Few parents go as far as Richard Williams, who began shepherding his daughters Venus and Serena towards Wimbledon glory by writing an 85-page plan and coaching them on the public tennis courts of Compton, Los Angeles, every morning before they had even started school. For the rest of us, mums and dads can still play a crucial role in nurturing a love of sport and exercise in their children from a young age.
“Parents and guardians play an absolutely fundamental role in children’s introduction to sport, with their encouragement behind the child’s persistence and progression,” says Claire-Marie Roberts, psychologist and head of coach development at the Premier League. All kids benefit physically, emotionally and socially from staying active, so here’s how to get them moving.
