Selecting A Sport: Part 6

Think About Mental Health

A child’s mental health can be significantly impacted by sports. Here are some issues to consider when helping your young child choose a sport:

• The League: Educator Bruce Svare wisely points out that a “youth sports program should be judged on the basis of how it treats its least talented kids, not on how it treats its most talented kids.” I would avoid a sports program that doesn’t legislate ample playing time for young kids.
• The Coaches: In one study it was found that youth hockey and baseball coaches rated having fun considerably higher than swimming, wrestling, and gymnastics coaches. Furthermore, baseball, basketball, soccer, and hockey coaches rated winning significantly lower than wrestling coaches. These results only suggest trends. It is best to check out a coach to see what emphasis he puts on winning, having fun, and developing skills.
• Advanced vs. Recreational: Children’s sports today are often organized into advanced and recreational leagues. The theory is that grouping athletes with similar skills will produce a more uplifting experience. But one study of 9 year-olds found that kids who participated in recreational leagues viewed themselves more positively than did kids in advanced leagues. Though the research didn’t explore why this was true, could it be that the recreational leagues emphasize winning less? Some kids don’t want to play sports seriously, preferring fewer practices and modest competition. Don’t push them to a greater commitment.
• Stress: Moderate levels of stress usually enhance a child‘s experience—kids enjoy the excitement. But high levels can be damaging to their emotional health. As expected, individual sports create more stress than team sports. If you lose a golf match you can’t blame your teammates. If your golf ball goes out-of-bounds, guess who hit it there?! A study of girls competing in eight different sports found that gymnastics was the most stressful, followed by track and field, swimming, tennis, softball, volleyball, basketball, and field hockey. Do winning athletes handle the stress better? No. Studies have found no correlation between anxiety and a child’s ability. Better athletes may be burdened by higher expectations.

Cathy and I were pleased with our sons’ involvement in soccer, partly because of its lower stress. Standing on a soccer field, a young child can watch the clouds fly by or search for a four-leaf clover, but few (other than the child’s parents!) notice. On the other hand, a former Olympic ice skating champion explained the stress in her sport: “In four minutes of free skating you’re being judged on a whole year of practice. Not many sports put you through that, being the focal point of the entire arena. You’ve got to look like you’re enjoying yourself and accept the judges' decision and not throw a tomato at them. It’s tough.” Because of the stress of individual sports, it might be best to guide your young child toward team sports. She can begin learning the individual sports with minimal direct competition.