In any skill-based activity, there are people who go above and beyond. One may wonder how they reach that point, being so great at whatever thing they are doing. If asked, they will probably say something along the lines of starting when they were a little kid. In this instance, it demonstrates the idea that those who start when they are younger are the ones who come out on top. This is not only true, but something that should be sought after. Children should start their activities when they are young.
Beginning when younger allows for skills to be built sooner and longer, such as athletes in sports. A majority of athletes start their token sport when they are children, and for good reason. They are able to figure out the finer details of the sport they are playing and get more practice, giving them more time to get used to the sport. Ten years of work in any area is better than only two. They are more likely to get further in their sport if they start at a young age.
One athlete who began as a child is tennis player Serena Williams. She took her first steps in the tennis world at the age of three, when her parents began extensive tennis training for her. Williams qualified professionally at 14 and was ranked number 99 in the world by 17. By 1998, a year later, she was number 20. This all happened before Williams even graduated high school. As of now, she has 23 Grand Slam titles. If Williams had not started training with tennis so early in life, she probably would not have made it as far as she did, according to womenshistory.org.
Another instance is in the instrumental world. A majority of the best musicians are people who started when they were toddlers, like as soon as they were able to pick up an instrument. This gives them massive advantages over those who started later. They build a skill for not only playing an instrument but also reading pieces and knowing how music works. Oftentimes, people who start young also expand to other instruments once they have been playing for a long time, leading to further development of their skills.
An example of someone who started playing instruments at a young age is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who began with the keyboard and violin at five years old. He was composing pieces at eight years old and was a well-known composer of opera by 12, according to chambermusicsociety.org.
Starting younger in various activities allows the person to be able to focus on multiple things as well. Having years of experience playing one sport means that they will have time to also learn others, since they are advanced with their original.
Having an advantage in their respective areas also enforces a need to succeed in these children, so they push themselves to improve with what they do. They have known working hard at their sport, instrument, skills, etc., so they keep refining and building on what they do.
Sure, kids should have free time, but that does not mean they should have no stimuli 24/7. A lack of things to do leads to stagnation in activity and contributes to the development of laziness in life. Encouraging the child to participate in clubs and activities allows them to branch out on their own and do things with their lives, feeling like they are actually accomplishing something.
Not only does keeping children involved in a sport ensure that they stay motivated, like getting better at running, but it also keeps them healthy. There are physical and psychological benefits to playing sports as a child, like an improvement of motor skills. It also has been shown to improve academic achievement and weight control, decrease risk of heart disease and diabetes, and lessen psychological dysfunction. As for instruments, they contribute to better cognitive development and set a foundation for skills later in life, according to pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
It is clear that children should be encouraged to participate in clubs and activities at a young age. They are benefited not only physically, psychologically and socially, but also for the mere fact that they should be given things to do. Rather than letting kids sit idly at home all day, give them something to do that will carry them throughout their lives.
