Key Takeaways
- Sports participation in childhood is directly linked to fewer emotional problems during adolescence, with self-esteem being the primary psychological mechanism driving this relationship.
- Not all physical activities offer the same mental health benefits – structured sports showed more significant emotional benefits than casual play or active commuting.
- Self-esteem development through sports serves as a protective shield against anxiety, sadness, and other emotional challenges during crucial developmental years.
- Child-sport fit is essential – allowing children to choose sports that match their abilities and interests maximizes self-esteem benefits.
- The psychosocial mechanisms of sports (particularly self-esteem development) outweigh neurobiological and behavioral mechanisms in protecting against emotional problems.
This blog post was informed by research from the Generation R study conducted at Erasmus University Rotterdam and Erasmus Medical Centre in the Netherlands, following over 4,000 children from Rotterdam from before birth through adolescence.
Introduction: The Mental Health Challenge Facing Today’s Youth
In today’s increasingly complex world, children and adolescents face unprecedented mental health challenges. The transition from childhood to adolescence represents a critical developmental period characterized by significant biological, psychological, and social changes. During this vulnerable time, many young people experience heightened emotional problems, including anxiety, sadness, and excessive worry.
Recent data indicates that approximately 1 in 5 children will experience a diagnosable mental health disorder before reaching adulthood, with emotional problems being among the most common. These challenges not only affect daily functioning but can potentially impact long-term development, academic achievement, and social relationships.
As childhood mental health concerns continue to rise globally, identifying effective protective factors becomes increasingly urgent. One such factor gaining substantial research attention is sports participation – but what exactly makes sports so powerful in supporting emotional well-being?
The Sports-Mental Health Connection: Beyond Physical Benefits
The relationship between physical activity and mental health has been well-documented in scientific literature. However, not all forms of physical activity appear to confer the same benefits. The Generation R study, a longitudinal research project following over 4,000 children in Rotterdam, Netherlands, provides compelling evidence that structured sports participation offers unique advantages for emotional resilience that other physical activities may not.
Why Sports Stand Apart from Other Physical Activities
The Generation R findings revealed a striking pattern: children who participated in organized sports at age 6 demonstrated fewer emotional problems when they reached their early teenage years. Surprisingly, other forms of physical activity – including outdoor play, physical education classes, and active commuting (walking or biking to school) – did not show the same protective effect.
This distinction raises an important question: what makes sports participation uniquely beneficial for emotional health? To answer this, researchers examined three potential mechanisms through which sports might influence emotional well-being:
- Neurobiological mechanisms: How sports participation might affect brain structure and function
- Psychosocial mechanisms: How sports influence social connections, self-perception, and psychological resources
- Behavioral mechanisms: How sports participation might improve health behaviors like sleep quality and nutrition
- Figure 1 – Physical activity involves various ways of moving the body, including active school travel, physical education, sports, or playing outside.
- As highlighted in green, according to our study, playing sports during childhood was the only physical activity linked to feeling better emotionally in the early teenage years. 6y means data were collected when children were 6 years old. 13y means data were collected when children were 13 years old.
- Figure 2 – We examined three types of mechanisms that might connect sports participation to fewer emotional problems in young people.
- The green arrows indicate that self-esteem was the primary mechanism through which sports participation might help prevent or lessen emotional problems. Self-esteem means how kids see themselves and feel about themselves. Sports could help feeling better emotionally by self-esteem.
The Self-Esteem Effect: The Primary Path to Emotional Protection
After rigorous statistical analysis, including Pearson correlations and mediation analysis, the research revealed a clear winner among potential mechanisms: self-esteem emerged as the primary pathway through which sports participation protects against emotional problems.
Understanding Self-Esteem Development Through Sports
Self-esteem – how children view and evaluate themselves across various domains – functions as a psychological resource that helps young people manage emotional challenges. In the sports context, self-esteem development occurs through several interconnected processes:
- Skill acquisition and mastery: Learning new physical skills and improving existing ones provides concrete evidence of capability and growth
- Achievement recognition: Receiving acknowledgment for effort, improvement, and accomplishment reinforces positive self-perception
- Competence feedback: Getting direct feedback about performance helps children develop realistic self-assessment abilities
- Identity development: Identifying as an athlete or team member contributes to a positive sense of self
Dr. Léon R. Equinet, one of the study’s authors who investigated the relationship between sports participation and self-esteem in youth, emphasizes the importance of this connection: “Educating children and adolescents on how to live a healthy lifestyle is really important to me. Hopefully, the importance of the prevention of mental health issues during developmental stages can gain more attention over the next few years.”
