Youth basketball is a great activity for any kid. Basketball is a great sport that I grew up loving to play, and continue to love to play and watch to this day. Of course, it has many benefits for kids (and parents), like keeping them out of trouble, keeping them active, and spending time with new friends with similar interests.

Here's another reason to get your kid(s) into youth sports like basketball: it helps develop important life skills that will help them excel when they get older.

One of the life skills that youth basketball can help develop is time management skills, including punctuality. Yes, it's true that ultimately the parents, brother, adult figure that may be driving to practice or the game is responsible for getting them there on time. But, there's only so much you can do. The kid has to be changed and ready for practice early enough to get there on time (trust me, sometimes it doesn't happen). Not getting there on time sometimes has consequences like loss of playing time, not being able to start, or whatever, so there's some incentive to make sure to be on time. This "skill" or courtesy, is important in all aspects of life later on, whether it be getting to work on time, getting to the airport on time. Whatever it is, punctuality can benefit anyone at any age, and youth basketball can help to develop this skill.

On top of that, when kids are older and have homework and other responsibilities, they have to learn how to balance their time in order to go to practice and games and also finish their homework and chores. Because of this, being in a youth sport can help a child to start developing time management and multi-tasking skills. They will have to "plan out" their day a little better (with a little help and encouragement from adults, of course), and set aside time to complete their fun activities and their "work" like chores and homework. As with punctuality, being able to manage time in order to get multiple tasks done is a skill we all need and can always improve on... youth sports will also help to develop this skill.

Youth basketball helps keep kids healthier through exercise and keeps them happier because it is FUN. I want to stress this because, though it is a very competitive sport, the main purpose is to have fun. But, if you're wondering why you should allow your kid to play youth basketball, this describes some other benefits, and there are numerous more.