Back to school: the best team sports for children

Football, rugby, hand, basketball… Collective sport is on the rise.

Racing, acceleration, camaraderie and fun to let off steam.

Here are the ingredients that succeed in these extracurricular activities taken by storm at the start of the school year.

A good way to let off steam on Wednesdays or Saturdays, to make contacts with other comrades or to get involved in an association.

In short,

multiplies the benefits for the health and socialization of our loustics.

Participating in a team sport allows children to extend their autonomy and responsibilities.

Without forgetting to develop a personal identity, without being individualistic.

But how to choose it?

Between athletic parents who try to rally their offspring and others who give their child complete freedom, there is an important step forward.

It is important not to forget that each athlete has his own personality.

And not all sports are suitable for all children.

There are criteria to help you choose.

Team sports such as football, rugby, basketball, volleyball or even handball, to name only the most frequent, are factors in learning respect for authority (referee, coach ).

They make it possible to channel aggression towards others and to develop fair play.

And physically, the whole body works, from head to toe.

Our selection :

How do I choose a sport for my child?

Choosing a team sport for a child is not easy, but there are criteria to guide you on the right path.

If team sports are all complete, some stand out in particular.

Football, school of life

For a long time, professionals have spoken of football as a school of life.

Quite simply because it helps develop autonomy, fair play and respect for authority.

But not only !

To play football, you also have to use your head to anticipate the game of your opponent, but also of your teammates.

Handball to defend and win

If football repels the most timid, handball on the other hand should seduce them.

The effort is intense, but brief, because the game takes place very quickly, the terrain being small.

Jumps, throws and runs, here are the three main actions.

You have to make decisions quickly, there is little downtime, and know how to impose yourself to defend, while respecting your opponents.

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Basketball for skill

Attention, concentration and skill are the key words for playing basketball.

Here again, everything goes very quickly on the ground, you have to perceive, listen and control yourself as much as possible.

Volleyball for technique

Much less popular, volleyball is a technical team sport with zero contact or shock during play. Thighs and abdominals are the muscles most used, as are team cohesion, skill and reflexes.

Rugby for the family spirit

Not far from dethroning football in the hearts of some supporters, rugby is a team contact sport.

But be aware that they are very limited when it comes to children.

The emphasis is on passing the ball and dexterity with the ball in hand.

Do different team sports trials

Before getting started, it is important that your child performs several tries if they are interested in several sports.

The first criterion is pleasure.

Sport should be a source of motivation and not of conflict.

Remember that sports are mixed activities, for both girls and boys.

It is always positive to encourage cravings even if it does not correspond to the parents' idea.

What sport is best for my child?

Contrary to popular belief, it may be a mistake to advise a shy child to go into a team sport such as soccer.

The values ​​of rugby and handball for example could suit him better.

Team sports are generally practiced from 8 years old, but some disciplines accept children from 5 years old.

Detailed review to see more clearly.

Football: the most popular of team sports

With more than two million players in France, football is the team sport which attracts the most licensees.

Round ball and team spirit, it goes well together.

Sharing is taught in all amateur clubs, whether during training, matches, outings or snacks.

The youngest, from 5 or 6 years old, are already working on endurance and coordination with playing football.

Licenses cost between 50 and 200 €.

You have to add the complete equipment for 80 € (crampons included).

Football is suitable for all sizes.

Basketball: no individualism possible

To shine on the basketball court, you don't need to play it individually.

It is completely prohibited in this flagship sport in the United States.

There are more and more clubs that offer baby basketball from the age of 4.

Large sizes do not have a monopoly on basketball.

It all starts with a ball game, by hand of course.

This sport allows you to develop speed and flexibility, as well as the tactical sense of the game. The license is displayed for less than 150 €.

A complete outfit costs around € 70.

Rugby for its values ​​of fair play

More and more popular with the youngest, rugby is adapting to its new audience.

Contacts and other sometimes dangerous blows are banned for the training of the youngest.

Protection has become as essential as the values ​​of the ovale which are fraternity, team spirit and fair play.

Rugby is played in teams of 7, 13 or 15. Girls are welcome, as are all sizes.

The most imposing at the front, the thinnest in the half and the rapids at the rear.

The license can reach 100 € and the equipment too.

Handball from an early age

It is one of the few sports to accept toddlers from 3 years old.

Handball promotes awakening and motor skills from an early age, at 3 years old.

For the older ones, between 6 and 12 years old, there are clubs which set up the 4 against 4, next to the regulation 7 against 7. The license costs between 100 and 200 €.

On the other hand, for the equipment, simplicity is required as well for the outfit as for the shoes.

Volleyball, a sport far from the beach

After a few beach volleyball sessions this summer, it's time for indoor volleyball.

Here again, it is possible to register the little ones from the age of 3 to develop motor skills above all.

For older children, it is a matter of coordinating their movements, throwing the ball, anticipating the trajectory… The license costs around € 50.

Shoes exclusively intended for the gymnasium are to be expected.

Is my child cut out for team sports?

It is generally advisable to start practicing a team sport around the age of 8.

The advantage of team sport is to promote the socialization of your child.

Practice for the most timid, even the most turbulent who will be subject to the authority of a coach, but also a referee.

These will be a little more channeled.

Team sports are suitable for all types of character.

On the health side, they stimulate circulation, develop muscles as a whole, promote flexibility and dexterity with a ball or a ball.

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Discover all our sport selections here!