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Youth softball can do wonders for both the minds and bodies of its participants.
Sports offer major benefits to kids of all ages. Softball and other team sports provide an opportunity to be active while learning the life lessons that will stick with a person as they navigate high school, college, their first job and their first promotion.
Playing team sport helps kids with academic performance, boosts moods, and helps them sleep better. And that's before you take into account the physical fitness aspect of playing the sport.
Learn more about six key benefits of this team sport by reading this article.
Because there are so many different elements in the game, softball provides full-body conditioning. Kids who play the sport will improve their hand-eye coordination and cardiovascular health.
The game involves running, swinging, and throwing--making it the perfect opportunity to build muscle strength, increase endurance, and more.
Additionally, playing the game for an hour burns ~300 calories.
Team sports, such as softball come with the good feelings of being part of a group effort -- which of course, improves your feeling of self-worth. Practicing with a group can help strengthen bonds, build confidence, and lower stress. Kids benefit big time from the increase in self-esteem you'll get from playing softball-- it helps them resist social pressure and learn to trust their peers.
It's also worth pointing out that being exposed to the reality of competition, preparing for games and learning to deal with performance anxiety is something that helps kids deal with high-pressure situations in school and beyond.
Playing softball, or really any sport provides major benefits to both the body and the mind, from improving your mood to increase your capacity for focus.
It's well-documented that exercise releases endorphins, leaving the physically fit with lingering good vibes. But, playing sports offers good feelings that extend well beyond the physical. Playing with others gives players a sense of community and helps kids form positive memories.
Win or lose, the bonds created by playing a sport are really important in a child's development. Softball emphasizes cooperation, compromise, and the chance to overcome a challenge with a group.
Outside of team sports, there just aren't that many activities for kids that offer these same mental health benefits.
Softball is a game with so many physical benefits. Players can expect to see some positive changes throughout their bodies. While kids don't need to worry too much about building huge muscles, staying in shape can lay the groundwork for a healthy adulthood, and a lifelong love of sports.
The game develops shoulder muscles used in throwing and swinging -- which includes the biceps, triceps, rotator cuffs, forearms, and deltoids. These upper body muscles play a major role in being able to throw, swing, pitch, and field successfully.
And it's not just the upper body that reaps the key benefits of playing softball, much of the power needed during batting comes from the core and the legs -- a strong foundation, if you will.
Additionally, the obliques (the muscles on the side of the abdomen) are a significant part of being able to swing the bat and throw the ball--you know, that full body rotation.
We've talked a lot about the muscles used to play softball, the physical benefits and beyond. But, one of the most important lessons kids get from playing softball and other team sports is learning how to build relationships with people you might not always get along with.
When you play a sport, you need to learn the best way to talk to every person without making them mad or hurting feelings. Everyone is different, and kids benefit big time from learning how to be diplomatic with all kinds of people -- from difficult teammates to the coaches that challenge them.
Finally, while kids will learn that they might not be best friends with every single teammate, they're sure to make a handful of close friends, brought together by a shared experience.
When you play sports, you have to pay attention to everyone's personality and learn what the best way to is to talk to each person. Every teammate is going to be different with how you can talk to her. You learn that you do not have to be best friends with everyone, but you will respect them.
Softball, as well as basketball, soccer, and football, are great incubators for leadership skills. Experts have found that a correlation between leadership skills and team sports. And it makes sense. Team sports give kids the opportunity to win and lose with others, and learn to overcome challenges as a group.
Developing this team mentality helps kids gain the skills they'll use in the workplace later on, plus it helps them succeed socially.
As you can see, playing softball has the potential to be a driving force in a kid's development. From physical fitness to the mental health and leadership benefits, it's clear that softball is the kind of game that inspires success in the long-term.
If you coach softball or are the parent of a child involved with the sport, you'll want to take a look at our blog. We'll share tips and tricks for developing your softball game, as well as some of the softer benefits of softball.