It's a fact, mental health in athletes benefits from team sports, as evidenced by a 2022 research study published in Human Development. The study found that participation in team sports, such as hockey, soccer, or basketball, during childhood is associated with better psychological health (i.e., fewer symptoms of depression, anxiety, and social isolation), whereas this effect is not observed for individual sports (e.g., swimming and tennis).
Mental Health in Athletes: A Study On Child Development
Media Interpretation and Parental Decisions
Some media picked up on the conclusions of this study and suggested that parents should enroll their child in a team; otherwise, the positive effects of sports on mental health would be incomplete. Of course, one should avoid this quick conclusion. Although team sports are associated with several benefits for the mental health of children and adolescents, individual sports also have their share of benefits. In fact, individual sports can be effective for learning emotional regulation, resilience, and personal discipline.
Physiological and Social Mechanisms
As we mentioned before, sports for teens and children is good for mental health because it helps release chemicals in the brain, like endorphins and neurotransmitters, which make us feel better. But it's not just about the physical activity. If it’s the case, then any intense exercise would have the same mental health benefits, but that's not the case.
The real benefit comes from a mix of physical and social factors. Team sports, in particular, offer unique social experiences that individual sports do not. These include feeling like part of a group and making friends. Team activities, like wearing the same uniforms, cheering together, and being part of a team, help kids feel they belong and contribute to their social and emotional development.
Comparative Benefits of Team and Individual Sports
The sense of belonging to their group is more conducive in team sports, and this partly explains why young people who participate in them have fewer depressive symptoms than those who participate in individual sports. However, such a sense of belonging can also be present in other organized activities where group dynamics are cultivated, such as theater, scouting, or music groups. Thus, in a situation where a child does not like team sports, parents should not hesitate to offer these other activities, as the benefits the child derives would largely be determined by social experiences.
Friendships and Social Bonds
Another mechanism often mentioned by researchers concerns the characteristics of the friendships that the child maintains in team sports. In many cases, children play these sports with already known friends, and some may even make new ones. These friendships are likely to be somewhat different depending on the type of sport practiced.
A study reports that teenagers playing sports in individual sports consider their friends who participate with them to be more focused on improving their skills in a selfish way, while friendships in team sports are perceived as more supportive. If having a supportive social network is an important determinant of good psychological health, then team sports would potentially offer the same advantages.
One hypothesis is that members of a sports team experience victories and defeats together, which could have the effect of strengthening the bonds between them and making them feel supported in other areas of their lives. Team sports are obviously not the only context where a child can form and maintain quality and supportive friendships, but these activities can give them a boost in this regard.
Conclusion
In summary, our recent youth sports psychology study on team sports indicates that this type of activity promotes positive social contexts that are beneficial for the psychological well-being of children. However, it is not imperative for a parent to push their child to enroll in a team sport. Everything seems to indicate that the benefits of organized team sports lie in the interaction between physical health benefits and social experiences.
Consequently, the development of mental health in athletes relies on a healthy and active lifestyle, but also on the people that surround them. If your child doesn't prefer pyhical activities, there are several other solutions than team sports. Other organized activities are conducive to cooperation, social integration, and the formation of positive friendships. These activities vary depending on the schools, and it is sometimes very relevant to inquire the complet program of activities for your child. This will help him them to make a form a picture of the possible options they have.
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