Keeping kids in sport (& starting them early) matters!

03/11/2026

Sports have been everywhere lately. From the Olympics to the Super Bowl to National Girls and Women in Sports Day, we’re thinking about the role sports can play in our children’s lives.

Many parents are asking: why do sports matter? How early is too early to get started? And how do we help them want to keep playing?

Sportball has been answering these questions and providing solutions for over three decades. Read on to find answers! 

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Why starting and staying in sports matters

There are many benefits to introducing children to sport early — even as young as 16 months. From the very start, you can help your child build a positive relationship with physical activity. Given that well below 1% of high school athletes will progress to have professional sports careers, we believe that this is the ultimate goal!

Sports are more than just games; they’re life lessons on the field. 

• Kids learn social skills, build confidence, and discover the joy of moving their bodies. 
• They’re about building positive habits like responsibility, punctuality, and the value of practice. 
• Sports can help kids build resilience – to get back in the game after a bad play or a painful loss, and teach that life goes on despite the scoreboard. 
• They also get kids off screens and onto the field, creating opportunities to form lifelong friendships and learn how to be a team player. 
• Sports (especially when kids play a wide variety of them) keep kids moving, helping build physical and mental strength that can serve as preventative medicine against disease. 
• They teach kids how to strategize, lead and work hard to achieve their goals. Which is why it’s no surprise that 94% of women in c-suite executive level positions played sports growing up. 

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How do we keep kids in sports?

If we want kids to stay active, FUN matters! Children are more likely to stick with sports when programs focus on fun, confidence, and exploration instead of pressure or performance. At Sportball, that philosophy shapes every program. It’s why we’ll add extra balls to a game of soccer so that more kids get to play, or why the coaches will face off against the kids to encourage cooperation and model feelings around winning and losing.   

Purposeful Coaching

Our coaches are trained to coach with purpose, focusing on encouragement, autonomy, and effort rather than comparison or outcomes. Every action has an intended outcome, so we’re not just throwing colourful balls in the air (#IYKYK), we’re breaking the ice, giving kids a task they can easily accomplish to build confidence, learning to follow instructions and building coordination. 

Science-backed Programming 

We explored what makes Sportball’s programming engaging for children in How Storytelling Helps Kids Build Skills. Every Sportball program is non-competitive, age-appropriate and research-backed. 

Multi-Sport Magic

Exposure to a variety of sports prevents injuries, keeps burn-out at bay, and makes kids better overall athletes. 

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Ready to give your child an early start in sports?

If you are looking for a program that offers developmentally appropriate sports for kids with an emphasis on FUN, Sportball is the perfect fit! Sportball is keeping sports fun to keep your kid in sports. Our indoor Spring programs for kids ages 16 months-12 years start March 30th, and many fill up, so secure the location closest to you today! You can find our entire outdoor Spring and Summer programs online, too.

Is your future little athlete not quite 16-months? Sportball offers programs all year long and typically posts our classes well in advance of a season. But don’t delay, our parent & child classes for kids under 3 years are typically the first to fill up. We can’t wait to see you in class soon! 

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