August 1, 2023

Can 2-year-olds play sports?

They Can and Should

It’s always adorable to see professional athletes have their toddlers playing their sports, but in the back of everyone’s mind are the same misconceptions—they’re too young to play for real. 

These athletes are showing the world that it’s never too early to start playing sports. In fact, the benefits of young children in sports far outweigh the potential for injury. 

Now more than ever, parents recognize that children can get a head start on physical, mental, and social abilities by engaging in sports like gymnastics, volleyball, and especially soccer! 

In this article, we review several benefits your 2-year-old can get by playing sports. In addition to these benefits, your child can find a sense of belonging, build strong character, and learn to overcome doubts. 

Don’t trust just any sports complex to give your child the best experience. TOCA Football is the industry leader in indoor soccer environments, with world-class coaches, youth soccer leagues, and individualized training programs to help you achieve your soccer goals. There are locations all around the country with new facilities opening every year. Find out how TOCA builds the best soccer experience by booking your free kickoff today! 

Benefits of Sports for 2-year-olds

You might be wondering what benefit a 2-year-old will get from playing the game of soccer so early. In reality, your little ones from all age groups get tons of benefits from playing soccer and showing them support can turn your tots into multi-sport all-stars by high school. Here are just a few benefits you can see in your 2-year-old when they start playing a sport. 

1. Develop stronger bodies

Physical activity is the best way to develop fine motor skills, and playing soccer expedites the process in your 2-year-old. Your little one will build physical strength through running, which supports the cardiovascular system. All that running will eventually teach your little one how to breathe correctly, which can translate into stronger lungs and larger breathing capacity. 

Learning to run and breathe is part of the conditioning process. The physical ability your children will learn in soccer at 2-years-old leads to higher physical capability for a variety of sports like flag football or lacrosse. Many professional athletes use soccer to warm up as it’s excellent for the body!  

2. Helps brain development

Brain development happens rapidly in 2 and 3-year-olds, and the skills they learn now will help them grow when they hit their vital teen years. Soccer helps mental and cognitive development by supporting fundamental processes like rule comprehension and critical thinking. 

Your little one will encounter new rules, challenges, and motivators because of the structure provided by playing soccer. Not every coach will know how to bring out the best in your little one. TOCA’s coaches and soccer programs take mental development seriously and utilize age-appropriate drills to help your tot master the game of soccer! 

3. Learn coordination, balance, and control

Like developing a stronger body, soccer helps toddlers learn coordination, balance, and control. Kicking helps young children develop a sense of 3-dimensional coordination and balance while blocking helps build hand-eye coordination.

In addition to coordination and balance, your little one will learn both body control and ball control. The ability to control motion also aids in sports like softball or karate, where body position is critical. These activities further strengthen confidence in physical ability, making learning other activities easier. 

4. Teach decision-making and planning

Decision-making and planning skills are necessary for the real world, but that doesn’t mean your little one can’t start learning these vital skills early. Soccer is an excellent way to develop decision-making and planning because players must think about where the ball will end up and position themselves in a way to benefit their team. 

The most successful soccer clubs have a high degree of teamwork. That high level of collaboration only occurs when players plan and think about how their positioning helps the team. These skills can help your child learn how to make critical decisions in other areas of their life. 

5. Make friends and learn social skills

Youth sports programs are an excellent way for kids and parents to make friends and stretch social engagement. It’s easy for kids to make friends when playing fun games, and soccer provides the catalyst for kids to interact. Naturally, teamwork is crucial for success, and the tighter the friendships, the better the performance.

Parent participation can also lead to forging adult friendships, as soccer leagues are an excellent source of parenting resources. Learn from other parents and exchange tips or tricks you use to make life easier with your children. It’s all possible thanks to soccer, and TOCA Football provides more than a community center structure with birthday parties, professional coaches, and kids in sports programs!  

6. Greater confidence

Building confidence is vital for future success, and there’s no better way for kids to build that confidence than by playing a sport. Soccer drills make it easy for kids of all skill levels to start having fun with little learning curve. Kicking a soccer ball does more for confidence than you realize until you see the pure joy on your child’s face!

Of course, parent participation will also help strengthen that confidence. As you cheer your little one on the field, they can feel good about their ability and contributions to the game. However, it’s essential that your child also learns sportsmanship. Understanding how to win and lose gracefully and not letting self-confidence turn into arrogance will benefit everyone! 

7. Contributes to happiness

Nothing warms a parent’s heart like seeing their children happy. Playing soccer, even at 2 years old, can contribute to overall happiness. Being a part of a team supports a sense of belonging, which is critical for happy, healthy humans. As your child develops physical, mental, and social skills, the ability to find joy from playing soccer begins to blossom into true happiness.

Children who are fit and mentally well are happier than kids who sit on the couch and watch TV all day. At the end of the day, soccer is a game. It reduces screen time and encourages outdoor activity, which ultimately contributes to improved mental health and lower risk of obesity

Promote an Active Lifestyle for Your Toddlers at TOCA Football

Soccer is one of the world’s oldest and most popular sports. It’s no surprise when considering its benefits, especially for the youngest children. Even 2-year-olds can start developing life-long skills that may not be possible in other environments. They’ll develop physically, mentally, and socially all by playing the entertaining game of soccer. 

Don’t trust just any community center program to offer the best in soccer. TOCA Football uses world-class technology and facilities to provide the ultimate soccer experience. For your littlest players, TOCA’s kids soccer classes is the perfect way to introduce soccer into your child’s life. Find a location near you, and see how TOCA Football provides an experience that allows your child to really grow! 

