Sporting prodigies

Where to start
Your child can get a grip on the basics of hand-eye co-ordination, turn-taking and basic ball control - all of which are likely to figure in whatever sport he shows an aptitude for - from early on. Even babies who are able to sit up unsupported can take turns rolling a ball back and forth.

You can help build confidence and strength by:

• taking your baby swimming (when he's had his first three immunisations). Look for a mother-and-baby swimming class in your local area by asking at the sports centre, library, pool or checking in the Yellow Pages
• joining a mini gym group such as Gymbabes, Tumble Tots or Gymbobs
• finding out about local sports activities: the organisation Sport England has just launched a new website called ActivePlaces, where you can search for sport and fitness facilities in your local area

Once your child is around age three, you'll probably find that there are other sports sessions he can join in with: some leisure centres offer basketball or football coaching for different age ranges; racquet clubs tend to offer basic skills training from around this age, too.

The key is to go at your child's pace, stretching him a little bit once he's gained confidence in his ability at each level. If your child starts to seem uneasy or lose interest, take the level back down until he's more comfortable, and wait for him to want to progress. It's natural for most children to want to achieve more and more - particularly those who go on to become great at sports. 'The degree of support you can give may vary from consoling a child who is not selected for a school team to accompanying him or her to the national finals of a competition,' comments Andy Martin, 'or from transporting your child week in, week out to training sessions, to helping raise funds for the club.'

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