You’re a guy so you love sports. It’s only natural to want your kid to share those interests. First of all, a love of sports is definitely a “man” trait that any father wants to instill in his son. Secondly, it’s a great way to bond with your kid no matter what gender they are.

We’ve all been witness to the father who tries to force their kid into sports and seen how it rarely works out well. At a certain point it’s possible your kid just isn’t interested in them and it’s important to respect those feelings if that’s the case. However, here are a few tips on setting the stage to get your kid into sports.

1. Early exposure. Notice a theme developing in these articles about “starting young?” It’s simply easier to instill values and habits at a younger age than it is to try to change them up later. Exposing your kids to sports at an early age can have a positive effect so long as you keep it on the clean side of sports. The uniforms, the roar of the crowd, the excitement, etc are things that kids can get on board with. Stay away from things they might perceive as “scary” such as boxing, hockey fights, etc. There’s an appropriate time to introduce the more physical aspect of things but you don’t want to run the risk of them being frightened because then you’re fighting against a negative emotion.


2. Realize you’re a role model. Naturally, children look to their parents when seeing how to act. We are their earliest teachers in terms of behavior, actions, and even interests. It’s no surprise that sons and daughters often follow in their parent’s footsteps. So by virtue of the fact that you’re already exposed to sports your child will naturally find their way there as well. It’s again import to convey a positive association with the activity so show a little restraint and don’t lose your mind at the TV every time Tom Brady throws an incompletion or Lebron misses a jump shot. If your child associates watching sports with “daddy’s angry time” they’re not going to want to get involved.


3. Encourage team sports. Most cities and towns have some form of youth sports league or a community center with sports programs. This can be a great opportunity to expose your child to important skills such as teamwork, responsibility, and dedication. It also provides your child with the opportunity to get off the couch and exercise so it’s a win-win.


4. Realize there are many sports out there. You may love football but there’s also baseball, basketball, soccer, tennis, golf, swimming, the martial arts, etc. There are literally dozens of sports out there and the ability to access them has never been more prevalent than it is nowadays. Realize that sports come in many forms and your child may gravitate towards any number of them for whatever reason. Teamwork, dedication, and exercise can be found in baseball just as much as football and those are more important for your kids than them loving the same things you do.

Helping your kid develop an interest in sports can work wonders for them. It teaches the value of hard work, dedication, responsibility, as well as teamwork. Developing these skills are rewarding and help to kids as they grow and develop into young adults.

Good luck.