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Once kids become teenagers, many parents no longer encourage them to play sports regularly. This may be because their children aren’t natural athletes because there’s not enough time to fit in training and events each week or simply because kids have lost interest — they no longer feel that playing sports is cool or don’t have friends who participate in games.
However, with the epidemic of childhood obesity continuing to rise, along with health concerns such as anxiety and depression in teens, plus the fact that children spend so much time on tech devices each week, it’s more important than ever for kids to be active. There are many reasons why teenagers should continue to play sports, which both parents and their sons should consider, especially with the high numbers of teens that keep dropping out of such physical pursuits.
Improved Physical Health
The most obvious benefit of sports for teenage boys is that they improve physical health. Exercise gets kids to put down devices and move. Physical activity helps to control weight, boosts energy, helps to combat or stave off numerous health conditions and leads to better sleep and stronger bones.
Whether teenage boys play soccer, football or hockey, get involved in running clubs or join spring junior tennis camps, the exercise gives them an outlet to burn off excess energy. Playing sport as a teen assists them with establishing a good foundation of exercise habits that will keep them healthy over the long run. Plus, with so few children getting the minimum recommended amount of activity per week, teenagers who get involved in sports are much more likely to hit the health target.
Better Study Results
Exercise is also known to help people of all ages concentrate and focus more effectively. Playing sports boosts brainpower since physical activity increases oxygen and blood flow to the brain. This, in turn, leads to the stimulation of brain growth.
Teenage boys who regularly take part in sporting activities should find they have improved attention spans, faster cognitive processing speeds and better performance at school. Plus, since so many sports involve thinking quickly on the spot, strategizing and planning ahead, this also helps to keep teen minds honed and alert.
Strengthen Mental Health
Sports assist with improving mood and generally strengthening mental health, too. Frequent exercisers are said to experience lower levels of depression and anxiety than non-active people, and the endorphins that kick in after most physical exertion sessions help teens feel happier and more positive.
Kids who play sports have an outlet for their negative emotions, particularly feelings like frustration and anger. Plus, teens who exercise often usually have higher self-confidence and have a good sense of belonging and community. They also often get to know and understand themselves better and learn their limits.
Teaches Resilience and Perseverance
When playing sports, kids have to face losing at times, which can be hard and frustrating for them. However, adolescents who learn to lose build up resilience and perseverance more quickly. They come to understand that not everything will go their way all the time and that it’s important to continue working hard at their preferred activities, pushing through tough times if they want to reach their goals.
Athletes need follow-through and tenacity, an integral part of being involved in sports of any kind. Other players and coaches model and inspire these traits, as do parents who encourage their teenage sons to stick to sports. This commitment helps teens to attain grit they can use in all aspects of life, outside of physical activities.
Boosts Time Management Skills
Teenage boys will also boost their time-management skills by playing sports. Kids who add these activities into their weeks must commit to practice sessions and games/events. This additional business typically requires regular prioritizing of time. In turn, this makes adolescents more adept at independently managing their waking hours to fit in athletics, academics and social commitments. They soon come to see how they need to focus and be organized to accomplish what’s on their daily to-do list.
When parents are looking for ways to help their teenage sons achieve more, be happier, healthier and set up for the future, one of the best things parents can encourage them to do is continue to play sports. The list of benefits is long and notable, and they will endure long past boyhood.
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