Our Kids GOTTA Play Sports.
Nobody said parenting was going to be easy!
So you may think I am being biased about this but, I’m looking at the BIG PICTURE of our kid’s health. Not just physical health (which will be obvious), but mental and emotional health.
Your kids have to play sports.
I’m not saying they have to be NCAA All-American. I’m not saying they have to make the Olympic Games (that takes a HUGE amount of commitment and work. More than the average person can comprehend).
What I am saying is that our children need to participate in sports. Period. The research is undeniable.
Did you know that female high school athletes are:
92% less likely to get involved with drugs
80% less likely to get pregnant
3 times more likely to graduate than non-athletes
Research shows a child’s involvement in sports helps them to improve their social interaction, increase their confidence, and improve their listening skills and health.
Participation in sports is linked to higher grades, lower dropout rate, reduced truancy and lower crime rates. This manifests in some compelling statistics such as:
95% of Fortune 500 executives participated in high school athletics.
High School students that participated in High School sports are 15% more likely to go to college.
Participating in sports helps with MINDSET:
Time management skills
Cultivating an OPEN MINDSET
Creativity in finding ways to improve
Strong focus and concentration development
Internal skills for handling pressure
Learning when to take risks
Taking responsibility for individual performance
Resiliency
stick-to-it-ivness
Based on a study done at UCLA; exercise increased growth factors in the brain—making it easier for the brain to grow new neuronal connections.
From a behavioral perspective, the same antidepressant-like effects associated with “runner’s high” found in humans is associated with a drop in stress hormones.
Physical activity prepares our brains to learn and absorb more information.
All of these statistics are just scratching the surface of the benefits of participating in youth sports (this includes High School sports). This doesn’t even cover the physical benefits of participating in youth sports.
These benefits include, but are not limited to, a reduced risk of:
diabetes
obesity
breast cancer
heart disease
osteoporosis
Studies have also found that children who participate in youth sports are more likely to continue participating in that sport later on in life, and they are also more likely to live a healthier lifestyle in general as adults.
I know…….I know………don’t start down the “Grades are the most important factor - Road.” I’m talking about the overall health and wellness of our children. Of course grades are incredibly important. And interestingly enough, NCAA Athletes (on average) have a higher GPA & graduation rate than the general student body.
Here is a very telling statistic:
“There was a significant difference in the GPA of athletes vs. non‐athletes. The group of athletes was determined to have a higher GPA, averaging 3.25. The non‐athletes averaged a GPA of 3.01, significantly lower than the athletes.” - (RYAN STEGALL, Northwest Missouri State University)
The proof is in the pudding guys. Sports helps build better kids.
I’m talking about building a super-human, robust, confident human being. I know that’s what ALL of us want for our children.
So, sign them up for sports!