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Health and Wellness

5 Benefits of Youth Sports

Participation in youth sports leads to better mental and physical health.

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football player

In This Article:

This is a response to High School Soccer Is Wildly Important.

In elementary and middle school, I was prone to whining when my parents would wake me up for swim team practice. Sure, it was my idea to join the team in the first place...but having to leave your warm bed at 6 a.m. and dive into a cold pool is a powerful factor for changing one's mind. I begged my parents to quit, but they made me finish the season.

Looking back on it, I'm glad they did. Participation in youth sports has several powerful benefits for kids and adolescents. Here are five of the most notable pluses of joining a sports team:

Lower body fat

scaleWhat is the "thin-centric ideal" and why do we as women buy into it?Pexels

This one might seem obvious, but it's no less important. Lower rates of body fat are correlated with better health and lower rates of serious diseases, including cancer.

Stronger bones

person meditatingAre Bone Cancer Symptoms Genetic

Performing physical activities is crucial for bone health. The load-bearing movements practiced in sports lead to reduced risk of bone diseases, like osteoporosis.

Higher self-esteem

10-year-old selfIf You Wouldn't It To Your 10-Year-Old Self, Don't Say It At AllIsabelle Adler

Working hard and achieving fitness goals translates to other area's of a child's life, building their self-confidence across the board.

Problem solving skills

Problem Solving And A Little Bit Of Math

Problem Solving And A Little Bit Of Math

Ken Lundberg

Working together as part of a team to reach a common goal fosters communication skills and social cooperation.

Lower stress levels

stressedNo wonder why we are all stressed

Pexels

Regular exercise is a great way to release pent-up stress. The earlier in life a person develops healthy coping mechanisms like exercise, the better!

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Warnings About College To Incoming Freshmen As Told By Gifs

College is hard, but you will make it through.

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1. You will have that special "college" look to you.

2. You will feel like an adult but also feeling like a child.

3. You will have classes that are just the professor reading from their lecture slides for an hour.

4. You will need to study but also want to hang out with your friends.

5. Coffee is your best friend.

6. You don't know what you're doing 99% of the time.

7. You will procrastinate and write a paper the night before it is due.

8. Money is a mythical object.

9. It is nearly impossible to motivate yourself to go to classes during spring.

10. The food pyramid goes out the window.

11. You will have at least one stress induced breakdown a semester.

12. Most lecture classes will bore you to tears.

13. You will not like all of your professors.

14. You will try to go to the gym... but you will get too lazy at some point.

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16. You will try to convince yourself that you can handle everything.

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