Encouraging Your Daughter to Love Sports

Many little girls are just as interested in learning about — and playing — sports as their brothers are. So if you want to raise your little girl with a love for sports, you can play a big role in encouraging such a fondness. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Get Playful at Home

There’s an entire philosophy of child-rearing called playful parenting, and the main point of it is to connect with your child while having fun. When you’re the parent of a son, this sometimes comes more easily. After all, it’s second nature to roughhouse with him or be more raucous and silly. Boys are seen as rough and tumble, with energy oozing from them at all times. So ideas for activities often include things like throwing a ball or playing your own version of water polo. But there’s no reason to count out the very same pastimes for your pint-sized princess. When given the chance, most girls will have a blast tossing a football with you or sharpening their ping-pong skills. Need extra ideas for play? Check out discount websites like Groupon to find affordable activities in your area, from miniature golf and rock climbing to bowling and beyond.

Consider Organized Sports

When you have a little girl, it’s often assumed that she’ll participate in dance classes or gymnastics. While these activities are great outlets for a young one, it’s important you don’t limit your daughter’s choices. She may never have asked if she could play basketball, but maybe that’s because she was never offered the option.

Whenever you and your spouse sit down to talk through decisions that impact your children, discuss the costs and logistics of all programs you’re considering. Once you’ve agreed upon which ones you can afford (and those that make sense as far as time commitments are concerned), have a chat with your young one. Tell her the five to 10 choices you would be happy to pay for (and drive her to and from), and ask her what interests her most. Be sure to include a varied list of activities, with organized sports in the mix. She may choose violin classes or a writing workshop, but she also may decide to try soccer. Giving her the ability to choose — and supporting her ultimate wishes — will make her feel empowered and will foster a potential love for that pursuit.

Take Her Out to the Ball Game

Sometimes there’s no better way to induce enthusiasm about sports than to take your daughter to a professional sports game. There’s something magical about stadiums, crowds, lights, food, camaraderie and competition that makes the whole experience larger than life to kids and adults alike. Now is the perfect time to catch an NFL game together, and down the road when other sports seasons pick up, you can make a date out of attending a basketball or baseball game. Make sure to get your tickets through a legitimate vendor, though, so you can be sure of authenticity. Then root, root, root for the home team! This type of activity will strengthen your bond and help your little one catch some of the excitement around professional sports.

As you aim to develop your daughter’s love of sports, make sure she’s getting plenty of exposure to all different types. Be playful at home, offer her the option to participate in organized athletics and take her to live events. She’s sure to catch at least a little bit of a sports fever and, if nothing else, you’ll have fun and make awesome new memories.