Basketball Hoop - 5 Benefits of Playing Basketball

There is no doubt when you play basketball that you are getting some benefit from it.  It is, after all, a form of great exercise.  Children, especially benefit form this game.  It is becoming more and more popular too with children who love the fact the game is good for any age and any skill level. All you need is a basketball hoop, and you’re good to go. With the amount of basketball hoops in parks, there’s really no excuse as to why one couldn’t get some exercise playing basketball.

Basketball packs a lot of benefits, but here are the top five things your child can get from playing a good game.

1. Physical fitness.  As mentioned, the physical and health benefits from basketball are the one benefit that is most recognizable.  What you may not realize is exactly how many ways basketball benefits your body and your health. 

Basketball is a great cardiovascular workout.  You are running and jumping and that really works the heart and lungs.  You are getting your blood pumping and your breathing is accelerated.  It is an amazing workout for your body.

You also get the benefits of strengthen your muscles, increasing your flexibility and burning fat.  Additionally, you are increasing your speed and agility.  You are learning to move in new ways and that is a great benefit to your body.

2. Team work.  Basket ball is all about working together to a common goal.  Everyone on the team has to learn to work together to get the win.  This is a wonderful skill for children to learn.  It teaches them that they can not always be the star and that letting others help you reach a goal is okay.  Learning to work with others is a life long skill that your child will use forever.

3. Coordination.  Basketball requires your feet, legs, arms and eyes to all work together to win the game.  Coordination is a skill that growing children often struggle with.  By playing basketball they are able to practice their coordination skills and learn to improve them.

4.  Confidence.  Basketball can really be a confidence booster.  No matter how good a kid is at the game, making a basket or just being on a winning team can really improve their confidence.  This is an important aspect of childhood.  A child who can build confidence will find life to be easier and be able to overcome obstacles better, as studies have shown.

5. Social skills.  Basketball is a social sport.  It brings people together and creates bonds and friendships.  It is great for a shy child to really bring them out and help them to meet new people and learn to socialize.  Social skills are something your child will carry with them in the future and in all areas of their life.

These five skills are very valuable to children and even adults can reap the benefits of a game of basketball.  If the love of the game is not enough to get you and your kids out on the court then maybe seeing all these perks of the game will help motivate you to get out on the basketball hoop court and start playing today.