Teen Sports Participation in the COVID Era
Why do we care about youth sports?
Participation in sports for children and teens can have a variety of positive impacts, including:
Improved physical health - e.g. endurance, strength, bone health
Improved mental health - e.g. less anxiety, less depression, more resilience
Positive social engagement and skill building - e.g. friendship, teamwork, leadership, conflict resolution
Fun!
What happened to youth sports during COVID?
In case anyone needs reminding…
Pre-COVID: It may seem hard to remember, but schools and sports were fully open and in-person, without a consideration for widespread closures.
COVID onset: In the spring of 2020, schools were closed and organized sports for youth were canceled nationwide.
As time passed, schools and sports were gradually re-opened.
Post-COVID onset: Eventually, most if not all schools and sports returned.
What happened to teens during this time? Are the kids alright now?
A group of researchers (McGuine et al., 2023) investigated the impact of sports participation in the age of COVID among teens in Wisconsin.
They compared questionnaires completed by different sets of high school student-athletes in these 3 time periods:
Pre-COVID
During COVID onset
Post-COVID onset
They asked them about their sports participation, physical activity, depression symptoms, and quality of life
They found that:
Unsurprisingly, teens experienced the worst outcomes in the During COVID Onset time
Teens reported better outcomes in the Post-COVID onset time, but still worse than the teens in the Pre-COVID time
This was the same pattern for all three outcomes:
Physical activity
Depression
Quality of Life
Before We Jump to Conclusions…
Here are some things to keep in mind:
The results are cross-sectional across cohorts- this means that instead of asking the same teens how they were feeling at all of these different times, these were groups of different teens. This means we do not exactly know if there were other factors that contributed to these results.
This was a convenience sample- this means that the researchers relied on responses from high schoolers who volunteered for this study and took the time to fill out of all of the questionnaires. That means we don’t know what happened with the teens who chose not to sign up, and if our results are unique to the students who did choose to participate.
This study only focused on high school students involved in organized sports, so we must be cautious when we consider younger children, older individuals, and those who do not participate in organized sports.
The authors did not report any analyses related to subgroups within their study samples, such as demographic factors, particular sports, physical or mental health conditions, or the many likely contextual factors that influence the experience of each individual and unique teenager.
What Can You Do Now?
Appreciate that though teens may be back to their normal activities, things may still feel different for them.
Ask:
How do you feel about what we have been through the last few years?
What parts were the hardest and what still feels hard?
What positive things can we take away from the experience?
During the last (week, month, year), what activities made you feel the most like yourself?
Discuss the values that are most important to your teen and your family. Is it being involved in your community, being a good friend and family member, doing your best, trying new things? What activities help us live these values?
Model participation in sports, physical activity, and other activities yourself. Better yet- move and play together as a family!
Remind them that although high school did not go as they had hoped, they can learn coping skills to make the best of bad situations, and to find opportunities now and in the future to do what they love and value.
Encourage a diversity of activities, including considering at least one sport or physical activity based on your teen’s interest. But…
Balance with not over-scheduling. One thing many families took away from the last few years is the benefit of less structured schedules, more family time, and healthy routines.
If your teen is struggling with returning to school or sports, anxiety, changes in mood, the impact of COVID, or overall does not feel like themselves, please click the GET STARTED button at the TOP RIGHT of your screen to schedule a free consultation call.