EFFECT OF SPORTS PARTICIPATION ON SOCIAL

DEVELOPMENT IN CHILDREN AGES 6-14

JOY CHOWDHURY [1]
BACHELOR OF HEALTH SCIENCES (HONOURS), CLASS OF 2024, MCMASTER UNIVERSITY

include lack of access to sports, financial insecurity, or

ABSTRACT debilitative conditions that prevent child engagement.
Sports have been proven to help promote physical Approximately 51% of children in Canada aged 6-14
health and prevent rising conditions such as obesity participate in individual and team-based sports more than
in children. However, not much is known about the two times a week (2). Although participation in sports
social development that is associated with exposure can occur earlier, it typically starts from the age of six
to sports from an early age. Understanding the because studies show that children under the age of six
relationship between sports and social health can do not have the physical, psychological, and cognitive
help determine measures to promote prosocial development to participate actively in organized sport
behaviour. The databases that were used in this (3). Children have the opportunity to engage in a wide
review include Web of Science, OVID Medline(R), variety of sports including activities where they engage
and Pubmed. After the inclusion and exclusion with others on a team and individual sports, which have
process, we were left with 24 studies to review. The been shown to have different benefits including
results indicate that children that engage in sports are improving communicative abilities, physical health, and
more likely to be confident and demonstrate higher building a healthy sense of competition (4). In this
degrees of assertiveness. Furthermore, studies show review, we define “sports” as an activity engaging in
that children engaging in both team and individual physical exertion, which requires physical skill in a
sports show higher degrees of academic and social setting that is competitive in nature. We defined “sports
competence. Children that engage in sports from an participation” as someone that engages in sports at least
early age tend to show more respect towards two times a week consistently. Finally, “social health” is
authority. According to the social learning theory, defined by how one’s well-being influences their
through imitation, children can learn social norms interaction with others and their environment. By
such as fair play, healthy competition, and the values understanding the effects of team and individual sports
of collaboration. Children not engaging in sports are on the social development of children, we can learn how
more likely to display depressive symptoms that may sports can help children promote prosocial behaviours.
inhibit them from engaging socially with their
environment. Moreover, social anxiety is more
common in those that do not participate in sports METHODS
since exercise is a known anxiolytic due to its
properties of releasing endorphins and reducing the The process started with doing a comprehensive search
body’s stress hormones. The results suggest that of studies relating to sports participation and its effect on
more opportunities should be made for children to social behaviours in children. Three different databases
engage in sports, not only for physical development, were used in order to gather the sources used in this
but also for social development. review. The three that were utilized include OVID
Medline, Web of Science, and PubMed. Mesh words
were used to enhance the specificity and the amount of
studies found from the comprehensive search. All of the
BACKGROUND studies were limited to a date before 1995 to ensure that
the information provided is up to date. Furthermore, both
A dilemma that parents typically face early in the primary studies and reviews were utilized when
parenthood process is deciding how the child will compiling the research for this review. After compiling
consistently and adequately meet their physical activity the data, all of the duplicates were removed between the
requirements (1). Many factors that can pertain to this databases and the remaining titles and abstracts were

