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| Sports clubs are brilliant for children, but how do you choose the right one |
(Gifted) Signing your child up for a sports club is almost a rite of passage of parenting, but it is also a massive commitment on our time, energy and let’s be honest, our bank balances. Before spending days on the edge of a rainy pitch or in a humid leisure centre you want to be confident you are choosing the right sports club for them.
As parents we want them to find their “thing”, the hobby that builds their confidence and keeps them active, but the sheer volume of choice can be overwhelming. Is it better to go for the big local football team where all their friends are, or a smaller martial arts class where they might get more individual attention?
To help you choose with confidence this guide suggests how to match the activity to your child’s unique personality and the questions to ask the coach to make sure the club is a safe, welcoming and supportive environment for your family.
From Baby Ballet to Little Kickers there are countless classes for little ones, but before school age the primary focus is going to be on having fun and being active. Preschoolers are working on basic motor skills so while these classes can be a fun social experience (for them and you) don’t worry if they are at nursery all week and you would rather spend your weekends without a regular commitment.
Around school age children start to have the coordination, concentration and social skills to start properly focusing on a sport, but it’s still early days and not every child will be ready straight away. Many sports clubs with a focus on training and technique don’t accept children until they are 6 or older (although they may have beginner versions like Mini Ninjas before this).
So if your child expresses an interest in joining a club or there is something you fancy them trying out you can sign them up at any age the club allows. I would suggest the peak time to join a sports club is between age 6 and 9, so they can develop skills before the distraction of secondary school, but anytime is better than never.
There is advice below about choosing a sport, but at this early stage don’t worry too much about a long term commitment. Transferring from one type of club to another is easier than starting a club for the first time. A child who has been going to gymnastics for 3 years can often pick up Karate quickly, for instance, as they will be used to performing exact moves. Likewise moving from one active sport like football to athletics can work well as they should already have good fitness and stamina levels.
I champion any adult who wants to join a sports club so I don’t believe it is ever too late, but it does become more challenging to find a suitable club as children get older. A teenager doesn’t want to be in a club with 8 year olds even if they can pick up the basics far faster. They probably also won’t enjoy being in a club with more skilled children their age who have years of training under their belt. Ultimately success in a sport is a combination of natural ability and practice, if someone has been training twice a week for five years it will require a lot of dedication to catch up.
If your child is a total beginner and secondary school age it might take longer to find the right fit of club for them. Sports have different progression paths (eg age or skill based) and some clubs will be more welcoming than others. You might want to consider a few one to one sessions to cover basic techniques if they are new to a sport, but if they have the drive and enthusiasm, age shouldn’t matter.
Some children will express an interest in joining a particular club, in younger children this is often because it’s one their friend does, but if it’s you that wants to encourage them to join a club, how do you choose which sport might suit them best? Watching how your child naturally plays and chooses to spend their time is a great way to discover their natural interests and skills.
If your child is constantly on the move and loves a busy, social environment they will enjoy competitive or team sports with constant movement and immediate feedback like football, rugby, netball, tennis or badminton.
If your child can quietly concentrate on something, enjoys repetition and likes a clear path to the next level then they are likely to enjoy more individual sports where they can see their personal progress. Good options include martial arts like Karate or Taekwondo, swimming, gymnastics or athletics (including sprinting and long jump).
If your child loves LEGO or board games, they might prefer a sport where thinking is as important as moving. More tactical games with often shorter bursts of action include cricket, climbing and fencing.
If your child loves a challenge, but doesn’t care so much about winning a game then consider a sport which requires more mental resilience like cross country running, mountain biking or hiking.
Often the actual club you join is as important as the sport. One football team may be all about technique and winning the league, another might focus more on the social side of playing together. Luckily most clubs will allow you to have a taster session or short trial before you have to commit (and more importantly before you invest in all the kit).
Ask in Facebook clubs for recommendations of good clubs. It is also worth asking other parents you know (like in a class WhatsApp group) because children are more likely to settle in faster if they know people.
The logistics are even harder if you have multiple children. This might be the first of your children to join a club, but you are setting a precedent and other children will expect the same opportunity..
To reduce the risk of injury, choose a club that is well run: the coaches should have the right training to understand how to avoid sports related injuries, they should encourage warming up before starting the activity and they should ensure the safety gear is worn properly. Shin pads, gum shields, helmets all need to be good quality, fit properly and most importantly be worn to offer protection.
