Did you know September is Little League Month? Little League is an organization for youth baseball and softball. Baseball and softball are great sports for children of all ages to try, even if they’re not on an organized team. Younger children can learn basic physical skills such as running, catching, and throwing. Whether you simply play catch with your children or they join a team, baseball and softball are fun ways for your children to get 60 minutes of daily physical activity!
Sports like baseball and softball foster values of teamwork and sportsmanship in children and adolescents. Baseball and softball incorporate all kinds of physical activity–running the bases gets your heart rate up, while swinging the bat, throwing, and catching can improve both strength and flexibility. Also, it can help improve hand-eye coordination, which is especially helpful for younger children still developing their motor skills.
While toddlers and preschoolers may not be able to play an organized baseball or softball game, you can still have them practice running to different bases and throwing and catching a ball from a short distance. Also, tee ball is a great way to ease into baseball and softball. Tee ball is a modified age-appropriate baseball game for children around 4-7 years old. Rather than batting the ball in the air, children bat the ball off of a tee.
Check out this link to find baseball and tee ball teams near you and this link to find softball team near you. Also, you can visit this link to determine which baseball or softball league is best for your child.
What baseball or softball league will your child join?