Sports is viewed as a good thing for youth. It offers a number of health and social benefits. It helps control negative behavior and promotes team spirit. These beneficial effects of sports can be an enriching experience for those who are not born into a favorable environment. It also promotes good eating habits and lifestyle in children. Though sports present certain safety risk that prevents parents from encouraging children to take up sports; by taking precautions, most of the danger associated with sports can be prevented. The paper review various research evidences that support the beneficial effect of sports on youth.
Sports helps to keep the child physically active. Physical activity can provide a number of fitness related health benefits. A 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity is recommended for children aged 5-17 years, so as to remain physically fit. It also helps to reduce body fat and prevents cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Sports and physical activity helps to reduce depression, anxiety and improves bone health. ("Advisory Report - 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines - health.gov", 2016)
Children who are active in sports, are more likely to be active as adults. Eime et al., 2013 made a systematic review of published literature, to discover the beneficial efforts of sports on social well-being of children and adolescent. A total of 30 original studies on the psychological and social benefits of sports, published between 1990 and 2012, was reviewed in this study. Participation in sports was found to reduce suicidal tendencies in children. This was discovered through a longitudinal case control study, done in 739 middle school and high school children aged 11 to 18 years, in U.S.A (Taliaferro, Eisenberg, Johnson, Nelson, & Neumark-Sztainer, 2011).
The level of social skills was also higher in children who participated in sports or those involved in the sports club. Children in team sports, exhibited reduced social anxiety, when compared to children, who did not participate in sports. A number of studies also identified a positive association between achievement in sports and self-esteem. (Eime, Young, Harvey, Charity, & Payne, 2013)
The study by Eime et al., 2013, identified three contexts in which sports can be beneficial to a person: physical, social and psychological context. While there is an argument that better health causes people to be in sport, rather than the other way around; lack of proper controls makes it difficult to prove the benefits of sports through a case control study. Nevertheless, psychological and social measures have linked wellbeing to sports, in children and youth. (Eime, Young, Harvey, Charity, & Payne, 2013)
In a study, that investigated the predictive value of physical activity, aerobic fitness and isometric strength on cardiovascular health, the researchers found that aerobic exercises were good predictors of cardiovascular health. There has been no systematic study to explore the benefits of sports on health. Physical activity, in the form of safe sports, is good for health and physical fitness (Hasselstrøm, Hansen, Froberg, & Andersen, 2002).
Injuries related to sports in youth, occur from overscheduling and lack of proper rest. Excessive physical activity with no time to rest, is the common reason for sports related injury. Proper planning and adequate rest, can help to ensure safety (Luke et al., 2011). In 2001, 2.6 million sports related emergency hospital visits were reported in the United States, in people between age of 5 to 24 years of age (Burt & Overpeck, 2001). Sports injuries accounted for one fifth of the total cases presented to the emergency medicine. Injuries were more common in basketball and cycling sports. The other categories of sports that are associated with emergency ward visits are: baseball, skateboarding, gymnastics (Burt & Overpeck, 2001). Skull, brain, upper and lower extremities were more commonly affected during sports injuries (Burt & Overpeck, 2001). Concussion is a less serious injury that is common in children and adolescent associated with sports. Proper training and physical health can help reduce sport related injuries.
Researchers lower incidence of alcohol misuse in adolescent who engaged in sports. It can be used to help the youth come out of the addiction problem. Following a 6 months’ sports intervention, the incidence of alcohol abuse reduced significantly in the rural youth (Werch, Carlson, Pappas, Edgemon, & Diclemente, 2000). However, the long lasting effect of sports on the health related behavior was not investigated in this study.
A cross sectional study conducted among school children in U.S, by the Centre for Diseases Prevention also identified positive effect of sports on the child health related behavior. Approximately 70% males and 53% female students in U.S, reported participation in one or more sports. Male participants reported a higher intake of fruits and vegetables, when compared to male student who did not participate in sports. Males who participated in sports, were less likely to report cigarette smoking, cocaine, illegal drug use, and trying to lose weight. Similar results were seen in females. Females who participated in sports engaged in sexual intercourse less frequently, when compared to females who did not participate in sports. Though there was an overall association with positive behavior and sports; in certain minority groups like African Americans and Hispanics, sports was associated with fewer negative behaviors. (Pate, Trost, Levin, & Dowda, 2000). The benefits of participating in sports, outweighs its disadvantages. Safety concern and the cost incurred in sports may deter parents from encouraging their children into sports. There is a need to promote greater participation of American youths in sports, as it will ensure their bright future.
References
Advisory Report - 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines - health.gov. (2016). Health.gov. Retrieved 12 June 2016, from http://health.gov/paguidelines/guidelines/report.aspx
Burt, C. & Overpeck, M. (2001). Emergency visits for sports-related injuries. Annals Of Emergency Medicine, 37(3), 301-308. http://dx.doi.org/10.1067/mem.2001.111707
Eime, R., Young, J., Harvey, J., Charity, M., & Payne, W. (2013). A systematic review of the psychological and social benefits of participation in sport for adults: informing development of a conceptual model of health through sport. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act, 10(1), 135. http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-10-135
Hasselstrøm, H., Hansen, S., Froberg, K., & Andersen, L. (2002). Physical Fitness and Physical Activity During Adolescence as Predictors of Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Young Adulthood. Danish Youth and Sports Study. An Eight-Year Follow-Up Study. International Journal Of Sports Medicine, 23(S1), 27-31. http://dx.doi.org/10.1055/s- 2002-28458
Luke, A., Lazaro, R., Bergeron, M., Keyser, L., Benjamin, H., & Brenner, J. et al. (2011). Sports- Related Injuries in Youth Athletes: Is Overscheduling a Risk Factor?. Clinical Journal Of Sport Medicine, 21(4), 307-314. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/jsm.0b013e3182218f71
Pate, R., Trost, S., Levin, S., & Dowda, M. (2000). Sports Participation and Health-Related Behaviors Among US Youth. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, 154(9), 904. http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archpedi.154.9.904
Taliaferro, L., Eisenberg, M., Johnson, K., Nelson, T., & Neumark-Sztainer, D. (2011). Sport participation during adolescence and suicide ideation and attempts. International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health, 23(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/ijamh.2011.002
Werch, C., Carlson, J., Pappas, D., Edgemon, P., & Diclemente, C. (2000). Effects of a Brief Alcohol Preventive Intervention for Youth Attending School Sports Physical Examinations. Substance Use & Misuse, 35(3), 421-432. http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/10826080009147704
