Youth In Sport – Getting The Most Out Of Life

Keeping our children busy and active can help them develop a healthy social life.  Keeping them busy can help them learn to focus, boost concentration levels and possibly keep them from getting bored and out of trouble. Children & teens engaging in long-term regular sporting activities can reap the physical rewards while learning the value of team play.  They might also develop strategic thinking patterns and grow in other areas of life as they strive meet the demands and challenges that arise with their sporting activities.  Sport is beneficial to a child’s development and to their mental health.

How much sport should my child be engaged in and how often should they participate to get the most they can out of it?

In the following excerpts from an article at Psychology Today, reprinted here with permission, there is a combination of 3 crucial aspects to enable our youth to reap the full benefits from participating in sports.

3 Paths toward Positive Outcomes

According to developmental psychologist, Marilyn Price-Mitchell, Ph.D., “Psychological studies on the value of youth sports offer broad insights into child development and often contradict one another. Since no one child is exactly like another, parents who understand the benefits and pitfalls of sports and who pay attention to the individual needs of their children are more likely to raise kids that thrive in life.  Generally, studies indicate three important aspects of sports participation that affect positive youth development – intensity, continuity, and balance. A combination of all three offers the greatest benefits to kids.”

Intensity

“The amount of time children spend doing sports each week,” says Price-Mitchell, “is particularly important to whether they receive positive developmental outcomes from their participation. Kids who spend more time in sports activities have greater benefits than youth who participate at lower levels or not at all.  With greater time commitment, children develop better mastery of skills and superior knowledge of tactics and strategy.  This can lead to the development of strategic thinking which is helpful in all aspects of life, including the ability to find and excel in the job market. No one can tell you how many hours of sports per week is the perfect amount. The important learning is that children who make a commitment to regular practice receive greater developmental benefits.”

Continuity

Price-Mitchell also reports that “the stability and duration of how children participate across their adolescent years is also important. Studies suggest that intermittent participation during the middle and high school years is not as beneficial as continuous dedication. Making a commitment over time facilitates the likelihood that children will overcome challenges and obstacles in their performance. They also have greater opportunities to interact with teammates, learning to cope with the interpersonal challenges of working with others. This is an important aspect of developing initiative, an internal strength that lasts a lifetime.”

Balance

“Perhaps the most important of the three aspects of youth sports participation,” claims Price-Mitchell, “is to achieve a balance between sports and other activities.  Studies show that greater developmental outcomes are attained by children who spend time in activities other than their dominant sports pursuits. It is not necessarily the numbers of activities in which youth participate but rather that they have outlets beyond sports. For example, one study found youth who participated in sports and school clubs had lower rates of depression than kids who focused exclusively on sports. Other studies suggest that children who participate in activities that present real-world challenges, like volunteering in their communities, achieve greater developmental benefits. These activities encourage youth to develop a civic identity and see a world beyond a game of winning and losing.”

Marilyn Price-Mitchell PhD.

Dr. Marilyn Price-Mitchell  is a developmental psychologist and researcher working at the intersection of youth development, leadership, education, and civic engagement. Follow Marilyn at: Roots of Action, Twitter, or Facebook.

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