Which Sports are Most Environmentally Friendly?

Today’s parents have so much more to contend with, and to fight against, than the parents of yesteryear (or so many parents believe). Today’s parents have to do everything they can, in many cases, to pull their children away from the video game systems and to get them outside playing.  All parents who have children who get serious into certain sports start to groan when they realize how much they’re going to have to spend to purchase all of the equipment they will need, and also when they realize that some of these choices may not necessarily be good for the environment. So how can you encourage your child to play sports when they’re not eco-friendly, and are there any eco-friendly sports available?

Playing In a Natural Environment

Any type of sport that is played in nature is actually something of an eco-friendly sport. If you’re playing in a huge stadium, one that uses up tons of electricity and power, then you’re definitely not playing in an eco-friendly area. However, most children are likely to be playing their sports outside in nature, which means that they’re being fairly eco-friendly to start with. As a basic rule, the fewer “things” that your child needs to have in order to play a sport, the higher the chances are that they’re being eco-friendly.

So let’s talk about sports that take few pieces of gear, such as baseball. Baseball is actually fairly eco-friendly for a few reasons. First, if you go with a wooden bat, you’re definitely being eco-friendly. There are many baseball teams for youths which go with only the metal bats, but you should be able to request that your child uses only a wooden bat.  Also, if you’re practicing at home just to have fun, then you can definitely bring out the wooden bat.

Another game that doesn’t require very many pieces to play outside is soccer. The only thing that you really need to purchase for your child to play soccer, at least with their school or other organization, are cleats and shin guards. The soccer group will have balls that you can use, and the fields that you use are typically ones that belong to the school, so they are well-taken care of. How much fun is it to watch your child racing down the field after a ball that is going around and around? It can definitely be a thrill for a parent.

Reusing and Recycling

What if your child wants to play something like football? You should always encourage your children to play the types of games that they enjoy, especially if it’s getting them out of the home, away from video games, and getting them some exercise. One way to make sure the sport that they choose is eco-friendly is to purchase as little as possible brand new. If they want to play soccer, for instance, start looking around at yard sales for shin guards and cleats and even soccer balls for your child to practice with at home. You should be able to find a large number of these things at yard sales or at stores in your area that sell used products, simply because children outgrow this type of equipment so quickly and their parents resell or donate the items.

Another thing to look for is friends and family members who have children in sports. If your cousin has a son who is a few years older than your son, you can always contact them and ask them if you can have the gear that they’re not using when they grow out of it. Many times, when parents realize that the equipment is going to be reused afterwards, they make sure that they, and their children, take very good care of it, so your child may get equipment that looks almost brand new.

Fun Sports At Home

If your child is playing organized sports, it can definitely be difficult to go eco-friendly, simply because the organizations have not tended to go that way as of yet.  You can make up for this by being more eco-friendly in your sports choices at home. Try playing games outside that are fun, eco-friendly, and economical, like kick-the-can. Do you remember when your parents or grandparents talked about playing kick-the-can? It’s a very easy game to play and it’s actually eco-friendly. How can kicking around a can be eco-friendly? Since the can is actually reused from your home, and if you save up a few cans, you are helping to save the environment. You can then recycle them, when they get too beat up, and can reuse some new ones.  You can also have fun making things like hacky sack balls with your children out of things you have around the house. Sports can be eco-friendly, as long as you think outside the box and try to make an effort to pick only eco-friendly things wherever you can.