How Sports Can Help Kids Thrive! By Christian Babiarz, New Visions Intern with Elevate CNY

When thinking of some of the best ways to help your child’s well-being and growth, sports should definitely be at the top of the list!

Sports is GREAT for kids, as it:

Helps them make new friends!
Gives them something to look forward to 
Allows them to have a sense of competition and learn to persevere
Boosts their mental state by putting them in an active mindset
Promotes better sleep and diet
Increases overall physical health

Introduce Physical Wellness Early for LOTS of Benefits

How are most kids spending their free time nowadays? The answer is inside. Overusing their phones, video games, or TV, which are much less healthy alternatives, and provide no comparable benefit compared to physical activity. In fact, these methods promote unhealthy routines such as inactivity, over-eating, and non-interactive behaviors, which are not ideal habits to instill in children and could take a toll on their overall health and social life.

Giving kids a head start on physical activities will benefit them throughout their youth and beyond. Studies have shown that those who participate in sports from ages nine to eighteen are five to six times more likely to be physically fit in their adult years. Exercise is a great way to keep kids distracted or entertained along with boosting self confidence. Also while exercising, the body releases endorphins which aids in the relief of pain and stress, and improves your overall mood.

For many kids, sports are an escape from reality; if they are stressed at home or school, most find it calming to retreat to the court or field and work on their game, since at that moment nothing else matters. Introducing sports to your kids early on will make it easier for them to bond and grow with them, on top of eliminating “lazy” mindsets. 

Joining Sports Builds Relationships

While participating in sports, kids will connect with others, forming relationships built on healthy competition. Making good connections is a great way to make friends, be known and get your name out there. When you’re young, meeting new kids early from other schools could also be beneficial since it is good to see how other kids perform outside of their own circle, and expose them to different skill sets, helping with development so it is not a shock when they go against someone better or different when they're older. 

Photo Credit - Christian Babiarz

Connecting With Coaches

Becoming close with your coaches is also wise, as they could be lifelong mentors to look up to and go to for advice. As a young athlete it is good to keep people around who have already experienced what you are going through at the moment, especially people you have formed strong bonds with. Some coaches can have prior coaching experiences or associations at colleges or professional leagues which make it easier for them to give recommendations.

Having these types of connections in sports gives incentive to keep showing up since you can still compete and have fun. 

Sports = Success

According to studies by the PCSFN Science Board and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 80% of parents believe that sports helped their child learn about discipline and dedication, as well as how to get along with others. Kids, while being coached under a structured system, often show more respect and obedience compared to those who have never been coached. Being coachable and playing a sport greatly improves a child's chance of getting accepted into better colleges and jobs since these attributes directly translate to being able to lead in the classroom, and the real world, on top of making their resume more well rounded. 

Another way playing sports attributes to success is learning the importance of time management and accountability which many kids struggle with as they either do not get the concept or are not mature enough yet. A good coach will always hold their players accountable, and though they may hate them for that in the moment it will undoubtedly help them down the road.

Physical Benefits And Motivation

On the physical side of things, sports and exercise provides benefits such as:

Muscle growth 
Weight control 
Healthy bone structure 
Healthier eating habits
Improved cardiovascular health 
Reduction of risk of certain chronic diseases/ overall stronger immune system

On top of these, there are countless other beneficial qualities that could stem from the ones listed above. The younger you expose this type of lifestyle to a child, the more passionate they will feel towards it and the easier it will be for them to understand, leading them down a healthier path from the jump. 

Taking Care Of Your Body

Training your body will result in soreness and fatigue, which is why it is ideal to have designated rest days, and take proper care of your being like having a healthy diet.

Overworking could do more damage than not working at all, so you must find an in between if you want to see progress. When you work out, you strain your muscles, causing micro-tears; continuously tearing your muscles everyday with no rest will strain your whole body. Resting allows the muscles to rejuvenate themselves, growing back stronger than before. It also helps prevent you from getting burnt out mentally, ensuring you can continue to perform efficiently while reducing any psychological drawbacks. Stretching and rolling out will also keep your muscles, ligaments, and tendons from being tight, reducing soreness and preventing injury.

The food you consume affects this as well. Think of your body as a high end sports car. Of course you want premium gas to fuel your car so it runs as smooth as possible, and you would never give it cheaper unleaded gas, otherwise it will have trouble running, and will eventually ruin the car. This is comparable to having a balanced diet with a sufficient amount of protein, nutrients, and the proper caloric intake, opposed to eating processed foods, foods with no nutritional value, sugary drinks etc.

Benefits That Last a Lifetime

At the end of the day, you get out of it what you put into it, so playing it smart and making the most of your opportunities is how you thrive. Be sure to take cues from your child to keep sports interesting and motivating.

Sports are not for everybody, so if a child seems uninterested even after trying many different activities, it is not healthy to force them to stay in it; making sure your child is having fun and enjoying themselves is also a very important factor that plays into their mental health.

In the end, celebrate the wins, use losses as learning opportunities and enjoy sports as long as your child and your family would like to… and see the benefits last a lifetime!

About Christian

Christian is a senior at Notre Dame Jr./Sr. High School in Utica, NY. He participates in track and football and will be attending college in fall 2025 to study marketing. Learn more about in his Intern Spotlight!