Is Soccer For Toddlers Or Karate Better?- Knoxville TN

When it comes to development and education for our kidz, we all want the best. I as a martial arts instructor would never advocate dissuading your child from participating in sports that I myself have played. I would also not put down a sport like soccer and its benefits. So, let’s be honest.

Karate has more benefits than soccer for toddlers, but soccer has something to add to a child’s formative years. I played soccer and took Karate classes as a child. Yet, I am now a martial arts instructor, which tells you all you need to know about the lasting benefits of the Karate.

Neither is better when you can simply do both. I structure my system at Karate Kidz in a way that allows children to explore the martial arts while also participating in sports, artistic pursuits (watercolor is my interest), music training, and even language learning.

I speak three languages myself (German passably, and I’m a ‘white belt’ in Spanish). Read on to find out what I do to allow kidz to follow any interest and still enjoy the benefits of the martial arts.

Karate Kidz Vs Soccer For Preschoolers- Knoxville TN

Is there a competition between Karate and ball sports like soccer for children? For some soccer coaches and some Karate instructors, sadly the answer is yes. I don’t have the same hang-ups that many Karate, Jiu Jitsu, or Kung Fu instructors do. I only require one class per week, whereas others require many more.

There is not competition between soccer for preschoolers and Karate Kidz in Knoxville. Both can be participated in if the soccer coaches value a family’s time as much as I do. For preschoolers and other children at Master Booe’s Karate Kidz only one class per week is the norm.

This takes the martial arts development slower, which is an option with life long skills like self-defense, virtue development, and learning the importance of short and long term goals. Soccer can also be done at a more casual pace if parents resist some of the pressures of games, tournaments, and leagues.

Karate tournaments, demos, and tests can also be a source of pressure. I help my parents by partnering with them and setting realistic goals and training schedules while allowing for the all important family time and other endeavors.

Lets look at this as it affects age groups and how their development can be aided by both Karate and Soccer if instructors and coaches are on the same page.

Soccer For 2 Year Olds In Knoxvile And Karate Kidz

At Master Booe’s Karate Kidz, a child’s formative years are taken seriously. All of my curriculum is not only based on virtue development, but it is also aligned with the CDC’s milestone guidelines. Soccer as a sport for toddlers can address a couple, but my BuJuKa do Karate system deliberately hits most all of them.

Soccer for 2 year olds can be a benefit in 1) kicking a ball and 2) running, which are milestones. Along with kicking and running though, martial arts in the Karate Kidz system helps toddlers reach many more of their milestones than sports like soccer can.

Here is a list of benefits that martial arts can uniquely aid in achieving for 2 year olds. The reference for you to look at is found here on the CDC website.

Smaller indoor class settings allow them to look at your face and learn how to react.
Reciting our creed helps them verbalize simple, multi-word sentences.
Learns their own body parts by learning stances, blocking, wrestling etc.
Train the use of gestures in many forms through Karate movements like bowing etc.
Using both hands to do separate things like blocking and grabbing.
Utilizing multiple training objects simultaniously.
Develops balance using step ups, jumping, and coordination platforms.

Live in Knoxville? Bring your little Karate Kidz and try out a FREE class. Fill out this form and I will contact you to set up your FREE class and you can get a FREE uniform when you enroll in your first term.

Soccer For 3 Year Olds In Knoxville And Karate Kidz

Let’s now look at the 3 year old age and its goals for physical and mental development. Can soccer further help with these milestones? Can the Karate Kidz program that is specifically designed to help a 3 year old reach these goals help them? See for yourself. Here is the link to the 3 year old milestones.

Most milestones are not met through soccer for 3 year olds, but are expressly addressed in the right Karate class and right Karate system. Children at this age are helped with many of the goals doctors have identified for them uniquely by Karate.

Look through the list for these older toddlers and you will see that though soccer is fun and still helps with the 2 year old milestones of running and kicking a ball, that is really where it stops. Most of the list is covered though by Karate specifically designed for this age group.

Soccer For 4 Year Olds In Knoxville And Karate Kidz

Soccer is a game and there are limited skills and benefits that a child can gain from it. Karate on the other hand is a system of self defense, a pursuit of higher character development, and a physical improvement vehicle that can have life long effects. So for 4 year olds, can soccer and Karate be a good combination?

Soccer is a great game and a fun sport, but to have an advantage when meeting all of the developmental goals a 4 year old has, Karate is what is needed. Soccer and Karate together would be a good combination with Karate as a base and soccer as a fun additive.

Let’s look again at the list given by the CDC and see what Karate has to offer a 4 year old. Soccer can help a bit, but Master Booe’s BuJuKa do Karate specifically addresses most of the milestones.

Roleplaying is an integral part of self defense and playing a part is a 4 year old milestone.
Socially joining in a group and partnering with others in a class setting.
Safety awareness, danger identification, and knowing personal limits are foundational in Karate.
Taking on the role of assistant or helper happens regularly in Karate.
Learning appropriate behavior in different circumstances is paramount in the martial arts.
Reciting creeds, answering scenario style questions, and describing proper behavior is part of Karate.
Learning colors through belt ranks and other avenues.
Will know many body parts, what they are for, and how to protect them from injury.
Students learn to dress themselves in their Karate uniform.
Karate helps learn to catch, throw, and evade.

There are many other skills and abilities that martial arts develops that go far beyond this list of developmental milestones. You can come in and try a free class and see for yourself. Just fill out the form below if you are in the Knoxville area and you can see how it works first hand.

Soccer For Toddlers Vs Karate in Knoxville Wrap Up…

For parents that want their kids to play soccer and learn Karate, there is that option with Master Booe’s Karate Kidz. Attending one class per week during soccer season is perfectly fine and you won’t be pressured into 2 or even 3 times per week.

You should also hold your children’s soccer coach to taking your family time seriously and allowing time for other pursuits by not monopolizing your time.

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