Why Basketball?

6 Health Benefits of Basketball:

1.Endurance: As with any high intensity sport ,there are many cardiovascular benefits of basketball .Between bouts of running ,jumping, dribbling ,and bouts of rest ,kids are participating in total body interval training without even realizing it .Interval training boosts aerobic capacity ,energy levels and metabolism, which in turn helps kids concentrate more in school.

2. Motor Control: The ability to control our limbs in space may come naturally but being able to pass and shoot with precision during a basketball game takes special training and repetitive practice. Performing drills on and off the court with a basketball enables children to grade their muscle forces, control the position of their bodies in response to an opponent or a pass, and plan out successful movement sequences.

3.Ankle Stability: All the agility training, cutting back and forth, multidirectional running, pivoting, and turning within a basketball game are great ways to challenge our lower body muscles and joints, especially the structures surrounding our ankles. Organized basketball teaches kids safe and successful ways to block, pass, steal, jump and run without hurting themselves or others. Ball sports such as basketball are great for reinforcing kids balance strategies and prevent future injury.

4.Balance/Coordination: As with most team sports, basketball requires upper body coordination, total body coordination and hand-eye coordination. Dribbling, catching, passing and making baskets require planning, precision, and quick reactions. Walking backwards, turning or running while dribbling a ball and at the same time paying attention to others is a challenging but interesting exercise for coordination and body awareness.

5.Agility: Basketball is a fast-paced sport where athletes must think fast on their feet and respond quickly to plays that could change momentum and direction at any minute. Young athletes are working on mental drills in addition to physical techniques. Basketball enhances children’s agility due to swiftness needed to dodge other players and make aggressive plays.

6.Social Skills: The great thing about team sports is the level of discipline and communication needed for success at the games. Young athletes learn from an early age how to work in a team atmosphere, pay attention to the rules of the game. Team sports prepare children for necessary social interactions later in life. Through these sports, children understand shared responsibility, teamwork and how to deal with triumph and defeat, all of which are applicable throughout life.