23 July 2023
Cricket is an incredibly popular sport throughout the UK, though it is most popular in England. An excellent form of exercise, cricket can help children to improve children's general fitness level, as well as their balance and hand-eye coordination. The combination of different roles in cricket means that there are varied physical challenges presented throughout a match and this can help to develop well-rounded athletes.
Cricket is an excellent way of instilling a sense of teamwork and camaraderie which your children may not find to the same degree outside the realm of team sports. Being part of something and finding a sense of belonging can make growing up a lot easier and that is why many parents are keen to encourage their children to lead as active a life as possible and get involved in team sports.
The health gains and the habits formed at early ages can impact their whole lives so getting into good routines early can help to shape their lives in a positive direction. As well as helping them to achieve their fitness goals, being involved in team sports helps young people to improve their social skills and they will begin to hone their ability to interact positively with others. This may be hard for the first year or two but with most children, the improvements that can be seen over time make their involvement in team sports well worth the effort.
There are many excellent cricket clubs across England that have junior teams and getting involved can be relatively easy. Get in touch with a team local to you and enquire about how your child can get involved. They will often provide coaching and training opportunities to help the kids to improve their skills and master the techniques that will be necessary to play at a higher level in the future.
Before they begin to play junior-level cricket, be sure to outfit your child with all of the proper safety gear. The ball they use is very hard and high-quality protective equipment is a must in order to mitigate the dangers inherent in the sport.
Your child will need protective headgear that meets the latest safety specifications as well as all of the pads for the legs and groin area and gloves to protect their hands while batting. It is a lot of kit and it can veer toward the expensive side but it is worth it for the peace of mind that it will give you.
It is possible that with a lot of hard work and dedication, your kid may end up playing cricket professionally. This isn’t something that is easy to achieve and will take a lot of time and practice but it is a real possibility, particularly for those who have started at a very early age.
The enjoyment and enthusiasm for the sport have to be there though or there is no point, don’t push your kids beyond the level of their interest, as they will only begin to resent it.
Photo by michael weir on Unsplash