Are sports beneficial to those who participate? Yes, sports in general are very beneficial to those who participate. Participation in sports brings on many physical and psychological benefits. What are some of the psychological benefits of sports? One psychological benefit of sport is that they can boost the self esteem of the people participating. The self-esteem of the children is boosted when parents give their child positive feedback and show a sense of pride in what their child has accomplished (Bilich, p.1). .
Studies have shown that girls who participate in physical activity such as sports are more likely to have more positive feelings of self-worth/self-esteem, than girls who are not very physically active. Physical activity in many cases goes along with academic performance. Various studies have shown that children and youth who participate in regular physical activity have greater academic performances than children and youth who are not physically active. High quality sports programs in public housing locations can significantly reduce the number of behavioral and emotional disorders in the children and teens that live there. Participation in sports help emotionally disturbed teens become more confident, more expressive, and more independent. Physically disabled youth who have taken part in sports have shown improvements in self concept and self acceptance (Willox, p.1-4).
Sport also can create a sense of discipline and can help a child in developing the skills to listen to authority. Discipline occurs when a parent tells a child that practice makes perfect, and when a parent tells a child to stick with sport even when it becomes a little frustrating to the child. Sport also teaches a sense of respect for other people. This is emphasized when a child is taught to be gracious in victory and that disrespectful behavior is unacceptable in any aspects of sport (Billich, p.
