Over the past decades, the popularity of youth sports has been increasing rapidly. Most schools from all across the globe are implementing sport programs, encouraging pupils to join in.
Students’ participation in sports has plenty of benefits. First of all, it allows keeping children and teens healthy and fit. Besides, sports in schools help pupils hone their networking, communication, and companionship skills - joining a sports team they make new friends and socialize more. Finally, creating a fun and safe environment for competition allows teens to acquire such vital life skills as work ethic, perseverance, training, leadership, and others. And the list of benefits could go on and on.
Among all youth sports offered in schools and colleges, basketball has been the most popular one for quite a while. Since this is one of those activities suitable for both boys and girls, it shows the highest percentages of participation. Now, what are the pros of playing basketball in particular? Let’s find this out!
Basketball for Youth: Top 6 Benefits of Shooting Hoops
Basketball is an extremely dynamic game. It normally involves lots of stopping and starting, as well as a wide variety of moves, including passing, dribbling, shooting, etc. Being such a diversified and fast-moving game, you can bet it is a great workout. Therefore, it offers quite a few health benefits. But wait - there is more! As well as being a great sport to keep you fit, basketball can also provide a huge range of other advantages.
So, what are the most significant basketball benefits? Here are the top 6 to keep in mind:
Balance and Coordination
Basketball is one of those games that requires you to have an excellent awareness of your body and space. Therefore, it helps develop better spatial awareness, balance, and coordination.
Endurance
As was already mentioned, basketball is pretty dynamic. Of course, depending on the players’ age, skill levels, and other factors, the game may be less or more intense, but it is still pretty fast-paced. With that in mind, it becomes clear that playing it can help build one’s endurance.
Teamwork
One of the biggest social advantages of this sport is that it turns you into a really good team player. This kind of game depends heavily on the players’ ability to collaborate with each other, which is why it is an effective way to boost your teamwork skills.
One more thing worth mentioning is that through teamwork, basketball also helps youth make new friends and network better.
Self-Discipline and Concentration
Just like any other sport, basketball has certain rules. During the game, you either follow those rules or get penalties for you and your team as well. Therefore, it is known for keeping a player’s mind alert and focused throughout the whole game. Meanwhile, adhering to the rules helps boost self-discipline.
Enhanced concentration and self-discipline often help youth athletes perform better at school and reach overall success. Of course, sometimes, being a basketball player may take lots of time and force you to give up on some assignments for the sake of training. However, that’s not too big of a deal. After all, you can always go to this site to get academic help and your newly acquired self-discipline will help you get through the rest of academic challenges. Thus, basketball can actually have a positive influence on all the other spheres of your life.
Physical Training
In terms of getting in shape, growing strength, and building up those muscles, basketball is one of the most effective workouts.
First of all, this game is perfect for burning calories. During a one-hour game, depending on your initial weight and some other factors, you can expect to burn from 600 to 700+ calories.
Secondly, basketball is known for helping to build up muscles and strengths. This game is a great workout for the whole body that helps to make your legs, core muscles, lower back deltoids, and other muscles stronger. And, as if that’s not enough, it is also known for making your bones stronger.
Higher Sense of Self-Worth
Another important benefit of playing basketball is that it can actually boost one’s confidence and bring a higher sense of self-worth. Being a part of a good team can increase students’ self-esteem, which, in turn, will positively affect all the other aspects of their lives.
The Bottom Line
Joining in a basketball team at school or college has many pros. It helps boost immunity and overall health, brings self-confidence, builds up physical strength, and offers a variety of other advantages. Not without a reason, it is one of the most popular youth sports.
On top of everything mentioned in this article, basketball is also extremely fun to play. Therefore, choosing a sport to participate while being a student, you should definitely consider basketball as one of your options!
