Playing youth sports is linked to better mental health in adults

A new study shows that adults who played organized sports in their youth experience fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression than adults who never played sports or who stopped playing sports.

Those who stopped playing sports had worse mental health than those who never played at all.

But far more people drop out of youth sports than continue playing continuously until age 18, said Chris Knoester, senior author of the study and professor of sociology at Ohio State University.

“If you play and keep at it, it’s positive for your mental health, but if you play and stop, it seems to be negative — and most kids stop,” Knoester said.

The study, published in the Sociology of Sport JournalResearch showed that most people stopped exercising because they didn’t enjoy it or felt like they weren’t good enough. That suggests ways youth sports can be improved to help kids, said study lead author Laura Upenieks, an assistant professor of sociology at Baylor University.

“Our findings on why children drop out of organized sports suggest that the current environment is not ideal for everyone, and that barriers to participation need more attention,” Upenieks said.

The study used data from the National Sports and Society Survey, conducted in 2018 and 2019 by the state of Ohio. It included a sample of 3,931 adults from across the country who answered questions about their sports participation as a child and their current anxiety and depression symptoms.

The results showed that 35% of participants had not participated in organized sport at all, 41% had participated and stopped, and 24% had participated continuously until the age of 18.

Those who consistently participated in organized sports throughout their childhood reported fewer depressive and anxiety symptoms than others.

Those who dropped out had the worst mental health profile, while those who never played were in the middle of the pack.

Knoester emphasized that most participants did not have clinical levels of depression or anxiety, and that the differences between the three groups were relatively modest. But the differences were still important.

By far the most common reason for dropping out was ‘not having fun’, which was stated by almost half of respondents (45%). The next most common reason was feeling that they were not a good player (31%). Other reasons for quitting were the focus on numbers (16%), having a health problem or injury (16%), not being able to afford sports (16%), having problems with team members (15%) and having an interest in other clubs and activities (14%).

Interestingly, 8% said they quit because they were abused by a coach.

Although quitting exercise was associated with poorer mental health, “not all reasons for quitting had the same effects,” Upenieks said.

Interpersonal reasons for dropping out, such as not having fun, not getting along with team members, and being mistreated by a coach, were associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms in adults.

Those who could not afford sports and sports equipment also showed poorer mental health. But those who stopped to focus on numbers actually showed fewer depressive symptoms, the study found.

“Prioritizing education predicts better mental health in adulthood,” Knoester said.

Many previous studies have focused on the impact of playing (or not playing) on ​​adult outcomes. But this study is one of the first to look at what happens when young people stop playing sports, Knoester said, and it shows that persistence in playing is a major issue.

“Unfortunately, it is not a simple story that sports are good for children,” he said. “It’s complicated by whether kids stay in sports and the reasons why they stick with it or quit.”

It’s easy to see why exercise can be good for those who can continue with it into adulthood, Upenieks said.

“The longer young people are exposed to a positive and encouraging sporting environment, the more likely they are to develop habits that are conducive to long-term mental well-being, such as a commitment to regular exercise and working with others as part of a team,” she said.

The fact that so many children drop out shows that organized sports often do not provide a positive environment. But there are steps adults can take to improve that environment.

First, sports must be safe for children. The fact that 8% say they have been abused by coaches is particularly alarming, the researchers said.

And the finding that nearly half of the kids dropped out because they weren’t having fun and about a third dropped out because they felt they weren’t good enough should also be a wake-up call, Knoester said.

“We need to improve youth sports so that they support positive experiences and make them more enjoyable for everyone,” he said.

Although winning is part of sports, adults can overemphasize that aspect and ruin the experience for many young people.

“Most kids want to have fun with their friends and support and encourage each other,” Upenieks said. “It doesn’t all have to be serious.”

Knoester added: “Our results suggest that by taking away the fun and making children feel like they’re not good enough, there could be cascading effects in terms of damaging self-esteem and confidence that could carry over into adulthood.”