How to match your child’s personality to their perfect sport
Raising the next Olympians!
By Jocelyn Brewer, registered psychologist
Finding the perfect sport for your child can be a total game-changer for their happiness and success. Matching their personality to a sport they’re passionate about can make a huge difference.
With Australia’s amazing Olympic wins in Paris, now’s the perfect time to get your kids excited about trying a new sport or activity.
But here’s the thing: Decathlon’s recent research shows Aussie kids are only into two out of the 40 Olympic sports. That’s a big gap for our future Olympians!
Let’s harness this Olympic buzz and get our kids exploring more sports – who knows, we might be looking at our future gold medalists.
What sports do Aussie kids play?
As it stands, the most regularly played sports for kids aged five to twelve are; Aquatics (37.2%), soccer (30.4%), basketball (15.5%) and athletics (15%).
However, sports like skateboarding (3%), canoeing (0.9%), surfing (2.4%), and hockey (2.6%) are under-represented.
Now is the perfect time to find a sport that suits your kid’s personality – they could be in green and gold for Los Angeles 2028 or Brisbane 2032, where Netball will be included for the first time!
A great way to match your kids to different sports is to look at their unique talents, strengths and skills. We’ve compiled a few traits and matched them to sports you’ll see featured at the Olympics.
Match your child’s personality to their perfect sport
Focusing on your child’s strengths and talents ensures they will enjoy and succeed in their chosen activity.
1. Active and energised kids with energy to burn
- Soccer: is great way for children to get that excess energy out. Not only do they need to have stamina and endurance, but be able to co-ordinate their approach and think as part of a team.
- Basketball: another sport that means players are always on the move while also being in constant communication with teammates. It requires some fine-tuned hand-eye and proprioception skills.
- Track and field: If you find your little ones getting easily distracted, athletics could be their perfect sport! Through a variety of high-energy events, using a range of different skills, there is sure to be a sport which catches their interest.
2. Social and spirited kids who love to be among the action
- Volleyball: Success in volleyball rides on the importance of communication and coordination. Volleyball teaches players the importance of listening and teamwork while needing to nail specific physical skills and strength.
- Field hockey: Another lively and strategic sport that requires teamwork, hand-eye co-ordination and fine-motor skills, hockey is a great outlet for those who like precision.
- Rugby 7’s: Communication, strategic thinking and discipline are all great life skills rugby imparts on its players.
3. Confident kids with a flair for perfection
- Tennis: is a great sport to teach kids confidence, hand-eye-coordination as well as stamina, strategy and a crystal-clear mindset.
- Swimming: Much more than chasing a black line, Swimming teaches focus, determination as well as technique. With a range of strokes and distances, many different personality types can be accommodated in the pool – from sprinters to long distance and even open-water events!
- Gymnastics: Perhaps one for the slightly perfectionistic kiddo and those who value high levels of attention to detail, Gymnastics is a blend of athleticism and creativity, teaching determination, resilience and of course, balance.
4. Artistic and creative kids who like to break the mould
- Breaking (Break-dancing): a bit less traditional, it’s a great way to promote creativity and self-expression in children. This new sport to the Olympics helps the dancers express themselves both artistically and athletically.
- Skateboarding: Patience and perseverance are important for this sport. Tricks can be tricky master! It’s a sport suited to kids who are willing to get up and try their trick again. Skateboarding can also teach the kids independence, mediating risk, agility and synchronisation.
- BMX: Balance, energy and imagination are all musts for future BMX’ers. Once confined to the skate park, this sport now has taken Australia by storm thanks to Natalya Diehm recently winning Bronze in the Women’s Park.
5. Nature-loving and adventurous kids
- Rock Climbing (Sport Climbing): is a great way to feel a sense of their body in space and learn to push their boundaries while remaining safe. Rock climbing teaches the importance of observation, patience, and confidence in one’s decisions.
- Canoe: Jess Fox has put Canoeing on the radar of many young Aussies with her 2 gold medals in Paris. Canoeing is a great sport to teach agility, and perseverance while enjoying the great outdoors – it’s also great for kids who are happy in their own company.
- Surfing: has a special place in Aussie beach culture. Skills you learn from surfing include: agility, being in tune with the waves and water and the importance of ocean safety.
Decathlon’s research shows over 85% of Aussie parents say their kids would play more sports if equipment were more accessible. School programs, like Decathlon’s Playgrounds to Podiums, help fund extra equipment, exposing kids to more sports.
Parents can nominate their child’s primary school to win a share of $100K in Decathlon sporting equipment, helping more kids access a variety of sports and the gear they need to succeed via decathlon.com.au
