Angelo Belcastro, a University of New Brunswick professor, says soccer closely mimics the way children naturally play. (CBC)

Canadian children could reap more physical benefits from participating in soccer than by lacing up skates and playing hockey, according to a University of New Brunswick researcher.

Interest in the FIFA World Cup is also bringing attention to the health benefits of the beautiful game.

Angelo Belcastro, a kinesiology professor at the University of New Brunswick, said soccer is one of the best physical activities for children to participate in because it parallels the way they move naturally.

"Soccer's great for children. Typically children's activity patterns are starts and stops, spurts and whatnot, and if you watch children in the playground that's naturally what they do," Belcastro said.

"So soccer actually mimics that natural activity very well. And so the shorter bouts, again with the rest periods and continuing that for 20, 30, 40 minutes, is very, very beneficial."

Growing popularity

Soccer is also starting to outpace Canada's national sport in terms of children's participation in some communities.\

Jason Tabbernor, who coaches his son's soccer team in Oromocto, N.B., says it's important for children to get away from the television and be active. (CBC)

The Fredericton District Soccer Association, for example, is the largest youth sport association in the New Brunswick capital. There were 1,796 children enrolled in Fredericton soccer in 2009.

The soccer league is seeing the biggest turnout among the smallest soccer players. In 2009, there were 361 registered in the six-and-under division and another 294 in the four-and-under division.

Jason Tabbernor, who coaches his son's six-and-under soccer team in Oromocto, N.B., said he's concerned by the amount of time many children spend in front of a television and not outside playing.

Tabbernor said he tries to keep his son Ryan as active as possible, which includes his weekly soccer practice with the Polar Bears.

"With this kind of environment, with the soccer, it's not so much learning every single rule of the game of soccer because I mean, they are young," Tabbernor said.

"They can only comprehend so much. But I mean this is sort of the stepping stones to getting up and learning the basics.… It starts teaching them about teamwork. And most importantly, at this age, it just gets them out and having a lot of fun."

Easier than hockey

Some parents in the Fredericton area say are putting their children into soccer because the $100 registration fee and the minimal equipment needs make the sport far less expensive than hockey.

Soccer is easier to learn than hockey, which means the health benefits may come faster, according to a university researcher. (CBC)

And it doesn't take as long for children to learn how to play soccer compared to hockey.

"The skill level — at the children's level — is not that great. So they can in fact get into soccer and start getting some of the health and fitness benefits fairly soon, as opposed to skating, where they may be falling down and needing to get their balance for a lot longer before they can start to achieve the health and fitness benefits that would occur," Belcastro said.

While running around a pitch, tracking down balls and kicking soccer balls may have myriad health benefits, one game a week isn't enough to keep them healthy.

Health experts say children need 60 to 90 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day, so they should be participating in as many games or activities as possible during the week.

"Anything that provides for increasing activity is very good," he said.