There once was a time when most youth sports activities were an extension of the school day. Kids would seamlessly transition from the last hour of class to practice. Although this is still occurring to some degree, many of the athletic programs our kids are participating in are run by organizations unaffiliated with school districts. Even though schools have somewhat been distancing themselves from kids sports, they still prove to be valuable for how kids do in school.
Does participation in sports help a child’s ability to perform in school? The short answer, yes! Many studies have indicated that kids who play sports are more likely to do better in school. Many of the positive skills that come from sports participation, are things that can be utilized in the classroom or towards learning. When kids demonstrate these skills, they are also many of the traits that help a student with academic achievement.
What can kids learn from sports that can help them in school?
Sports programs offer so many benefits to our youth, but I’ve honed in on five skills that I believe have the most impact on our kids’ school performance. Here are the five skills:
Accountability
For those sports programs that are still connected to the school, most require that a student maintain a certain academic standard to stay on the team. Coaches can offer support by working with the students to connect with various teachers, tutors, or counselors to aid the student as needed. Some of the teams that I’ve been involved with had regular team study group to ensure that kids were maintaining an emphasis on education. Many teams set various goals, standards, and expectations that teach youth accountability. Coaches set guidelines for athletes to be timely to practice, or how to treat teammates, that can set kids up to be better positioned for the structures within the classroom.
Problem Solving
There are a lot of opportunities for kids to problem solve in sports which include both a logical and emotional standpoint. Some sports teach kids how to run structured plays and learn how to utilize diagrams to move within the game. Reading this patterns and thinking through how to perform the plays can improve logical thinking. Emotional problem solving can arise when kids are taught how to respond to adversity after things like losing a game or when they make a mistake. You may enjoy my post: Are Youth Sports Too Competitive. In team sports, kids strengthen their communication skills with peers and adults. Learning to respond to others in positive, appropriate ways, can help kids learn how to work within a group setting to carry out a project.
Maintaining Attention
Kids in sports are expected to stay engaged. Some sports have a major emphasis on this, such as baseball, where focus is needed to hit the ball, or keying in on catching a pass in football. As coaches are instructing, they’re encouraging kids to follow directives and stay attentive to things that are being taught. Kids are constantly observing skills that are modeled to them by coaches or their peers to enhance their own abilities. All of these learned skills contribute to a more focused child that can aid in academic performance.
Persistence
Sometimes kids are easily deflated when they’re given homework assignments or the first time they struggle with a various subject. Without the concept of perseverance it makes it difficult for kids to push through these challenges and improve. Sports is constantly teaching kids how to handle making mistakes or getting through moments of defeat. As kids participate in sports and learn that it’s ok to make mistakes, they can face their academic challenges head on. Knowing that they can work through their shortcomings will help give kids the push they need when things get hard in school.
Self-Esteem
Having successes through sports participation, whether big or small, can help kids to feel better about themselves. Being involved in a sport with a coach that is supportive, can help kids feel a sense of belonging that can carry over into other areas of their lives. When kids are accomplishing things in other areas of their lives, like sports, this can help set them up for taking on academic challenges with a positive outlook.
Not All Sports are Created Equal
There are so many different opportunities for kids to be involved in sports. Some are going to vary in what they offer your kids when it comes to building the skills that equate to improved school performance. Individual sports create a totally different experience from a team sport. Obviously an individual sport may not provide that opportunity for strengthening social skills, but it may create more opportunities for growth in other areas. Each child is unique and if they aren’t enjoying the sport, then it defeats the purpose. So work with your children on identifying what sport or sports are best for them. My post: How to Get the Most out of Kids Sports, can help you do this with your children or try my post: The Best Individual Sports for Kids.
What can parents do to support?
Sometimes our kids can have a difficult time connecting the dots when it comes to learning something one way and being able to apply that same skill somewhere else. This is where we as parents can assist. Parents can play a major role in bridging the gap between youth sports participation and academic performance. As parents help kids to recognize the skills they’re developing on the court or field, they can facilitate discussions on how those skills translate at school. Here are a few examples for each of the five traits previously discussed:
Accountability– A parent could say something like, “It amazes me how committed you are to showing up every day for practice on time, that approach with homework will go a long way.”
Problem Solving– A parent could say something like, “That was great the way you passed the ball and cut to the basket, you really figured out how to beat your man to the basket. I bet you can figure out how to solve those math problems using that same line of thinking.”
Maintaining Attention– A parent could say something like, “I bet it takes a lot of focus to field those ground balls like you do. That’s probably the same type of focus you use taking those timed exams.”
Persistence– A parent could say something like, “I’m sure it’s been tough to lose that game, but the way you held your head up while shaking that opposing players hand was impressive. That type of perseverance makes homework seem like a breeze.”
Self Esteem– A parent could say something like, “How did it feel to score that touchdown, I know you’ve been working so hard to do it? I believe in your abilities to accomplish your goals in school.”
In summary, getting our youth involved in sports can help develop skills that will go hand and hand with being successful in the classroom. Skills such as problem solving, the ability to think constructively and quickly and how to be a team player. School and sports can go hand in hand to create a more well-rounded child.
Please comment below on anything that you’ve enjoyed from this post.