It's no surprise that sports can greatly benefit a child physically, psychologically, and socially. A 2008 Women's Sports Foundation Research Report concluded that children's athletic participation is also associated with increased levels of family satisfaction, great achievement in study, and an overall better quality of life for children. And a study published in last month's American Journal of Preventive Medicine showed that kids who are active at age 5 wind up with less body fat at ages 8 and 11.

    But one hotly debated discussion focuses on the kinds of sports kids should play, with parents mistakenly thinking, "Lizzie is so quiet, we should let her join in basketball and soccer to try to get her to open up." But increasingly, experts are suggesting the healthier instinct (直觉) might be, "Lizzie is so quiet. Maybe we should see if she likes playing with a big team like softball or if she likes ballet or swimming, where she can work more on her own terms."

    “Participation in any sport is going to provide kids with life skills—the ability to focus and to concentrate, the ability to handle pressure in tough situations, the ability to stay calm when things aren't going just right,'' explains Orlando-based youth sports psychology expert Patrick Cohn. Those lessons will carry over into future, non-sports attempts.

    Team sports certainly offer benefits not as easily obtained via individual activities, as players leant how to communicate and work with others, and there's the potential to develop leadership abilities. Team sports also help kids develop their social identity. Our sense of worth is developed through what we achieve and a sense of belonging.

    Individual sports offer unique advantages, too, like developing a child's sense of independence. “Hero, you don't depend upon teammates," says Cohn. "You take full responsibility, whether you do well or perform poorly." Many of Cohn's young clients complain about pressure from team mates or coaches to make zero mistakes or carry more of the team than they may want to; these kids may enjoy a solo sport like tennis or gymnastics.

    Individual activities keep kids away from comparing themselves to the best players on the team, a habit that does little to help confidence levels. Instead, it encourages them to compare their skills to their own past performances. With individual sports like swimming or track, it's easier for the child to participate on his own, at his leisure(闲暇), without having to round up a bunch of like-minded peers.

    Above all, while some children enjoy the excitement of competition, others are more likely to benefit from the freedom of individual sports, and finding the right balance can be necessary for children's enjoyment. What parents think is encouragement, children often consider as pressure. So try to understand what they want from sports.

The Science of Risk-Seeking

    Sometimes We decide that a little unnecessary danger is worth it because when we weigh the risk and the reward, the risk seems worth tasking. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Some of us enjoy activities that would surprise and scare the rest of us. Why? Experts say it may have to do with how our brains work.

    The reason why any of us take any risks at all might have to do with early humans. Risk-takers were better at hunting, fighting, or exploring. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}As the quality of Risk-taking was passed from on ration to the next, humans ended up with a sense of adventure and a tolerance for risk.

    So why aren't we all jumping out of airplanes then? Well, even 200,000 years ago, too much risk-taking could get one killed. A few daring survived, though, along with a few stay-in-the-cave types. As a result, humans developed a range of character types that still exists today. So maybe you love car racing, or maybe you hate it. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    No matter where you are on the risk-seeking range, scientists say that your willingness to take risks increases during your teenage years. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}To help you do that, your brain increases your hunger for new experiences. New experiences often mean taking some risks, so your brain raises your tolerance for risk as well.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#},for the risk-seekers a part of the brain related to pleasure becomes active, while for the rest of us, a part of the brain related to fear becomes active.

    As experts continue to study the science of risk-seeking, we'll continue to hit the mountains, the waves or the shallow end of the pool.

    There is an old Spanish saying which states, “Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week.” How many times have we put off our dreams tomorrow? {#blank#}1{#/blank#} We have to go for them now!

Tomorrow is not promised.

    Nobody likes to talk about death, but everybody is going to die at one point. None of us know the day or the hour. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Don't go to your tomb(坟墓) with unrealized dreams. Make the decision to go after every dream, big or small right now.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    One of the biggest dream killers is fear. Many people could have achieved amazing things if only they weren't afraid. Just think about all the things you've wanted to go, but allowed fear to convince you that you weren't talented, or good enough. Fear is not real. It is a product of thoughts you create.

Take action to realize your dream.

    You can dream about writing a great play, but it's never going to happen unless you actually put pen to paper. You can dream about finding a cure for cancer, but it will never happen unless you actually become equipped with the necessary tools to find that cure. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

Possibilities are waiting on you.

    There are so many amazing opportunities and people waiting on you. How do you get to them? Simple! Follow your dream. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} You'll never see those doors if you sit around waiting on a dream to happen, instead of actually working to make it happen.

    In my teens, I went far from home to study at TWU in America. Due to limited financial resources from my parents, I worked part-time on campus to pay for my bills. I did cleaning every Friday for an American family. If I was lucky enough, I could occasionally babysit a child for extra money. In addition, like most poor people, I had to be careful with every penny I spent, from food and clothing to rent and transportation. Because of a tight grocery budget, I couldn't afford to buy fish, beef or certain other nutritious food. Due to an imbalanced diet, I would easily feel weak and lacking in energy.

    As soon as Dai Mom realized that I was having financial hardship, she lovingly invited me to her home for dinner every Friday and weekend. What's more, whenever it was time to return home, she would always prepare me with some homemade desserts to take home. Her actions greatly changed my life. In particular, there was one event that I would always remember.

    One early evening, while I was walking out of the library, I felt my blood sugar running low. I started to feel dizzy, and my hands began to shake a little. Searching my pocket, I found that I only had a few dollars left. I was dying for a free and tasty dinner. Without a second thought, I quickly headed for Dai Mom's home, rather than go back to my apartment.

    As I got to the door, Dai Mom immediately noticed my extreme tiredness. She seated me at the dinner table, and before long, a plate of food was set in front of me on the table. "My boy, have dinner. Don't make yourself work so hard." she said to me with a nice smile.

    Staring at the meat, vegetables and fish on my plate, I suddenly felt so carefully taken care of that tears started welling up in my eyes, rolling down on my face, and dripping to the food on the plate. I gobbled up all the food with indescribably bitter-sweet feelings.

    I returned to Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, after college graduation. I had been there before my mother became a minister.

    Two weeks later, I told my mother I was bored. She said, "Here're the car keys. Go and buy some fruit." Delighted, I jumped into the car and speeded off.

 Seeing me or rather my car, a boy quickly ran up to me, eager to sell his bananas and nuts. "Banana 300 naira. Nuts 200 naira!" I bargained him down to 200 total for the fruit and nuts. When he agreed, I handed him a 500 naira note. He didn't have change, so I told him not to worry. He said thanks and smiled a row of perfect teeth.

   When, two weeks later, I ran into this same boy, I was more aware of my position in Nigerian society where it wasn't that uncommon to see a little boy who should have been in school selling fruit in the burning sun. My parents had raised me to be aware of the advantage we had been afforded and the responsibility it brought to us.

    "What's up?" I asked him. "I…I don't have money to buy books." I took out two 500 naira notes. He looked around nervously before taking the money. One thousand naira means a lot to a family that makes only 50,000 each year.

    The next morning, an officer told me, "In this place, when you give a little, people think you're a fountain of chance." Possibly it's right, but this happens everywhere in the world. I wondered if my little friend had actually used the money for books.

    After six months' work in northern Nigeria, I returned and saw him again standing on the road.

    "Are you in school now?" I asked.

    He nodded.

    A silence fell as we looked at each other, and then I realized what he wanted. I held out a 500 naira note. "Take this." He shook his head fiercely and stepped back as if hurt. "What's wrong? I asked. "It's a gift."

    Shaking his head again, he handed me a basket of bananas and nuts before he said, "I've been waiting to give these to you."