If possible observe a class to see how well the coaches supervise the children to ensure they are moving safely and not messing around in a way that might cause an accident for themselves or others.
As much as we might want to give our children everything they want, money is a limiting factor. To ensure you can support a long term commitment it’s useful to know what you can expect to spend with the club.
Things to think about include:
The expense of a club and sports in general shouldn’t hold children back from having the opportunity to get involved and luckily there are ways to make it more affordable. If you are on a low income ask if the club offers subsidised places or support. It is also worth shopping around, council or school run clubs may be more affordable than private companies.
If your child shows particular talent they might be able to get sponsorship from local businesses, this can be particularly helpful to cover the cost of travel to competitions.
To help save money on the kit and equipment, hold off from buying everything too early. Give them a chance to try out the club and see what others are wearing. While it can be tempting to invest in the best kit, children can grow quickly and those top of the range running trainers might be too small before they get to the level of competition where they will make a difference. Start with the basic gear, for instance adidas has kids trainers that are great all rounders that can be used in the club, but also for PE lessons and trips to the park. High tech running shoes can cost many times more.
Where there is a uniform check if you can pick it up second hand from anyone who is moving up or who has left. There are always children who leave clubs after a month or two so their uniform is in great condition and the parents will be grateful to get some of the cost back.
Finding the right sports club is rarely a one time decision that you get perfect on the first try. It is much more likely to be a process of trial and error, involving a few forgotten kit bags and some Saturday mornings spent in cold car parks. If the first club doesn't stick, it isn't a failure for you or your children. It just means you are one step closer to finding the activity they will actually look forward to every week. The most important thing is that they feel comfortable enough to give it a go, and you feel confident that they are in the right hands.
As parents we want them to find their “thing”, the hobby that builds their confidence and keeps them active, but the sheer volume of choice can be overwhelming. Is it better to go for the big local football team where all their friends are, or a smaller martial arts class where they might get more individual attention?
To help you choose with confidence this guide suggests how to match the activity to your child’s unique personality and the questions to ask the coach to make sure the club is a safe, welcoming and supportive environment for your family.
At what age should your child join a sports club?
From Baby Ballet to Little Kickers there are countless classes for little ones, but before school age the primary focus is going to be on having fun and being active. Preschoolers are working on basic motor skills so while these classes can be a fun social experience (for them and you) don’t worry if they are at nursery all week and you would rather spend your weekends without a regular commitment.
Around school age children start to have the coordination, concentration and social skills to start properly focusing on a sport, but it’s still early days and not every child will be ready straight away. Many sports clubs with a focus on training and technique don’t accept children until they are 6 or older (although they may have beginner versions like Mini Ninjas before this).
So if your child expresses an interest in joining a club or there is something you fancy them trying out you can sign them up at any age the club allows. I would suggest the peak time to join a sports club is between age 6 and 9, so they can develop skills before the distraction of secondary school, but anytime is better than never.
There is advice below about choosing a sport, but at this early stage don’t worry too much about a long term commitment. Transferring from one type of club to another is easier than starting a club for the first time. A child who has been going to gymnastics for 3 years can often pick up Karate quickly, for instance, as they will be used to performing exact moves. Likewise moving from one active sport like football to athletics can work well as they should already have good fitness and stamina levels.
When is it too late to join a sports club?
If your child is a total beginner and secondary school age it might take longer to find the right fit of club for them. Sports have different progression paths (eg age or skill based) and some clubs will be more welcoming than others. You might want to consider a few one to one sessions to cover basic techniques if they are new to a sport, but if they have the drive and enthusiasm, age shouldn’t matter.
Which Sport Should You Choose?
If your child is constantly on the move and loves a busy, social environment they will enjoy competitive or team sports with constant movement and immediate feedback like football, rugby, netball, tennis or badminton.
If your child can quietly concentrate on something, enjoys repetition and likes a clear path to the next level then they are likely to enjoy more individual sports where they can see their personal progress. Good options include martial arts like Karate or Taekwondo, swimming, gymnastics or athletics (including sprinting and long jump).
If your child loves LEGO or board games, they might prefer a sport where thinking is as important as moving. More tactical games with often shorter bursts of action include cricket, climbing and fencing.