The Multi-Dimensional Nature of Self-Esteem
An important nuance in the research findings is that self-esteem isn’t monolithic – it varies across different domains of a child’s life. Some children might feel highly confident academically but less capable in sports, or vice versa. The study found that domain-specific self-esteem related to physical abilities was particularly influential in the sports-emotional health relationship.
This finding highlights the importance of finding the right sport-child fit. Children who participate in sports that align with their natural abilities, interests, and temperament are more likely to experience positive self-esteem effects and, consequently, stronger emotional protection.
Beyond Self-Esteem: Exploring Other Potential Mechanisms
While self-esteem emerged as the dominant mechanism, the research explored several other potential pathways through which sports might benefit emotional health. Understanding these additional mechanisms provides a more comprehensive picture of how physical activity influences psychological well-being.
Neurobiological Mechanisms: The Brain-Body Connection
The neurobiological perspective suggests that physical activity benefits brain development in ways that might reduce vulnerability to emotional problems. Regular exercise increases:
- Cerebral blood flow
- Production of neurotrophic factors that support neural growth
- Release of endorphins and other mood-enhancing neurotransmitters
- Development of neural networks involved in emotion regulation
While these mechanisms make theoretical sense, the Generation R study did not find sufficient evidence that neurobiological changes explained the relationship between sports participation and reduced emotional problems. However, the researchers note that the scientific literature offers mixed findings, with some studies supporting neurobiological mechanisms and others failing to find significant effects.
Behavioral Mechanisms: Healthy Habits and Lifestyle Factors
The behavioral perspective proposes that sports participation leads to improvements in other health behaviors that, in turn, benefit emotional well-being:
- Improved sleep quality and duration: Regular physical activity can help regulate sleep cycles
- Better nutrition: Athletes often develop more awareness of nutritional needs
- Reduced screen time: Time spent in sports displaces sedentary screen activities
- Structured routines: Regular practice schedules help establish healthy daily patterns
Again, while these connections are plausible, the Generation R study did not find strong evidence that behavioral mechanisms explained the sports-emotional health relationship.
Practical Applications: Maximizing the Mental Health Benefits of Youth Sports
The findings from the Generation R study offer valuable guidance for parents, educators, coaches, and policymakers looking to leverage sports as a tool for supporting children’s emotional health.
Finding the Right Sport-Child Fit
Given the importance of domain-specific self-esteem, helping children find sports that match their natural abilities and interests becomes crucial. This process may involve:
- Exposure to diverse options: Introducing children to a variety of sports allows them to discover activities where they feel naturally competent
- Observation of preferences: Paying attention to which physical activities bring joy and engagement versus frustration
- Child-led selection: Allowing children to have agency in choosing their sports activities
- Focus on competence: Selecting sports where the child has opportunities to develop and demonstrate mastery
As the researchers emphasize: “It is important to pick a sport you like—one you think you can do well at and develop further skills in. A sport that fits your classmate might not fit you!”
Creating Self-Esteem Supportive Environments
Since self-esteem emerged as the critical mechanism, structuring sports environments to support positive self-perception becomes essential:
- Emphasize improvement over comparison: Help children measure success against their previous performance rather than others
- Provide specific, skill-based feedback: Focus comments on specific actions rather than global evaluations
- Celebrate effort and perseverance: Recognize determination and hard work regardless of outcome
- Right-size challenges: Structure activities with appropriate difficulty levels that stretch but don’t overwhelm
- Focus on process goals: Help young athletes set goals related to skill development rather than just competitive outcomes
Broader Implementation Considerations
Taking a systems approach to promoting sports participation requires attention to:
- Access and equity: Ensuring all children, regardless of socioeconomic status, have opportunities to participate in quality sports programs
- Developmentally appropriate activities: Matching sports programs to children’s physical, cognitive, and emotional development stage
- Positive coaching practices: Training coaches in approaches that build rather than undermine self-esteem
- Family engagement: Involving parents in ways that support rather than pressure young athletes
- Balancing competition and mastery: Structuring programs to emphasize skill development alongside healthy competition
The Limitations of Current Research
While the Generation R study provides valuable insights, the researchers acknowledge several limitations that highlight areas for future investigation:
- Observational design: The study establishes correlation but cannot definitively prove causation
- Cross-sectional measurement: Assessing physical activity and other factors simultaneously limits understanding of how these variables change over time
- Measurement approach: Relying on parent reports rather than objective measures of physical activity introduces potential reporting bias
These limitations suggest opportunities for future research to further clarify how sports participation influences emotional health through longitudinal designs, objective physical activity measurement, and intervention studies that can establish causality.
