Finally we have the healthy habits of starting your kids in youth sports. This is the final benefit in the series. We hope that as you read these you offer to share your ideas. Thanks for reading, hopefully you got something out of it! Healthy habits. Because sports increase an awareness of one's body and how it responds to different stimuli and circumstances, sports help prevent drug and alcohol abuse. Most athletes value what their bodies can do and want to maintain those abilities. Being an athlete also gives kids an acceptable reason for telling their friends no to drugs, booze, and other high-risk, unhealthy behaviors. (Of course, not all athletes avoid drugs and alcohol.) Dan Bencsik, Bux-Mont Awards

Our continued look this week at the physical benefits of youth sports. Today we highlight Stress relief! Stress relief. Sports allow kids to clear their minds of academic and social pressures, to literally run off the tension that's accumulated in their muscles. In the words of one patient, "If you play really hard, you feel better because playing takes your mind off things that bother you, and afterwards you can concentrate better." Most doctors recognize the positive mental effect of physical exertion, even though we're not sure exactly why this is so. I know that my ability to study in college and medical school was greatly enhanced when I ran during the day, and I'm not the only athlete to find this true. Many athletes get better grades in-season (theories posit the discipline and the need to manage time, along with an increased ability to concentrate). During exams, Duke University opens its gyms twenty-four hours a day to provide stress relief for its stud

The continued benefits of youth sports continues as we look today at Mastery, that satisfying, enjoyable way to develop your kids talents!! Mastery. Sports give kids a satisfying, enjoyable way to develop their own talents: through personal effort they get good at something they're interested in. Doing something well makes them feel good about themselves, but equally important, it teaches them about the process of how to improve and work more effectively. Learning a skill-to dribble left-handed, say, or to execute an effective second serve-entails a recognition that practice is essential and that improvement is incremental. The process of repetition teaches the athlete how to master a move and also how to experiment with different approaches to improve a skill. The feedback in sports is usually immediate and visible-does the ball go into the basket?-so that the athlete can change or repeat what she's doing and figure out how to get better. Not only that, the whole process of

The following information was taken from The Benefits of Youth Sports Article by Jordan D. Metzl, M.D., Carol Shookhoff, Ph.D. We are going to highlight the physical benefits of your sports participation over the course of the next few posts. Any other ideas are welcome! Fitness. Kids who play sports develop general physical fitness in a way that's fun, and they establish lifelong habits for good health. This is particularly important at a time when obesity in the United States has reached epidemic proportions: the incidence of obesity has increased by more than 50 percent among America's children and teens since 1976 and continues to grow at a staggering rate! Dan Bencsik, Bux-Mont Awards

Who would have thought a year ago today that Peyton Mannings younger brother Eli would win the Superbowl XLII MVP award and I would not have believed you, but he played his heart out and we can really say he deserved it. He played lights out and showed the same grit and determination that Brady has shown in previous championships. They played with speed, tenacity and sheer enthusiasm. It was a really great game and one to be enjoyed by all.

The Superbowl has come and gone, but the commercials will be around for the whole year! And what luck we have that such a great football game could be played and watched by so many. Another pleasant (few) moments was during the breaks, which I think the quality of the commercials increased from previous years. Some were disspointed that no monkeys were sighted, but I for one was quite pleased. What follows are some of this awards specialists favorites. Fed Ex-Carrier Pigeons Dueling Parade Balloons. It was a real nail biter this year complete with everything. Great defense, an upset at the end. Fumbles, quarterback sacks, a couple touchdowns and even some field goals. The Patriots may not have completed the best season in the history of professional football but they gave it a darn good run. The Vince Lombardi Trophy was given and well deserved. We had a quarterback come of age and a future hall of famer give his all and just come up short. It was a pleasant surprise to se

Found on the web at http://ezinearticles.com By participating in youth sports , the young athlete will : 1. Develop and become proficient at the various sports skills. 2. Develop skills needed to socialize with their peers as well as adults. 3. Develop independence and confidence. 4. Develop a sense of achievement, which helps develop a positive self-image. 5. Develop leadership skills and qualities. 6. Learn how to cooperate and compete. 7. Develop agility, coordination, endurance, flexibility, speed and strength. 8. Develop the ability to make decisions and accept responsibilities. 9. Learn to understand and express emotions, imagination, and appreciation for what the body can do. 10. Develop an interest in continuing sports participation as an adult. Dan Bencsik helps people find the perfect award through Bux-Mont Awards