Why Sports and Physical Competition Supports Mental Well-Being in Children and Teens
In my practice as a social worker – psychotherapist, I often see teens and young adults who are struggling in a number of ways when it comes to their mental health. I have come to see just how powerful sport can be in not only teaching our youth how to work as part of a team and the importance of consistent exercise, but most importantly how sport can provide challenges that athletes must navigate and those challenges often mimic the real-life challenges they do, and will, encounter off of the court, ice, or turf.
A number of positive effects on development and the brain take place when youth take part in sports, at any and all levels, including several key mechanisms that support mental well-being. Below are just a few highly necessary, positive, and impactful developmental, psychological, and social benefits of playing sports.
1. Neurobiological Stress Regulation
Regular physical activity through sports stimulates the release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and endorphins, which act as natural stabilizers for teen and young adults moods.
For young athletes, this biological process helps regulate the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis, the body’s primary stress response system. By “taxing” the body in an environment, like a sports game/competition, athletes build a higher threshold for physiological arousal (stimulation of the nervous system), which can translate to better emotional regulation when facing academic or social stressors!
2. Development of ‘Grit’ and Self-Efficacy (Belief in Oneself)
Sports provide a tangible ‘practice field’ for Social Cognitive Theory (theory that learning takes place socially via observation, interaction, and experiences), specifically the concept of self-efficacy.
When a young athlete masters a new skill or recuperates after a loss, they build a belief in their own abilities in terms of being ‘in control’ of challenging situations and having the capacity to take responsibility for their own actions… in other words, ‘developing grit.’
Research suggests that such experiences are critically important in protecting youth against depressive symptoms by offsetting feelings of helplessness and creating a growth mindset — the internal belief that effort leads to improvement.
3. Prosocial Connection and Belonging
Participation in sports of any level (not everyone needs to play ‘rep’ level sports and that’s OK!) offers a structured environment for building social skills and navigating the world and the people in it.
A key part of humanistic psychology is Self-Determination Theory and, within this framework, “relatedness” is considered an essential psychological need. For young people, being part of a team provides a sense of identity and peer support that can lessen feelings of loneliness (a major issue in our world today that I often tackle with teens each week in my practice).
This social ‘shield’ is very effective in reducing anxiety, as team environments create a shared ‘social identity’ that provides a supportive and stable foundation during the ups and downs of teen life.
4. Executive Function and Cognitive (Mental) Control
Actively taking part in organized sports requires high-level cognitive/mental processing, including strategic thinking, impulse control, and continuous, focused attention.
Studies indicate that the ‘open-skill’ nature of many sports (where the environment is continuously changing) positively impacts executive functioning (the ‘management system’ of the brain). For young athletes, these sharpened cognitive skills can lead to better performance in school and enhanced emotional regulation, helping them process complex feelings more effectively and with logic!
For more information about how Jordon can support athletes, reach out to us at 519.302.2300 or email reception@brantmentalhealth.com and book a free consultation!