Conclusion: Sports as an Emotional Health Strategy
The Generation R study provides compelling evidence that sports participation in childhood can serve as a protective factor against emotional problems in adolescence, primarily through its positive impact on self-esteem. This finding has profound implications for how we approach youth development and mental health promotion.
Rather than viewing sports merely as physical activity or competitive endeavors, this research suggests we should recognize their potential as psychological interventions that build emotional resilience. The psychosocial benefits of sports—particularly self-esteem development—appear to outweigh neurobiological or behavioral mechanisms in explaining the emotional health benefits.
For parents seeking to support their children’s emotional well-being, the message is clear: find sports activities that match your child’s interests and abilities, and create an environment that nurtures their sense of competence and mastery. For educators and policymakers, these findings underscore the importance of protecting and expanding access to quality sports programs as a public health strategy.
By understanding and implementing the lessons from this research, we can harness the unique power of sports to help children develop not just physical strength, but the psychological resources they need to navigate life’s emotional challenges with confidence and resilience.
Actionable Recommendations
- For Parents: Expose children to diverse sports options and observe which activities generate genuine enthusiasm and competence. Support participation without creating performance pressure that might undermine self-esteem.
- For Coaches: Focus on skill development, personal improvement, and mastery-oriented feedback rather than comparison to others or win-loss outcomes.
- For Schools: Ensure physical education programs include structured sports opportunities beyond general physical activity, with attention to helping each child find activities where they can experience success.
- For Community Organizations: Create inclusive sports programs that accommodate different ability levels and interests, with scholarship opportunities to ensure economic barriers don’t prevent participation.
- For Policymakers: Recognize youth sports as a mental health intervention deserving public investment, particularly in underserved communities with limited access to mental health resources.
This blog post was informed by research from the Generation R study conducted at Erasmus University Rotterdam and Erasmus Medical Centre in the Netherlands, following over 4,000 children from Rotterdam from before birth through adolescence.
YSBR Legal Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general informational purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice. Always consult with qualified healthcare professionals, sports medicine specialists, or mental health providers regarding specific needs of children in your care. Implementation of any strategies mentioned should be tailored to individual circumstances and developmental needs.
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
Original Source Article
↑Rodriguez-Ayllon, M., Neumann, A., Hofman, A., Voortman, T., Lubans, D. R., Yang-Huang, J., et al. 2023. Neurobiological, psychosocial, and behavioral mechanisms mediating associations between physical activity and psychiatric symptoms in youth in the Netherlands. JAMA Psychiatry 80:451–458. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2023.0294
References
[1] ↑ Rodriguez-Ayllon, M., Cadenas-Sánchez, C., Estévez-López, F., Muñoz, N. E., Mora-Gonzalez, J., Migueles, J. H., et al. Role of physical activity and sedentary behavior in the mental health of preschoolers, children, and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Med. (2019) 49:1383–410. doi: 10.1007/s40279-019-01099-5
[2] ↑ Rodriguez-Ayllon, M., Estévez-López, F., Cadenas-Sanchez, C., Gracia-Marco, L., Lubans, D. R., Ortega, F. B., et al. 2019. Physical activity, sedentary behavior, and mental health in young people: a review of reviews. Adolesc. Health Wellbeing 2019:35–73. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-25816-0_3
[3] ↑ Stillman, C. M., Esteban-Cornejo, I., Brown, B., Bender, C. M., and Erickson, K. I. 2020. Effects of exercise on brain and cognition across age groups and health states. Trends Neurosci. 43:533–43. doi: 10.1016/j.tins.2020.04.010
[4] ↑ Conley, M. I., Hindley, I., Baskin-Sommers, A., Gee, D. G., Casey, B., and Rosenberg, M. D. 2020. The importance of social factors in the association between physical activity and depression in children. Child Adolesc. Psychiat. Mental Health 14:1–15. doi: 10.1186/s13034-020-00335-5
[5] ↑ Lubans, D., Richards, J., Hillman, C., Faulkner, G., Beauchamp, M., Nilsson, M., et al. 2016. Physical activity for cognitive and mental health in youth: a systematic review of mechanisms. Pediatrics 138:e20161642. doi: 10.1542/peds.2016-1642
Article information
Citation
Karjalainen RJ, Equinet LR, Jansen PW, Muetzel RL and Rodriguez-Ayllon M (2025) How Sports Make Kids Feel Better. Front. Young Minds. 13:1390139. doi: 10.3389/frym.2025.1390139
