5 Reasons Why Sports are Good for Your Kids’ Mental Health

With the onset of COVID, and the craziness that was 2020, have you noticed your kids’ mental and emotional well-being just a little bit…off?

If you have, you’re not alone. 2020 was a year that no one could predict, or even begin to understand until it happened. And when social distancing became a thing, so did emotional isolation and mental instability. How could it not?

Socialization with their peers was a no-no and sports disappeared almost completely.

Now, while all of this is slowly trickling back to normal, there is one thing your kid can do right NOW that can get their minds and emotions BACK on track to being healthy again until things are normal once more: Sports!

It can be as simple as riding a bike or playing a little ball on the cul-de-sac. But, what it DOES mean is that your kid can start to feel like themselves again all with a little bit of movement. Here’s why.

Sports is Community: When your kid is out playing ball, or even riding a bike, it’s easy to find other kids that are doing the same thing. All it takes is one kid to play with one other kid and suddenly things feel normal again! The void of socialization disappears and the activity of sports and movement becomes the connecting bridge that brings normalcy back into your child’s life. Community is connection. And with connection comes a better state of mind.

Sports Creates Socialization: Along the same train of thought, sports teams and playing sports with others creates a social atmosphere. Your child learns how to communicate, how to tell their teammates what they need, and how to give and take. They also will learn how to deal with the variety of personalities that will come upon the court just as much as off the court. Socialization feels good. It feels connective. The bonus is socialization doesn’t even require social media or television! In my book, that’s a huge win.

Sports Boosts Confidence: Where competitiveness and the desire to work on and show off skill comes together, one naturally gains confidence! While skills do take time to develop, being around others and working on those skills helps to bring a sense of accomplishment. Nothing can replace the feeling of dedication and hard work paying off into becoming a better athlete!