Seana Smith explains parents new to the sport should get their children involved. Reproduced from http://www.seanasmith.com/7-reasons-your-son-must-play-rugby-league/

The below is an extract from Seana Smith’s blog. Seana is a mum in Sydney, Australia who writes about all the ups and downs of her family life, a family who happen to love rugby league. Here are her seven reasons why parents new to rugby league won’t regret getting their children involved:

1. Your child needs to move

For their body, for their growth, for their muscles, for their brain, for their future health and wellbeing. For the thrill, for the buzz, for the way it makes their body feel. They need to move. We mums and dads do too and for all the same reasons.

2. You child needs good male role models in their life

They do, and the more the merrier. Especially for immigrants like my family, the role models sports clubs provide are an absolute godsend. This is the biggest reason I need to thank our local club. My child’s dad is away a lot of the time and they love and need those strong, firm but fair blokes they see twice a week.

3. Your child needs to lose

Because it is character building, because it’s good practice for life, because they will get over it and they need to know that.

4. Your child needs to win

Because it’s bonding, because it feels good, because they need to know that there are rewards for effort.

5. Your child needs to be part of a team

Because they need to know people are there to help, because they need to know their mistakes can be forgiven, because they need to know how to forgive others and how to share in their successes too.

6. Your child needs your rapt attention

It fills your boy’s soul up to see mum and dad staring hard, following each thundering, speedy footstep. It makes your boy know you love him more than you love your phone!

7. Your child needs community, and so do you

And these suburban sporting clubs are the very essence of our communities. So much work and love poured into them, and really all for the sake of the kids. It’s a very pure goodwill that we see and feel, week in and week out.

Hooray for the coffee van!

To the men and women who run our local rugby league club, I salute you. And I thank you for being part of my sons’ lives and for giving them so many experiences that will stand them in good stead, for their childhood and adolescence. And for a lifetime.