They Can and Should

It’s always adorable to see professional athletes have their toddlers playing their sports, but in the back of everyone’s mind are the same misconceptions—they’re too young to play for real. 

These athletes are showing the world that it’s never too early to start playing sports. In fact, the benefits of young children in sports far outweigh the potential for injury. 

Now more than ever, parents recognize that children can get a head start on physical, mental, and social abilities by engaging in sports like gymnastics, volleyball, and especially soccer! 

In this article, we review several benefits your 2-year-old can get by playing sports. In addition to these benefits, your child can find a sense of belonging, build strong character, and learn to overcome doubts. 

Don’t trust just any sports complex to give your child the best experience. TOCA Football is the industry leader in indoor soccer environments, with world-class coaches, youth soccer leagues, and individualized training programs to help you achieve your soccer goals. There are locations all around the country with new facilities opening every year. Find out how TOCA builds the best soccer experience by booking your free kickoff today! 

Benefits of Sports for 2-year-olds

You might be wondering what benefit a 2-year-old will get from playing the game of soccer so early. In reality, your little ones from all age groups get tons of benefits from playing soccer and showing them support can turn your tots into multi-sport all-stars by high school. Here are just a few benefits you can see in your 2-year-old when they start playing a sport. 

1. Develop stronger bodies

Physical activity is the best way to develop fine motor skills, and playing soccer expedites the process in your 2-year-old. Your little one will build physical strength through running, which supports the cardiovascular system. All that running will eventually teach your little one how to breathe correctly, which can translate into stronger lungs and larger breathing capacity. 

Learning to run and breathe is part of the conditioning process. The physical ability your children will learn in soccer at 2-years-old leads to higher physical capability for a variety of sports like flag football or lacrosse. Many professional athletes use soccer to warm up as it’s excellent for the body!  

2. Helps brain development

Brain development happens rapidly in 2 and 3-year-olds, and the skills they learn now will help them grow when they hit their vital teen years. Soccer helps mental and cognitive development by supporting fundamental processes like rule comprehension and critical thinking. 

Your little one will encounter new rules, challenges, and motivators because of the structure provided by playing soccer. Not every coach will know how to bring out the best in your little one. TOCA’s coaches and soccer programs take mental development seriously and utilize age-appropriate drills to help your tot master the game of soccer! 

3. Learn coordination, balance, and control

Like developing a stronger body, soccer helps toddlers learn coordination, balance, and control. Kicking helps young children develop a sense of 3-dimensional coordination and balance while blocking helps build hand-eye coordination.

In addition to coordination and balance, your little one will learn both body control and ball control. The ability to control motion also aids in sports like softball or karate, where body position is critical. These activities further strengthen confidence in physical ability, making learning other activities easier. 

4. Teach decision-making and planning

Decision-making and planning skills are necessary for the real world, but that doesn’t mean your little one can’t start learning these vital skills early. Soccer is an excellent way to develop decision-making and planning because players must think about where the ball will end up and position themselves in a way to benefit their team. 

The most successful soccer clubs have a high degree of teamwork. That high level of collaboration only occurs when players plan and think about how their positioning helps the team. These skills can help your child learn how to make critical decisions in other areas of their life. 

5. Make friends and learn social skills

Youth sports programs are an excellent way for kids and parents to make friends and stretch social engagement. It’s easy for kids to make friends when playing fun games, and soccer provides the catalyst for kids to interact. Naturally, teamwork is crucial for success, and the tighter the friendships, the better the performance.

Parent participation can also lead to forging adult friendships, as soccer leagues are an excellent source of parenting resources. Learn from other parents and exchange tips or tricks you use to make life easier with your children. It’s all possible thanks to soccer, and TOCA Football provides more than a community center structure with birthday parties, professional coaches, and kids in sports programs!  

6. Greater confidence

Building confidence is vital for future success, and there’s no better way for kids to build that confidence than by playing a sport. Soccer drills make it easy for kids of all skill levels to start having fun with little learning curve. Kicking a soccer ball does more for confidence than you realize until you see the pure joy on your child’s face!

Of course, parent participation will also help strengthen that confidence. As you cheer your little one on the field, they can feel good about their ability and contributions to the game. However, it’s essential that your child also learns sportsmanship. Understanding how to win and lose gracefully and not letting self-confidence turn into arrogance will benefit everyone! 

7. Contributes to happiness

Nothing warms a parent’s heart like seeing their children happy. Playing soccer, even at 2 years old, can contribute to overall happiness. Being a part of a team supports a sense of belonging, which is critical for happy, healthy humans. As your child develops physical, mental, and social skills, the ability to find joy from playing soccer begins to blossom into true happiness.

Children who are fit and mentally well are happier than kids who sit on the couch and watch TV all day. At the end of the day, soccer is a game. It reduces screen time and encourages outdoor activity, which ultimately contributes to improved mental health and lower risk of obesity

Promote an Active Lifestyle for Your Toddlers at TOCA Football

Soccer is one of the world’s oldest and most popular sports. It’s no surprise when considering its benefits, especially for the youngest children. Even 2-year-olds can start developing life-long skills that may not be possible in other environments. They’ll develop physically, mentally, and socially all by playing the entertaining game of soccer. 

Don’t trust just any community center program to offer the best in soccer. TOCA Football uses world-class technology and facilities to provide the ultimate soccer experience. For your littlest players, TOCA’s kids soccer classes is the perfect way to introduce soccer into your child’s life. Find a location near you, and see how TOCA Football provides an experience that allows your child to really grow! 

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