The mental health of children and teens has seen an increase in awareness over the last decade. The rise of social media influences, access to the internet, and the escalation of expectations of today’s youth are all sources of influence on mental health. The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent quarantines and distance learning have heightened this awareness as well as highlighted the importance of mental health in kids.
When exploring the many ways to improve mental health in kids, team sports is near the top of the list. Here’s why:
Community
It’s all in the title; team. When kids play consistently with the same peers, a community is born. Coupled with team building and positive reinforcement from coaches, the mental benefit for children is huge. Having a greater support system as well as a cIt’s all in the title; team. When kids play consistently with the same peers, a community is born. Coupled with team building and positive reinforcement from coaches, the mental benefit for children is huge. Having a greater support system as well as a contemporary backing them through good times and challenging times helps to build perseverance.
Socialization
While time at school allows for some socialization, team sports are built upon socialization. You can’t build a team without getting to know one another first. Sports are the perfect place to practice communication skills because audibly communicating about plays is crucial to any sport. Not only the encouragement, but the expectation to talk to each other can help even the most introverted child grow in their skills. The mental health benefit of socialization is that kids who feel understood, feel more content.
Confidence
Team sports for kids is the perfect place to build confidence because the expectation to sTeam sports for kids is the perfect place to build confidence because the expectation of succeeding is much lower. It’s assumed that most kids will fail at some point by design when playing a sport. By removing this expectation, the mental health benefits of having a safe place to try, to fail, and to try again are huge.
Physical Benefits
When talking about sports, it’s hard to overlook the chemical benefits of physical activity. During exercise, the hormones dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin are all released in varying levels. These important chemicals can help balance mood and sense of well beingWhen talking about sports, it’s hard to overlook the chemical benefits of physical activity. During exercise, the hormones dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin are all released at varying levels. These important chemicals can help balance mood and sense of well-being. In addition, these hormones reduce damaging stress level hormones, improve sleep cycles and appetite too.
Arcadia Youth Basketball Teams
Whether your child is ready for a team sport, or wants to get their feet wet with skills Whether your child is ready for a team sport or wants to get their feet wet with skills clinics, AYB is here to help! Visit our website to learn more about all the options we have to offer and how your child can benefit from our professional coaches and team-oriented program too.
arcadiayouthbasketball.wordpress.com 