Youth sports programs highlight the benefits of kids’ physical activity

WICHITA FALLS, Texas (KAUZ) -As summer wraps up, youth sport activities are still well underway and - in many cases - improving kids’ lives.

“They get up and move. It’s going to keep them active specially these days that everything is more and more on screens more sedentary, you’re going to have more kids that want to stay at home and watch tv and play games,” Boys and Girls Club Athletics Director Sean Swarthout said, “So just for three to four days a week they get out, practice to play a game for one to two hours it’s just so important for them to get that physical activity.”

At the Boys and Girls Club, Swarthout said that he sees how youth sports programs have positively impacted kids’ overall fitness.

“The kids get out and play, they better their skills, and they develop social skills working in teams. What’s also about team sports is that you have to be able to develop socially as well, not only physically. How they handle emotional things that happen in the game, how they treat their teammates,” he said.

Madrigal Youth Center Youth Sports Director Josh Hyne said that a child develops important traits through participating.

“There are a couple of things that are beneficial for playing youth sports: it’s overall health, it helps teach problem solving, it helps teach cooperation, learning how to take direction, and it helps you make friends,” Hyne said.

He added that incorporating these programs in their center helps kids build social stability and a circle of support.

“It’s very important for our youth center sports because we got a lot of kids that are constantly moving in and out and it’s a good way for them to meet somebody new, meet a friend and then be a part of a community that they might not also get like normal kids when they grow up you know what I mean, knowing those kids from Kindergarten all the way through, so it’s a good way for them to be new kids,” Hyne said.

You can register for both the Boys and Girls Club Youth Sports Programs here. The Madrigal Youth Center registration ends August 8th.