Ina Raymundo’s only son Jakob Poturnak just turned 18-years-old and the mom of five couldn’t help but get emotional with her Instagram post dedicated to him.
“Dear Jakob, As you turn 18 today, I can’t help but reminisce…” she begins her post. She goes on to recount the details of the day he was born and looks back at his younger years, including how he began playing baseball.
“You were only five when you started playing tee-ball. It’s just amazing how dad turned you into the baseball player you are today and it’s because you’ve been very diligent since day 1,” Ina writes in her birthday post.
Jakob currently plays for the Canadian Junior National Team against Major League Baseball affiliate teams in Florida.
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Ina says Jakob has never shied away from hard work and dedication, even as a young child and he translated it to his sports trainings.
On April 19, Ina gave another peek at Jakob’s training. She wrote in her post: “We’re happy to be here and extremely proud of Jakob that he made it this far.“
From playing in the fields of Collegeio de San Agustin, Sto. Niño & Barangka Mairkina, Clark Pampanga (just to name a few) to here. It’s been quite a journey!
Ina can’t help but be a proud mom. “Now you’re playing in front of MLB scouts. Surreal!”
How can parents help their kids enjoy and maximize the benefits of sports? As Ina says, it’s a long journey for both the athlete and the parents. But starting at a young age has many advantages.
Read on for our reminders to parents on helping kids develop healthy mindsets and habits as they get into sports.
5 reminders to maximize the benefits of sports in childhood and avoid overtraining
1. Character, morals, friendships, and teamwork are just some of the many benefits kids learn through sports.
There is no question about whether or not sports is beneficial to children. Parents know there are countless gains including developing a child’s character and moral principles.
“Playing sports enables them to create friendships they otherwise might not have formed,” says an article entitled ‘The Importance of Sports for Children’ on the Novak Djokovic Foundation website.
It adds, “For example, the friendships professional athletes create on the field remain intact even when they are not playing sports, and often last a lifetime.”
2. Sports builds self-esteem and confidence.
Overcoming challenges causes kids to feel good and accomplished. “The knowledge that they can do things they set their mind to will do wonders for their self-esteem and confidence,” reports a recent Smart Parenting article entitled '11 Benefits a Child Gets From Playing Sports'.
Self-esteem and confidence are built when kids feel good about themselves and win against challenges presented to them. These don’t just happen in games and competitions, but even in trainings and practice.
Another self-esteem and confidence builder is teamwork and camaraderie which kids experience from being part of a team or belonging to a group.
3. Kids can develop self-discipline.
If you notice your child can still develop in self-discipline, perhaps introducing a sport can help. Regular trainings, practices, and drills teaches a child the value of hard work and focus.
“Many kids with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have developed better focus and self-control when they took up a sport, particularly individual sports,” says the same Smart Parenting article.
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4. Set realistic expecations and goals for your children.
While parents are largely aware of the benefits of sports at an early age, parents are also wary of the possibility of abuse. News reports of world-class athletes being driven too hard cause parents to worry about finding a balance between proper training and a child’s emotional maturity.
Very Well Family advises that the goals for kids under eight years old should be “about physcial activity, having fun, learning new skills, and laying the groundwork for good sportsmanship.”
The article adds, “Experts in both youth sports and child development agree: Kids are not ready for competition untilt they are at least eight years old.
“Before that, they just can’t handle the stresses of winning, losing, and being measured and scored on their performance.”
Does that mean once a child celebrates their eighth birthday, all kids can handle being in competition? “That doesn’t mean that all kids will be ready for competitive sports as soon as they turn eight. For many children, it’s not until about age 10 that they can grasp some of the nuances inherent in competition.”
Should kids younger than eight years old not compete, especially if they already have in the past? Parents know their kids best and assessing the child is best done with her coach.
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5. Make sure to have the right reasons.
When parents think kids are ready to compete, remember that there are two ways to look at competing: Competing to win and competing to excel.
Domination and outperforming others is the value of competing to win, according to Very Well Family. Competing to excel focuses on performing well and surpassing personal goals.
“Competing to excel does take the emphasis off winning and losing. The focus shifts to using competition as a means of motivating individual achievement,” says the site.
Parents can help kids to develop a “competing to excel” mindset by praising the child “when she achieves a personal best, even if she doesn’t win a race.
“Notice and comment when he makes an important contribution to his team, even if the team doesn’t end up with a win that day.
The values parents highlight will be the same values their kids will deem to be important. If parents only praise the wins, it may lead children to only compete to win.
Parents can take notice of discipline, practice, persistence, and effort to develop a healthy mindset with winning and competition.
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