The Benefits Of Team Sports For Children

While it's been long known that children can benefit physically from participating in team sports, few realize the psychological benefits associated with enrolling their child in team sports that they enjoy. The importance of physical activity such as team sports is at an all-time high due to the fact that many of our children are now overweight. Studies show that currently, only one out of four adolescent children participated regularly in any type of organized physical activity. This statistic is frightening to hear considering that the number of obese adolescents in America has nearly tripled in the past 20 years. In 1980, 5% of all adolescents were overweight. A study conducted in 1999 showed that a shocking 14% of all adolescents now have a weight problem.

Exercise has been shown to help many problems when it comes to both the physical and the mental well-being in participants. People that are enrolled on sports teams burn calories by exercising, helping to ward off any weight problems that may be present. Exercise is known to aid insomnia, depression, and low self-esteem, which is important in the world of today where many children feel inadequate due to all the perfection displayed by the media. Regular physical activity also helps the body to manage stress; alertness and a calm attitude are trademarks of a physically fit individual, which can help them to get through stressful times with a minimum of difficulty. A study conducted by the Women's Sports Foundation found that adolescents that were regularly involved in teen sports were less likely to engage in sexual activity until later in life than those who were not in team sports. Also, teens on sport teams were found to be less likely to use drugs than their non-playing counterparts, and were less likely to be involved in abusive relationships. In addition, the students involved in sports had a higher chance of graduating high school and college.

The benefits and rewards associated with setting goals and following through on a sports team are innumerable, and can be clearly seen in the results portrayed in this article. For that reason, it is important for adults to encourage their children to be involved in some type of team sport. While the actual context of the sport can vary greatly, simply being on the team and physically exerting themselves can cause your child to lead a happier, healthier life. The physical and mental benefits associated with team sports are simply too shocking to ignore.

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Traveling With Children - Map the Way With Your Kids!

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If your eyes glaze over at the thought of spending hours or days on a family road trip amid chants of "Are we there yet?" then here's an idea that can make the experience a lot more fun for both you and your children. Follow these plans to make each child a personalized road atlas that they use to follow the route and to literally bring a bit of their travels home with them.

First, pick out a paperback road atlas for your child. It's going to store a lot of memories for years to come, so make it more durable by covering it with fabric that your child will like. Make a separate atlas for each child.

Using a magic marker, mark the route you will be driving. If traveling out-of-state, show the route on both the national map and the separate pages for each state to give a clear overview of the trip.

Once you are on the road, help your children locate where they are on the map. Stop along the way so they can find small "souvenirs" of the trip - beautiful leaves, shells, pebbles, etc. Help them tape the items on the map and draw an arrow showing where each one was obtained. Even small amounts of sand or soil can be placed in a little plastic bag and taped on the page.

If your children want to add photos, find out what they would like to capture on film and let them snap the picture themselves. Digital snapshots can be printed small enough to be taped near the corresponding locations on the map.

When the trip is over and the personalized atlas is complete, your child will have more than a physical reminder of his vacation - he will have personally contributed to the family's trip by keeping track of the route!

Review Feature Office 2010