If your child loves a challenge, but doesn’t care so much about winning a game then consider a sport which requires more mental resilience like cross country running, mountain biking or hiking.
How to Choose the Club
Ask in Facebook clubs for recommendations of good clubs. It is also worth asking other parents you know (like in a class WhatsApp group) because children are more likely to settle in faster if they know people.
Check feasibility (before you sign up)
It’s not just your child that has to commit to the club, but you as parents too. Make sure you think about how easy it will be to get there and back. If it’s after school then you need to plan when you will fit getting changed and meals around the club. If it’s at the weekend are you prepared to avoid weekends away or days out for the foreseeable future? You also need to think about what happens during the club, sometimes you are expected to stay (and cheer from the side lines in all weathers), other clubs you can go home or do some shopping.The logistics are even harder if you have multiple children. This might be the first of your children to join a club, but you are setting a precedent and other children will expect the same opportunity..
How to choose a safe sports club for children
While some sports have a higher injury rate than others (rugby and trampolining come to mind) it’s not the specific sport that is the main concern, but how the club is run.To reduce the risk of injury, choose a club that is well run: the coaches should have the right training to understand how to avoid sports related injuries, they should encourage warming up before starting the activity and they should ensure the safety gear is worn properly. Shin pads, gum shields, helmets all need to be good quality, fit properly and most importantly be worn to offer protection.
If possible observe a class to see how well the coaches supervise the children to ensure they are moving safely and not messing around in a way that might cause an accident for themselves or others.
Checklist: What to ask the coach before joining a sports club
- Do they offer a taster session/ trial?
- What age do they cover? (not just when they start, but when they leave)
- Do they offer gradings?
- Do they enter competitions? How often? Can anyone do them or are people selected?
- If it’s a team sport, do they have a b team and do they play matches? (You want opportunities to play if they aren’t good enough for the first team).
- What kit is required? At what point are they expected to invest in it?
- How much does it cost? (See the true cost of sports clubs section below)
- How often are they expected to go?
- Do parents stay during classes/ training?
- What is the cancellation period?
- What sort of surface do they play on? (you don’t want to get kids football shoes for firm ground if they are playing on AstroTurf).
- Do they play all year round?
- Does the club run during School holidays?
- Where is the club based?
- Is there parking?
- Is it indoor? Outdoors? Do they play in all weathers?
The true cost of sports clubs
As much as we might want to give our children everything they want, money is a limiting factor. To ensure you can support a long term commitment it’s useful to know what you can expect to spend with the club.
Things to think about include:
- The cost of the kit. Sometimes they can wear any suitable kids clothing, but it can be more expensive if there is a specific kit they have to wear.
- If you have to have a specific kit try to avoid buying it until you are confident they want to commit for a while.
- Cost of the club. Different clubs have different pay structures. To help you manage the cost it is useful to know how often you can expect to pay, sometimes it will be every session, sometimes monthly and sometimes termly. Some clubs will have an annual license as well as monthly membership costs. Some you might have to pay membership as well as a usage fee (eg an athletics club charging to use the track).
- You also need to factor in the cost of travel and parking, both for the regular training and for travelling to matches or competitions.
Tips to save money when joining a sports club
If your child shows particular talent they might be able to get sponsorship from local businesses, this can be particularly helpful to cover the cost of travel to competitions.
To help save money on the kit and equipment, hold off from buying everything too early. Give them a chance to try out the club and see what others are wearing. While it can be tempting to invest in the best kit, children can grow quickly and those top of the range running trainers might be too small before they get to the level of competition where they will make a difference. Start with the basic gear, for instance adidas has kids trainers that are great all rounders that can be used in the club, but also for PE lessons and trips to the park. High tech running shoes can cost many times more.
Where there is a uniform check if you can pick it up second hand from anyone who is moving up or who has left. There are always children who leave clubs after a month or two so their uniform is in great condition and the parents will be grateful to get some of the cost back.
Finding the right sports club is rarely a one time decision that you get perfect on the first try. It is much more likely to be a process of trial and error, involving a few forgotten kit bags and some Saturday mornings spent in cold car parks. If the first club doesn't stick, it isn't a failure for you or your children. It just means you are one step closer to finding the activity they will actually look forward to every week. The most important thing is that they feel comfortable enough to give it a go, and you feel confident that they are in the right hands.
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