Most parents are aware that team sports have numerous benefits for kids. But if you’re looking for a way to truly unlock your kids’ potential, football is the sport to choose.

Football continues to grow as one of the most popular sports in Australia. And parents throughout the country are noticing that their children are ‘coming out of their shell’ and thriving after beginning football training.

Here are some ways that football can help unlock your kid’s potential:

Increased communication skills

In order to become well-rounded adults, kids need to learn to communicate honestly and effectively. This is hugely important for their future careers. But social success is also dependent on communicating appropriately and correctly.

From basic tasks like remembering other kids’ names, to complex activities like taking feedback onboard and giving and receiving compliments, we all need to communicate well.

Kids learn these skills at different stages. You may have noticed that while your kids seem to have the potential for great communication, they sometimes fail to “use their words” and express themselves coherently.

Football helps kids learn these skills in many different ways. Giving and taking directions with teammates, talking to coaches about strategies, and getting to know the kids on their team are some ways that kids can grow their communication skills.

An understanding of community

To function well as a society, everyone has to work together and live their lives by certain rules. When playing football, kids learn that they sometimes need to sacrifice for the good of the team or step up to help the team score.

Not all kids know how to successfully join a group. There’s a process of negotiation that kids go through before the group will let them join. Your kids need to understand their role within the group, and the rules of give and take.

Not all members of every group can be the leaders. Some members will have ideas and opinions that the group want to listen to, and others won’t. Playing on a football team is the perfect structure to help kids learn how to fit in on a team.

Self-confidence and standing up for themselves

Learning how to assert ourselves is one of the most difficult skills we learn. Some people are still trying to master this skill in their twenties and thirties.

Some kids are vulnerable, while others have a tendency to be aggressive or bully others. Kids need to learn that there are plenty of ways that they can effectively express their viewpoint and that they can be assertive without also being offensive.

The framework of a football team provides a perfect environment for learning these skills. Playing football can help build up children's confidence and prepare them for the challenging life of a teenager.

The ability to focus

The ability to focus is arguably one of the most important skills a player can learn. Most adults are suffering from ‘monkey mind’ and our ever-increasing determination to multi-task is actually slowing us down. This is becoming even more evident in younger kids.

How often do you see your kids ‘double screening’ (sitting in front of the TV while using a phone or tablet)? Do they often seem to jump from one task to the next, or have trouble concentrating? Football is a great solution. When kids are playing football, they need to be completely focused on where the ball is going, and ready to trap the ball or pass to teammates.

Because the game can move so fast, they don’t have time for their mind to wander and must learn to refocus back on the game whenever their attention turns elsewhere. If you’re hoping to help your kids learn to concentrate solely on one activity at a time, football is an excellent way to make it happen.