Playball teaches children a fit and healthy lifestyle

Playball teaches Sports skills as a fun way for children to learn Life skills and School Readiness skills. Playball is unique and specialised in that, although we are using "sports skills" as our vehicle, our goal is to help children develop all of the skills they need on their journey through life.

Because it is more important for young children to learn confidence and how to play well with others, the early stages of our program are non-competitive and designed to provide all children with the opportunity to participate at their own level.

Playball coaches use a variety of sports equipment designed to be fun and keep children engaged.  The Playball Program caters for children of every ability and interest as well as providing foundation skills for the athletes of the future. Through enjoyment children learn love sport providing a spring board into future sports participation.

Exercise improves physical health and general well being.  Children increase their over-all fitness through exercise and there are many long-term health benefits.  It boosts the immune system, which means children are less likely to get sick and their defence against disease is stronger.

A Child's overall metabolism is improved by exercise, resulting in lowered blood pressure,  improvement of the cholesterol profile, reduction of type 2 diabetes, and strengthening of the entire cardiovascular system, including the heart and lungs.

Overweight children are able to reduce their body weight and body fat due to the physiological effect of burning fat while exercising, resulting in improved  bone and muscle structure. 

Active children enjoy additional health benefits, because exercise increases the blood flow to all body tissues, including the brain. Greater blood flow transports more oxygen and nutrients to the body's cells.

Active children have more energy.  Their bodies ability to  absorb oxygen is improved through aerobic exercise. This increased oxygen in their body's cells helps children  feel more energized.

The body is able to detoxify better.  Exercising creates increased breathing and sweating both which contribute to release of toxins.  Greater blood flow increases the transport of the by products of metabolism and toxins back from the cells for elimination, recycling, or further use elsewhere. This helps children feel healthy and fit.

Active children are able to concentrate better. Exercise improves mental health, helps memory and is excellent for brain function. It can help keep children emotionally stable, reduces levels of anxiety, and can decrease the likelihood of depression.

When children exercise, the quality of their sleep is improved which helps them function better in every aspect of their  lives. Exercise increases the release of beneficial hormones helps remove harmful ones.  

Active children develop a stronger self-esteem and more confidence. Their ability to overcome difficult situations improves.

The Playball program promotes school readiness skills to ensure that children develop a sound base on which to build in the future. Our goal is the development of the whole child. It is for this reason that Playball develops physical, social, intellectual and emotional skills in an age appropriate manner. The credibility of the Playball program is evident by the enormous value placed on it by parents and teachers in Australia and around the world.

Some of the school readiness skills covered by the Playball program include:

• Emotional wellbeing
• Confidence
• Cooperation and skills of inclusion
• A level of physical competence
• Concentration, Focus and Listening Skills
• Persistence while learning
• Teamwork and Social Skills.

At Playball we work within the community to help prepare children for the future. Sports participation provides opportunities for childrento become more active and healthy.  Playball helps children learn life skills that are essential for the challenging years ahead.

Children learn social skills through teamwork practiced at Playball.

• cooperation
• communication
• listening
• sharing
• teamwork
• sportsmanship

These skills help children learn how to play happily with others.

Playball™ gives all children, of all abilities, an opportunity to experience the benefits of participating in sports.

• Promotes a healthy start and a happy balanced lifestyle
• Promotes a positive attitude and increased self-esteem
• Increases confidence and motivation
• Develops concentration, focus and listening skills
• Teaches sportsmanship and fair play
• Develops independence, persistence, goal setting, and leadership
• Improves co-operation, patience, and tolerance and respect.

Playball has proven itself in many countries over 25 years to become recognised as a unique and invaluable sports coaching program for young children. Tens of thousands of children in Australia, America, Canada, England, Ireland, New Zealand and South Africa are benefiting from the many rewards of the Playball program.

While Playball Australia is independently owned and operated, the Australian Playball team has good relations with the international office all of whom share the same vision.

The Playball Program is the result of many years of Research & Development.

The Playball Head Office team created the Playball Sports Program by researching the developmental needs of 2 to 8 year olds  through consultation with child development professionals.  Playball understands the importance of teaching the right skills at the right time, so that children can develop a strong base of foundation skills on which to build.

Research has shown that a child can easily learn a new skill when they are ready for it, however pushing them into something they not ready for is usually counter-productive in the long term. To avoid the dangers of specialising too early, for example: burnout, Playball introduces age appropriate activities gradually. This stepping stone approach ensures every child has the opportunity to fully develop the skills of each stage before moving on. This establishes the conditions for success, helping children to develop confidence through feeling the satisfaction of refining and mastering their current skills.

Not only do we understand which activities are best for each age group and developmental stage but Playball's  holistic approach helps children to function  in their everyday lives as confident and able individuals. Playball's objectives are to develop  a child in all aspects; physical, emotional, social and intellectual. We use sport as the means to teach all of these essential life skills.

To provide a Program of the highest possible quality and benefit to children Playball consults  professionals from a wide range of child related disciplines:

• Paediatric Occupational Therapists  (paediatric O.T.)
• Child Psychologists
• Paediatric Speech Therapists/ Speech Pathologists
• Early Childhood Educators
• Sports Scientists
• Child Psychologists
• Physiotherapists

In addition Playball management and staff  pride themselves in their high standards of excellence which are maintained by ongoing professional development.