Youth sports provide essential health benefits as well as crucial guidance at a time when kid's young minds begin to process the life lessons that will lead them into adulthood. "When youth sports are conducted in a safe and healthy environment they provide enormous benefits for children," says Fred Engh, founder of the National Alliance for Youth Sports.
Health Benefits
Youth sports provide children an opportunity to engage in regular physical activity essential to physical health and well-being. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, getting the proper amount of physical exercise as a child helps reduce the risk of health problems in the future, such as heart disease, diabetes and obesity. Engaging in regular physical activity as children helps form the basis of a healthy and active lifestyle that they can carry with them into adulthood.
Additionally, participation in sports may make children less likely to smoke cigarettes in the future. According to research conducted by Luis G. Escobedo, MD, and published in the 1993 Journal of the American Medical Association, children who play at least one sport become approximately 40 percent less likely to become regular cigarette smokers.
Lessons Learned
Children who participate in youth sports, do so at a time in their young lives when their emotional outlook and overall personality begin to take shape. Youth sports provide a forum where children can learn fundamental life lessons, such as how to win and lose with grace, abide by rules and cope with both failure and success. Sports teach children about cooperation, teamwork, ethics and the value of hard work. Interacting with other children also helps kids develop essential social skills. According to the National Alliance for Youth Sports, traits like these help children lead more productive lives and ultimately grow into well-balanced adults.
Family Benefits
Children's participation in youth sports can also lead to higher levels of overall family satisfaction, says the Women's Sports Foundation. Involvement in sports helps build communication and trust between children and parents, and allows families to spend more quality time together. Sports involvement also affords parents the opportunity to provide much-needed positive encouragement to their children.
More Benefits
Girls in particular may derive specific benefits from participation in youth sports that can improve their overall well-being. According to both the National Alliance for Youth Sports and the Women's Sports Foundation, girls who play sports generally report having a more positive body image than girls who do not participate in sports. Sports may also lead to lower levels of depression for both girls and boys.
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