Playing for Keeps

This is the second part of a two-part series on kids and sports.

In my previous post, I talked about a really important study ("Kids and Sports") published by Statistics Canada back in June. That study talked about which kids are most likely to participate in organized and informal sports in Canada -- and which kids are most likely to be left out of the game.

In this follow-up post, I want to talk about why there's so much more to this issue than initially meets the eye.

It would be easy to assume that this issue is simply about helping kids to stay fit. If that were the case, you might argue that there are plenty of other ways for kids to get fit than by participating in the local soccer league or shooting some hoops after dinner with a group of neighbourhood kids. Kids could jump rope or work out to an exercise video. In other words, you'd be focusing on ways of getting kids' bodies in motion. 

What isn't obvious at first is that being involved in organized sports like soccer or taking swimming lessons allows kids to acquire important skills that are as much about learning about life as they are about learning to play a particular sport. Playing sports allows kids to channel their energy, competitive, and aggressiveness in constructive ways; to develop teamwork and leadership skills; and, starting from when they are very young, to develop important school readiness skills (skills that can help to ease their transition to school). Kids who participate in organized sports and lessons in physical activities score more highly in such school readiness measures as receptive vocabulary, communication skills, number knowledge, and copying and symbol use. What's more, kids who participated in unorganized sports at least once a week score more highly in cooperative play than other children.

Studies examining school readiness have demonstrated that children from lower income households often lack some of the skills that are associated with readiness for school. All but one of the skills that children from lower-income households tend to be lacking (as compared to children from more affluent households) can be gained through participation in organized sports (receptive vocabulary, communication skill, number knowledge, copying and symbol use) or unorganized sports ( cooperative play). There isn't any research to demonstrate that the other skill that children from lower-income households tend to be lacking (attention) can be gained through participation in sports.

There are also significant health consequences to be considered. Researchers at Simon Fraser University conducted an eight-year longitudinal study of Canadian children, focusing on the relationship between early neighbourhood environment and children's body-mass index percentiles. They found that young children living in the lowest income neighbourhoods face an increased risk of becoming overweight or obese between childhood and early adolescence as compared to children living in more affluent neighbourhoods. The researchers concluded that reduced food choices and poorer opportunities for physical activities were responsible for the unhealthier outcomes. They recommended that "policies to prevent neighbourhood disparities in overweight...focus on young children."

There are other compelling reasons for dealing with the childhood obesity problem, too. Researchers at Queen's University found that children who are overweight or obese are more likely to be the targets and the perpetrators of bullying than other children whose weight falls within the normal range. If we are aware of factors that put a particular group of children at risk of becoming overweight or obese (and therefore at greater risk of being bullied or becoming bullies), wouldn't it be socially irresponsible of us to choose to do nothing?

There's no denying it. Sports is serious stuff. It's about giving every child a fair shot at growing up healthy and strong and ready to learn. When some kids are denied access to the types of opportunities that they need in order to develop in healthy ways,  everyone pays the price later on. So knowing what we know now, we have some questions to ask of ourselves: what kind of world do we want for our kids? A winner-takes-all society, where some kids aren't even allowed in the game—or a level playing field, where every kid is invited to play?

Remember, we're playing for keeps.

Comments

[Annie]

I agree completely about the childhood obesity problem and also the link to children from poorer neighbourhoods being more likely to be overweight. In addition to the factors you mentioned, that can also be traced back to feeding choices in infancy - choosing formula over breastfeeding, introducing solids too early, not making the right choices about "first foods".

But I think we need to be careful about assuming that team sports are the answer to both the obesity problem and to gaining confidence, team work skills, leadership, etc. Those are skills that I learned through girl guides and by being the oldest of 4 children. They are not skills that I learned through team sports. In fact if anything my experience in team sports as a child counteracted positive influences elsewhere. I was made fun of for being awkward and for my lack of coordination. I was blamed if we lost a game, because surely it was my missed pass, the goal that I let in, the race that I swam too slowly, or some other mistake that led to our demise.

I think parents need to find the environment that is right for their child and that will allow their child to thrive. I agree that access to team sports is important, but I just don't think it is the right environment for each child to learn the skills that you described.

When you look at the linkage between success in school/life and participation in team sports, I wonder if it is those that are more predisposed to being "successful" that thrive in team sports, rather than participation in team sports leading to them being "successful".

[Ann Douglas]

I think you and I had very similar experiences growing up, Annie. I also hated team sports (and equally loathed its evil twin, track-and-field day). I also loved being a Brownie and a Girl Guide (although I think I got a wee bit competitive about the badge thing). Hmmm.

What really struck me out of all this research was the fact that some kids don't have the same opportunities to play sports and that sports are a tool for developing the majority of the skills that ease the transition to school. There are certainly other ways of developing those skills, as you point out, but I don't have any research to show that kids in lower-income families or new immigrant families would be any more likely to participate in Guides/Scouts or other groups that might encourage cooperative play. If there are barriers that keep them from playing sports there might be barriers that keep them from participating in these activities, too.

I very much agree with the point that you make in your second-to-last paragraph: "I think parents need to find the environment that is right for their child and that will allow their child to thrive." I think that part of being a parent is bringing out your child's unique gifts while also encouraging them to develop some of the skills that don't come as naturally to them. The preschool years are a time when we can (hopefully) give our kids a chance to try all kinds of different things so that they can figure out what there skills and interests may be. As kids grow older they tend to specialize in the things they really love -- and to steer clear of things they love less.

[Gary]

The topic I keep reading about is that children must be involved in sports or they will suffer (in many ways), be obese, and be children of parents who deprived them.

The fact is sports are for the main part, entertainment. So, it can be fun to get a workout or to get some regular exercise. But for the most part we play sports to laugh, to cheer, to try out something we've seen others do.

As entertainment, they take up far too much time of a young person's life. Practices, travel time, tournaments, can consume a family's time and energy. I know many parents on the edge of burnout because they spend so much time driving their children around and trying to be at every game.

Exercise is good but it should not be equated with sports.