Much and all as you might dream of having a future sports star in the family, don’t be in too much of a hurry to sign them up for a team, say the experts.

Top 5 Tips

1. It’s best not to rush children into team sports.

2. Children will indicate when they’re ready for team sports by asking questions, by wanting to be involved and wanting to go along to local clubs.

3. Children will be ready for team sports at different ages depending on their developmental levels.

4. Your child will choose sports that interest them. They may be different to the sports that interest you!

5. Give children the opportunity to try as many different sports as possible because skills gained in one sport are transferable to other sporting situations. The more opportunities and experiences children have in a range of sports, the better their sporting skills are likely to be later on in life.