Some Olympic sports, such as football and athletics, are widely recognizable and popular around the world. Other sports, such as rhythmic gymnastics and rifle events, are less favored by viewers as fans remain shocked that such sports are actually Olympic events.
Whereas rhythmic gymnastics became an official Olympic event during the Los Angeles games in 1984, several other less popular Olympic games have been discontinued and failed to make up the final 26 sports athletes competed in at the London games.
While many adults view the Olympics as the pinnacle of athletic competition, several teenagers (like boxing gold medalist and Flint native Claressa Shields) are a part of a growing new trend of teenage medalists at the Olympic games.
With this in mind, here are five Olympic sports your children can train for at home.
Badminton
Believe it or not, the friendly badminton games your family participates in during household picnics may actually train your child for an official Olympic sport!
While badminton can be played as a single or doubles event, the backyard version of this racquet sport teaches children the initial motor coordination they need to develop sophisticated racquet movements in the future.
Complete badminton sets can be purchased for under $15, so exposing this Olympic sport to your child is both easy and affordable.
Basketball
It’s safe to assume that many of the gold medal-winning athletes on the USA men’s and women’s basketball team started their dreams of Olympic gold in the confines of their home driveway or backyard.
While young basketball players may fine-tune their fundamentals on an organized basketball team or summer hoops program, they typically acquire the love and passion for the game of basketball on the family court at home.
For under $100, you can put a basketball goal in your backyard that may inspire your child to someday compete on the next Dream Team!
Volleyball
Whether you prefer the team game or participating in doubles like three-time gold medal winners Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh, volleyball is a game that you can learn and play in your own backyard.
With cheap materials and an easy set up, volleyball may be one of the easiest sports to incorporate in your home.
Marathon runner
If you have a pair of sneakers, a Gatorade and stamina, you have all the materials you may need to start preparing to become a marathon runner.
Even if you don’t own a treadmill, you can take your training outdoors as you jog through your neighborhood and explore your surroundings.
Training for a marathon can also promote family bonding as you can jog with your children and melt away calories and weight at the same time!
Handball
While you may not have enough participants (14) in your backyard to engage in an actual handball game, you can surely use a soccer goal and purchase a handball to play a pick-up game with less participants.
Whereas some may describe handball as essentially soccer with your hands, goals are actually scored at a much higher rate in handball, making the sport much more fast-paced than soccer.
Parents can even train adolescents in handball early on by purchasing the equipment and teaching the rules as an offshoot of dodge ball. Since handball participants are allowed unlimited faults, it’s easier to teach the rules to young children as there are no penalties for disruptive behaviors that impede opponents’ attacking rhythm.
Adding sports equipment to your home can be beneficial to your entire family as you can exercise and bond with your children simultaneously.
By purchasing some of the equipment for the sports listed above, you may put your child on the fast track to being an Olympic medalist in the future!