Playing sports at a young age can help improve various aspects of the mental, physical, and emotional health of children. The evidence in favor of physical activity has existed for quite some time. More recently, studies have been done to explore the possible benefits of participation in team sports as opposed to physical activity alone. The evidence observed in the results of these studies points towards significant and lasting cognitive and noncognitive benefits for children who regularly participate in sports that provide team or group settings.
The activities required when playing sports can improve a child's ability to analyze various types of information. Sports have the tendency to provide the necessary environment for the development of traits that are associated with outcomes that are often considered more desirable (Vella, et al, 2017). For example, sports that revolve around teamwork are often unpredictable in nature. The ever-changing environment provided by team sports makes coordination a challenge (Steiner, Macquet, Seiler, 2017). Such interactive abilities must be continually improved for players of the sport to maintain a competitive edge (Meerhoff, De Poel, 2014). It has also been noted that participation in sports clubs – as opposed to focusing on general physical activity or exercise alone – has the added advantage of the objectives and content being more clearly defined for the children involved (Felfe, Lechner, Steinmayr, 2016).
Non-cognitive skills like those of behavior and emotional resilience are considered to have a significant impact on the future socio-economic success of a child. Most individuals would agree that fundamentals for health and socio-economic success are more easily reinforced later in life when developed at a young age, and are a prerequisite for most any professional or education-based achievements (Felfe, et al, 2016).
Oftentimes, the barriers that keep children from participating in sports are things like shyness, being uncomfortable in a sports-related environment, and having general fears of not fitting in. Such emotional and psychological barriers are intrapersonal and socially based, however, there is evidence that sports-related environments that focus on mastery and caring have the potential to be beneficial for individuals who might have such fears or feelings regarding participation (Vella, et al, 2017).
Studies have found that children participating in sports usually have improved levels of school performance and peer relations. Similar studies also highlight the fact that such children tend to be more emotionally and behaviorally stable with fewer interpersonal issues. Other aspects that seem to improve with participation in sports include skills that are considered ideal for managerial environments. Such capabilities include traits like perseverance, responsibility, the ability to manage time, stress, and projects, and self-assessment. Overall, there can be little argument as to whether or not such skills have positive effects on the behaviors and grades of the children involved (Felfe, et al., 2016).
It is less likely for young people with poor mental health or low levels of psychosocial assets to participate in or abstain from dropping out of group sports (Vella, et al, 2017). Such information should be taken as a reminder of how important it is to encourage children to participate in such endeavors. There are numerous selections of research that suggest that participation can be associated with higher levels of self-esteem, better interpersonal interaction, psychosocial behavior, and decreased levels of depression (Felfe, et al, 2016). Because of such information, it is safe to say that participation in group sports can help strengthen the interpersonal, intrapersonal, and overall mental health of children involved.
Playing sports is also a promising method of improving the overall physical health of children. One study has found that obeying the recommended guidelines for physical activity is conducive to obvious health benefits. A separate study, as noted by Felfe (et al, 2016), found that physical activity intervention in schools lent towards improvements in bone development during childhood. Furthermore, the Skinfold measurement (a more reliable measurement than that of Body Mass Index measurements) of children that participate in clubs is significantly lower than those who do not. These same children also have a resting pulse rate that is considerably lower than that of their peers who do not participate in sports.
Due to the nature of team sports, the children involved encounter numerous different activities and experiences that can boost their overall development. Thus, children involved in group sports activities statistically outperform children that are not involved in every dimension measured. When looking at the evidence provided it becomes obvious that physical activity – the basis for almost all sports activities – not only improves the health of children and adolescents (Eime, Young, Harvey, Charity, Payne, 2013), but when you add the element of interaction with peers who would otherwise not be in the social network of the children involved (Felfe, et al, 2016), sports environments are clearly promising atmospheres for developing mental health and the foundations to maintain such. It can thus be concluded that designing and implementing youth sports programs and encouraging children of all demographics and categories to participate can positively influence the psychological and physiological wellbeing of most any child (Vella, et al, 2017).
S. Vella, C. Swann, M. Allen, M. Schweickle, & C Magee. (2017, April). Bidirectional Associations between Sport Involvement and Mental Health in Adolescence. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 49(4), 687-694.
C. Felfe., M. Lechner & A. Steinmayr. (2016, May 4). Sports and Child Development. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0151729
R. Eime, J. Young, J. Harvey, M. Charity & W. Payne. (2013). A systematic review of the psychological and social benefits of participation in sport for children and adolescents: informing development of a conceptual model of health through sport. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, (10)98. https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-10-98
L.A. Meerhoff & H. De Poel. (2014, May 14). Asymmetric interpersonal coupling in a cyclic sports-related movement task. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.humov.2014.04.003
S. Steiner, A. Macquet & R. Seiler. (2017). An Integrative Perspective on Interpersonal Coordination in Interactive Team Sports. http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01440
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