Ages 6 to 9: The Best Age to Teach Football to Your Kid
This is a great age to start your kid in football if they have expressed an interest. In fact, some studies show there may be an advantage to having children begin sports at this age. By 6 to 9 your kid has developed a solid attention span, stronger vision and coordination, and hopefully mastered sharing.
Kids this age can grasp the concept of working together, and can begin to value working as a team as well as being a team player. By signing your kid up for an organized football club, they can begin to learn those necessary football skills, when they can actually be comprehended, retained and built on.
Introducing football-related exercise as a fun game verses something you have to go to the gym to do can get your kid on a really good track in the future. At this age, a kid can begin to see the benefits of their football efforts and understand what competition is.
Ages 9 to 12: A Lot to Learn
From ages 9 to 12, right before your kid enters into being a teenager, can be the perfect time to get your kid playing football. At this age, your kid is likely to have friends they have met in school as well as online – being at that tech-savvy age. It is so easy to have your child fall into the technological abyss of video games and television. Football is the perfect remedy.
While your kid surely values their school friendships, getting involved in football at this age can expand that circle of friends. From 9 to 12, kids can develop major character skills such as leadership, team building and communication – all of which can be applied in many area of their lives. Kids in this bracket are just coming into their own and developing their sense of confidence, by getting involved in soccer they can develop a mature vision. They are able to understand, recall and build on sports strategies, it is very important at this age for your child to learn proper strategies and technique before becoming stronger – and potentially injuring themselves.
Overall, age 9-12 is the ideal age for kids to get some practice at football and learn valuable techniques before the game becomes truly competitive.
Ages 12 to 15: Better Late Than Never
If at this point your kid has not yet become involved in football, it is definitely not too late (actually it’s never too late). In fact, studies show it has less to do with when you begin and more to do with the effort put in. Be sure to sign your kid up at the local recreational group or at their school. This will provide them proper skills and training. The good thing about this age is your kid will be entering middle school, or if they are at the higher end of this bracket, high school.
This is a phenomenal way to either get involved in football or get some extra practice if they are already playing recreationally. In this age group, most kids are beginning to develop and grow.
Playing football can give your child a sense of identity and belonging. Let’s face it, high school or middle school can be tough at times and it is comforting to have a strong sense of identity. If we have the opportunity to help our child build confidence, healthy habits, and foster life long friendships, we should definitely encourage that. The skills your kid can gain by starting football at this age are beyond compound skills such as dribbling, passing, shoot or any fancy moves. Your kid will learn self-discipline, rule following, respect for authority and so much more.