Recreational Sports for Adolescents: The Pros, Cons, and What to Look For
Recreational sports can create lifelong physical activity routines, help build confidence, and much more…but how much is too much?
Participation in youth recreational sports has numerous physical, developmental, and physiological benefits. It can set kids up for a healthy lifestyle as it keeps them active and moving while decreasing sedentary and screen time. This is important today, as the number of obese children in America has more than tripled since the 1970s, with 1 in 5 children, ages 6 – 19 years, being affected (CDC, 2018). Excess weight puts children at higher risk of physical ailments, as well as psychological consequences such as depression and low self-esteem. To help combat this trend, the recently updated physical activity guidelines recommend that children and adolescents, ages 6 to 17 years, do at least one hour of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily (HHS 2018). In 2016, only 28% of adolescents in Montana met this target (CDC, 2018). Participation in sports can be a great way for kids to meet physical activity guidelines, which ultimately reduces risk of becoming overweight and/or obese, increases cardiovascular fitness, helps facilitate healthy growth of bones and muscles, improves coordination and balance, and helps with sleep regulation (Merkel, 2013). There are also mental health benefits, as youth in sports often exhibit greater confidence, decreased stress and improved cognition. Sports participation provides an avenue for kids to learn important life skills including sportsmanship, perseverance, patience, and respect, and can encourage them to stay away from high-risk activities such as smoking and taking illicit drugs. Benefits of team vs. individual sports
Team sports may help increase: §§ Cooperation § Sharing §§ Teamwork § Communication Individual sports may help increase: §§ Independence § Self-reliance §§ Mental strength § Self-motivation
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a publication of Montana State University Extension
Team and individual sports can provide distinct benefits. Individual sports can be helpful for children with sensory and socialization disorders because they help develop self-esteem, focus and social skills. A healthy recreational sports environment is critical to ensuring that kids reap benefits, rather than risk falling victim to some negative consequences that may also occur. Potential Negative Impacts
Physical
The risk of sports injuries is a present and growing concern. Coaches may be untrained in strength and conditioning principles, emergency management of injuries, and/or basic first aid, all of which can result in an increased rate and severity of injury (Merkel, 2013). Additionally, since adolescents’ skeletal systems are still growing, broken bones are more common and require longer periods of rest to heal fully. A recent development is the push for exclusive specialization in one sport, year-round, which eliminates the ability for young athletes to cross train with other sports and reduces rest and recovery time. This can lead to overuse issues and increased risk of early burnout. Psychological
Over-invested parents and coaches may set unrealistic performance goals and encourage youth to participate beyond interest and readiness (when motor skills match the requirements of the sport). High levels of performance pressure can cause anxiety and burnout, and place strain on athlete and parent/coach relationships. For adolescents, it can also foster a delusion that performance is tied to their own self-worth and/or others’ happiness. On the other hand, an inflated valuation of sports and athleticism can instill young athletes with an exaggerated sense of self when they perform well. When left unaddressed, this can hinder the development of values such as modesty and humility (Eime et al., 2013).
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Positive Impacts of Sport Participation
