One of the major concerns for parents who are looking at encouraging the development of football skills for their child is if there could be a negative effect on their education. It is more than understandable that parents want the best for their children and that they are concerned about the impact that a strong focus on football may have on their child’s academic studies. Health experts at the NHS (Scotland) affirm that not only will a focus on football development not harm your child's academic future, it is likely to help enhance it.
In this day and age of children spending hours a day in front of televisions and computer screens, the ability to get out and get some fresh air and exercise is vital to their wellbeing. Football is an extremely healthy form of exercise that develops key skills such as:
Critical thinking - football is a fast game and requires fast, critical thinking in order to be successful. This will help children to not only think more quickly, but also more critically.
Discipline - the level of discipline required to play football to a high standard cannot be ignored. Regular coaching helps to develop a disciplined mindset that can be carried over into everyday life.
Teamwork - teamwork is key to football. The best players in the world cannot possibly win games on their own. So in order for players to develop their potential, they will need to develop teamwork skills that help them get ahead.
Theses are just a few of the benefits of football training on the everyday life of children who are into football. Of course there are not only educational benefits, there are also physical ones. Kids will gain a good level of physical fitness by playing football and enjoy the cardiovascular benefits that football can bring.
Of course it is important that children develop their talents as a footballer, but it is also important to care about them leading a well rounded life. This includes a strong focus on education. While clearly a football career can be extremely lucrative, it is a short career that is fraught with potential problems. A good education is necessary to ensure that your child has the best start in life - whether they make it as a footballer or not. For this reason we encourage students to excel in not only their football careers, but also in their academic ones. Children football coaches must be on hand whenever they are needed to help with not only football advice, but also a guide to help kids to strike that overall balance in life. It becomes imperative therefore, that football coaches are well trained not only on the business in football, but also on the actual mentoring of the kids they are training.
The benefits of football extend way beyond the pitch. The mental and physical benefits of football make it one of the best ways to ensure a healthy life. The mental benefits are often overlooked in favour of the physical ones. The mental benefits of football are just as important as the physical ones. Listed below are just a few of the mental benefits that regular football coaching can bring:
Critical Thinking - as we previously alluded to, football is an excellent way to develop critical thinking skills. The fast pace and ever changing nature of the game mean that there is an almost endless number of possibilities. This calls for sharp, critical thinking that is improved by coaching. The mental benefit comes from young players developing their skills and being able to implement them later in life. This can help with many aspects of their life and reduce mental stress.
Decision Making - football requires decisiveness, as does even the most sedate of careers. Good decision making skills can help alleviate stressful situations later on in life by giving them a decisive edge, and this can be developed by the constant use of the skill.
Mindfulness - a big buzzword these days is mindfulness. While football does not offer the quiet reflection of meditation or yoga, it does force participants to live in the moment. The basis of many mindfulness concepts, living in the present is key to developing and maintaining good mental health. The fast pace and exciting nature of the game ensures that there is no time to think of anything else!
Stress Reduction - the world these days is stressful. While it may seem that children have never had it so easy, it is easy to miss the wood for the trees. Social media and the internet maybe amazing inventions, but they have created a whole new layer of things for children to worry about. The chance to get out and play football for a few hours on a regular basis gives children a break from their phones and the chance to enjoy themselves.
These mental benefits are often overlooked for the clear physical ones such as cardiovascular fitness. But it is important for the overall well being of a person to have not only good physical health, but also good mental health. We live in an age of overwhelming change and while this has helped us in our everyday lives, there has been a mental cost. By getting regular football coaching, your child can get a great workout, develop a strong mental basis to help them in life, develop teamwork skills and even make some new friends. The benefits of football coaching for kids transcend the pitch and prove a very cost-effective way to not only develop a football career, but also develop a well-rounded child.
Article written by – Sean Colon, Founder -We Make Footballers. UK’s leading Football franchise.
Sean Colon
Founder We Make Footballers