Sports a must have for youth

If you are a student, are you currently involved in sports? If you are a parent, are your children currently involved in sports? In either case, what are the reasons?

I grew up to be a sports lover. After participating in a variety of sports as a kid, I decided to focus on track and field training in secondary school. That said, I still competed for my school in handball, badminton, swimming and rugby at different times. At the time, I just knew that I enjoyed them all. Now, having studied kinesiology, I have come to appreciate the tremendous benefit of sports in my youth. In this article, I want to provide you with a glimpse of the robust evidence of physical and psychosocial health benefits from sports for child and youth development.

Nobody disputes the benefits of sports for physical health and the development of fitness, but not many realize how certain the scientific community is on this issue. There

Sports participation is also associated with better psychosocial development. Exercise increases self-esteem,4 decreases depression and anxiety,5 feelings of hopelessness and suicidal tendencies. theory of the Five C’s for positive youth development supports the connection between sports and the development of a positive sense of self. The theory states that when five C’s: Competence, Confidence, Connection, Character, and Compassion are developed through sports, youths also develop a sixth C: Contribution.7 A stable sense of self is also developed along with the sixth C, which leads to ongoing positive personal development. Adolescence is the most critical period for healthy personality and identity development.8 A healthy identity and stable sense of self grounds an individual and gives the inner stability needed for the pursuit of personal aspirations.9 This relates to the most significant indicator of development in youth aged 12-18 : the ability to increasingly recognize their potential for making contributions in the public sphere.10

While the evidence for the benefits of sports is beyond doubt, I understand that academic performance is an important consideration

Sources among Hong Kong youth and parents when prioritizing time and resources. This deters many from sports participation. However, sport is not at odds with academic performance. Engaging in exercise for short durations improves attention, concentration, learning and memory.11 Regular strength exercise is associated with higher GPA among university students.12 Sports training taught me resilience, selfdiscipline, and embracing successes and failures, all of which serve a role in my pursuit of academic success.

Even though I spent a lot of time on sports at secondary school and recently, and as a part of the mountain biking team at my university, I was also commended as the most outstanding graduate in my university programme, so it didn’t mean I had to compromise excellence in other areas of life. I hope the evidence for physical, psychosocial, and academic benefits of sports and my personal experience convinces you, and that you too believe in the power of sports!

Tiffany Tiu graduated recently from the University of Toronto. She took part in HKFYG’s HK200 Leadership Project in 2015 and was one of the ten awardees in the 2016-2017 HK Outstanding Youth Commendation programme.

1. Corbin, C. B., Pangrazi, R. P., & Franks, B. D. (2000). Definitions: Health, fitness, and physical activity. President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Research Digest.

2. Moeijes, J., van Busschbach, J. T., Bosscher, R. J., & Twisk, J. W. (2019). Sports participation and health-related quality of life: a longitudinal observational study in children. Quality of life research, 28(9), 2453-2469.

3. Faigenbaum, A. D. (2001). Strength training and children's health. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 72(3), 24-30.

4. Smith, J. J., Eather, N., Morgan, P. J., Plotnikoff, R. C., Faigenbaum, A. D., & Lubans, D. R. (2014). The health benefits of muscular fitness for children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports medicine, 44(9), 1209-1223.

5. Mikkelsen, K., Stojanovska, L., Polenakovic, M., Bosevski, M., & Apostolopoulos, V. (2017). Exercise and mental health. Maturitas, 106, 48-56.

6. Taliaferro, L. A., Rienzo, B. A., Miller, M. D., Pigg Jr, R. M., & Dodd, V. J. (2008). High school youth and suicide risk: exploring protection afforded through physical activity and sport participation. Journal of School Health, 78(10), 545-553.

7. Lerner, R. M., Lerner, J. V., Almerigi, J. B., Theokas, C., Phelps, E., Gestsdottir, S., ... & Von Eye, A. (2005). Positive youth development, participation in community youth development programs, and community contributions of fifth-grade adolescents: Findings from the first wave of the 4-H study of positive youth development. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 25(1), 17-71.

8. Machell, K. A., Disabato, D. J., & Kashdan, T. B. (2016). Buffering the negative impact of poverty on youth: The power of purpose in life. Social Indicators Research, 126(2), 845-861.

9. Frosh, S. (1991). Identity crisis: Modernity, psychoanalysis and the self (p. 4). London: Macmillan International Higher Education

10. Gambone, M. A., Yu, H. C., Lewis-Charp, H., Sipe, C. L., Lacoe, J. (2006). Youth organizing, identity-support, and youth development agencies as avenues for involvement. Journal of Community Practice, 14, 235-253.

11. Blomstrand, P., & Engvall, J. (2021). Effects of a single exercise workout on memory and learning functions in young adults—A systematic review. Translational Sports Medicine, 4(1), 115-127.

12. Keating, X. D., Castelli, D., & Ayers, S. F. (2013). Association of weekly strength exercise frequency and academic performance among students at a large university in the United States. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 27(7), 1988-1993.