in the car. All of this time could cut in your teen’s social and academic life, so make sure they know what they’re getting into when starting their season.
If you have a teen who’s going to be starting a fall sport soon, consider using the tips mentioned above to help yourself and your teen prepare for this season.