Health, Educational and Psychological Benefits of Youth Sports
Finding a love for youth sports is often considered a rite of passage for many kids across the globe. From grabbing a ball and some friends for a local pick-up game or trying out for the school team, there is no end to the opportunities for children that are looking to learn and challenge themselves through sports.
Yet the thrill of competition is not the only benefit to be had from a strong relationship with youth sports from an early age. Every day we are discovering more health, educational, and psychological benefits of youth sports on the developing bodies of our children. If you’re wondering whether youth sports are right for your child, consider these diverse impacts that this kind of physical activity can have on any youngster that’s willing to give it a try.
Building better bodies through youth sports
When it comes to the development of our kids, we think nothing could be more important than the health of their bodies. For this reason, and to dissuade many of the myths about the safety risks associated with youth sports, we have put the many health benefits that are actually derived at the top of our list.
According to Stanford Children’s Health, playing youth sports has been linked to such developmental advantages including better vision, healthy weight, motor skills and hand-eye coordination development, and so much more. Even as these categories have seen a marked downturn across American children, kids that are consistently involved in active, after-school programs continue to see huge benefits.
Boosting educational success in after school programs
Did you know that children who participate in youth sports are 15% more likely to go to college than children who don’t? The educational benefit of playing youth sports doesn’t end there, and the reach it has in a child’s future might surprise you.
Surveys of different aged children around the nation have shown us that, along with better higher education potential, there are huge benefits to starting a child in a youth sports program as early as possible. Data from the organization Active Kids has shown that “children who start participating in sports between ages 6 to 12 have 40 percent higher test scores” and can even expect “7 to 8 percent higher lifetime earnings”! When it comes to your child’s education and success, it is important to do everything you can to put them in a position to succeed and youth sports does just that.
Inspiring healthy minds with community organization
Perhaps even more wide-reaching than the health and educational benefits are simply the psychological benefits derived from consistent engagement with a youth sports program.
For this, we had to look no further than one of the leading youth sports organizations around, the National Council of Youth Sports (NCYS). From their work, they have been able to track the psychological benefits of youth sports across the gamut of sports and age groups. A few of their discoveries of what youth sports can do for kids developing brains include:
- Creating a sense of community
- Fostering authentic relationships and socialization
- Building resilience and mental fortitude
With these varied health, educational, and psychological benefits, and the many more out there, it is hard to see the downside to encouraging your child to get involved with youth sports today. Whether it’s going for the championship with the school squad or just having a good time every weekend at the church volleyball pick-up league, all that matters is getting involved.
Contact us today
At The Volleyball School, we prioritize training techniques that will benefit our students at every stage of their development and with their specific health, educational, and psychological needs in mind. Get in touch with us today to discuss what we can offer to help your child learn and succeed in volleyball and beyond!