The Benefit of Sports

Sports are important is the life of our Scouts.  Child obesity is an epidemic our country, and youth are more likely to stick with a routine when it starts as early as possible in their life.

Sports also provide an opportunity to make friends and socialize.  Our Scouts also learn what it means to be on a team and make decisions as a group.

Almost every sport can be modified to suit a young child.

Setting Up

Sports can be played indoors or out.  If sports are going to be played indoors, make sure the area is empty and windows or other objects cannot be broken by a stray ball.

Outdoors, find an area large enough of the Scouts to play freely, but not so large that young children would have trouble running around bases and kicking through a goal.

T-Ball

T-ball is an easy choice for a small child, and a great way to start if older siblings who are Rising or North Star Scouts are playing baseball, and your Discovery Scout is begging to play too.  It’s never too young to start learning the rules of the game

T-ball sets are inexpensive and feature a stand that is short enough for our Scouts and a soft plastic ball and bat.  One Scout stands at the batter box and another about 4 or 5 feet away, depending on the age and strength of the child catching the ball.  Each Scout takes a turn as the batter and as the outfield, catching the ball.

Discovery Scouts build coordination and confidence by learning to hit the ball.  Our Scouts may not succeed right away, but practice will help them develop the skills needed to play sports as they get older.

Soccer

A small goal can be set up.  A children’s soccer goal can be borrowed or purchased from a sporting goods store, but it’s just as easy to create a line in the grass with paint or a stick or anything that can seen as a line of demarcation.

Our Scouts each take turns kicking the ball and being the goalie to stop the ball from passing the line.

Basketball

Child sized basketball hoops can be found in nearly any sports, and can also be borrowed from friends and neighbors.

Learning to dribble may likely be the biggest challenge for Discovery Scouts.  Scouts take turns trying to toss the basketball into the hoop, and take turns trying to block the other Scout’s shot.

Learning the rules of the game can give younger children a step up when they play sports as they get older and as they play sports as part of our Rising Star Scout Program.