Without exception, all the research and every single study reach the same conclusion: playing sports improves adolescents’ physical and mental health. Other benefits of participating in sports:
Engaging in athletics also enhances emotional regulation, problem-solving, goal attainment and academic performance.1
These benefits ultimately result in increased college enrollment.2
Sports is a one, two punch: participation results in positive effects, while mitigating many negative ones. It lowers crime, teen pregnancies, delinquency rates, and drug use. Students participating in sports also experienced fewer symptoms of depression.3
Bottom line? Sports positively change lives.
This link is even stronger for youth from lower social and economic status schools.4 Sports participation is particularly critical for this group because the personal and social benefits would likely not otherwise be experienced.5
Unfortunately, these students are the ones with the lowest participation rates.6 Lower income families report cost as the number one reason for non-participation.7 61% of high school athletes are charged a pay-to-play fee. This fee, however, is only one of many school sports’ costs. Between equipment and uniforms, the average cost to play a high school sport is $381–per sport.8
Sports are crucial for under-privileged students.
Resources
1“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,”Rochelle Eime, Janet Young, Jack Haravey, Melanie Charity, Warren Payne, August 15, 2013
2 “Psychology of Sports and Exercise,”Nicholas Holt, Bethan Kingsley, Lisa Tink, Jay Scherer, September, 2011
3“’An Incredible Impact’: Poor kids are being price out of youth sports. Here’s one solution,”Michael Rosenwalk, October 28, 2016
4“Developmental Experiences During Extracurricular Activities and Australian Adolescents’ Self Concept: Particularly Important for Youth from Disadvantaged Schools,”Corey Blomfield, Bonnie Barber, May, 2011
5“A systematic review of the psychological and social benefits of participation in sports for children and adolescents,”see above
6“Benefits and challenges associated with sport participation by children and parents from low income families,” Holt Kingsley, Tink Scherer, 2011
7 “Benefits and challenges associated with sport participation by children and parents from low-income families,”see above
8“In Youth Sports, low-income kids are often left out of the game,” Paulette Parker, January 12, 2017).