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screened for relevance and credibility. After compiling a sports environment. Young children often imitate the
list of studies and evaluating them, a solid foundational behaviours of these key figures, so referees and coaches
understanding of the topic was built. The inclusion can adapt to consciously and deliberately behaving in a
criteria for studies pertaining to articles that addressed manner that encourages prosocial behaviours, while
relationships between social behaviours and sports taking action to prevent negative behaviors
participation in children. (8). The concept of imitating behaviours is supported by
the social learning theory, which suggests that we acquire
In terms of exclusion criteria, we decided to exclude any new behaviours by observing and imitating others (11).
study that primarily focuses on physical activity rather
than a variable that is defined as sports because we are 2. Social Functioning
reviewing through a social lens rather than through Contextual theories of developmental psychology have
physical development. Furthermore, we have excluded been applied to experiences in children to develop the
any study that does not pertain to our specified age range theory of positive youth development (12). This theory
of 6-14 years old. We also excluded studies that focused suggests that greater engagement of a child towards their
on children with known disorders or conditions that ecology tends to evoke more development in a time of
inhibit typical development because it would add many great neuroplasticity in order to improve the likelihood
confounding variables. In the future, it could be of healthy environmental outcomes (12). To prove this
beneficial to specify the level at which the sports are theory through the lens of sports, researchers assessed
being played. the ability of a child to demonstrate competence in an
academic, social, and vocational setting in over 1700
RESULTS fifth grade students (13). After that, they measured the
confidence of children engaged in sport-related activities
vs alternative leisurely activities to determine whether
1. Interpersonal Relationships
sports create a positive self-identity. Relationships with
Studies have indicated that children exposed to sports family, integrity towards moral values, and levels of
have been shown to have decreased levels of shyness compassion were also determined through surveys given
from ages 6-14 (5). 355 elementary school students with to both the child and the parents. The results
a mean age of 10.1 were asked to complete a self-report demonstrated that children engaged in sports had higher
assessment of their shyness and aggression, sports overall ratings in confidence, relationship with family,
participation, and psychosocial adjustment. This was academic competence, social competence, relationship
also paired alongside a parent questionnaire to assess the with family, integrity, and compassion (13). Although
child’s social skills. The results indicate a positive the study was done through subjective survey measures,
association between sports and self-esteem, particularly the large, diverse sample group and the significant
indicating that shyness was less common. Throughout difference are worth considering when examining the
the entirety of the study, “shyness” was defined as a lack value of sports. Although playing sports showed to be
of social interaction to the point where it negatively beneficial, the group that excelled the most in all
impacts the life of the child (5). Shyness is associated categories was the group that played a sport alongside
with social skill deficiencies because they have been doing other supplemental activities (13, 14). This result
shown to be more likely to internalize personal is significant because it suggests that to optimize child
problems, which was similar across many studies (5,6). development, caregivers should have the financial
Children in the shy group who engage in sports tend to stability and time to provide for additional activities (13,
demonstrate a decrease in anxiety over time (5). This 14). This implication further supports the idea to provide
correlation is even stronger with team sports as it has support systems for families of lower socioeconomic
been shown to have a protective role in terms of status (SES) to engage their children in enriching
improving peer-to-peer relationships in children (7). activities.
Children engaging in sports from a young age not only
learned how to socialize with their peers to a higher 3. Social Wellbeing
degree, but also developed more of a respect for Social well-being is a concept that has been shown to
authority (8, 9). Children engaging in sports have more affect our behaviours and development. Research shows
engagement with authority figures through coaches, that elevated body dissatisfaction and decreased levels of
teachers, and referees (8). A study done on the social acceptance will increase the risk of depressive
relationship between teachers and students (exposed symptoms in boys and girls ages 6-14 (15). According to
group engaged in extra-curricular sports and unexposed Kohlberg’s theory of moral development, children in this
group who do not play sports in school) indicated that age group participate in prosocial behaviours because
the children who play sports are able to develop more they understand the concept of reciprocity when
trust with their instructors. This overlaps with principles following social norms (15). Essentially, a large portion
of morality and Kohlberg’s theory of development since of social well-being involves building strong
children develop the ability to understand social cues interpersonal relations and feeling needed by others (16).
and abide by laws and authority in their sport (10). A study was done with 449 Canadian students with the
Authority figures such as referees and coaches play a purpose of searching for protective measures to prevent
pedagogical role through being a key role model in a the risk of depressive symptoms in youth. The results

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 indicated that engaging in sports can mitigate the risk of
depressive symptoms in youth (16). This is a cross- CONCLUSION
sectional study, so a survey was done on the children and There is a clear indication that participation in both
parents to determine engagement in sports and the team sports and individual sports demonstrate
depressive symptoms were measured using the PHQ-9 various social and psychological benefits in children
test, which is a standard protocol for depression ages 6-14. Both team sports and individual sports
diagnosis in the DSM-5. 16 It is still unknown whether provide children with the opportunity to engage with
introducing sports to a child exhibiting depressive many positive role models like the referees, coaches,
symptoms can lower the severity of said symptoms, so a and their peers to demonstrate social learning theory.
future longitudinal study may be useful to observe Imitating concepts such as fair play and teamwork
changes over time. can extend into developing a more solid
understanding of social cues in everyday life. Studies
Social anxiety is an example of another disorder that can have shown that participation in sports improves the
have debilitating effects on the behaviours and confidence of children, which makes them more
development of children (17). It can be characterized as a assertive and less shy later in life. The lack of
long-term condition that results in higher degrees of exposure to socialization can often manifest into
stress in social settings (17). Since children are still symptoms of social anxiety, which is shown to be
learning social norms through exposure, social anxiety most prevalent in children that did not engage in
can stunt both social and cognitive development due to sports and least prevalent in children participating in
limited exposure (17). Studies have proven that exercise team sports. The lack of sports participation can
has anxiolytic properties, so it is often used to reduce potentially cause children to internalize more of their
anxiety and stress (18). Sports will change the body's problems and could be linked to the increased rates
metabolism and reduce the levels of various stress of depression symptoms. Incorporating sports
hormones such as cortisol and adrenalin (19). participation into the lives of children can help
Furthermore, exercise from sports can also stimulate the reduce the rates of childhood depression and suicide
production of natural painkillers and mood elevators in rates. It is important to consider some ways in which
the body, which are chemicals referred to as endorphins we can make sports more accessible for children of
(20). A repeated exposure cohort study was done with diverse backgrounds since their inability to engage in
208 children with two measurement periods where the physical activity will result in health inequalities. An
children are seven and eight years old respectively (18). important lens to review will be to take
In the study, children were interviewed in a structured socioeconomic status into consideration when
manner in order to assess for behaviours associated with developing new ways for children to engage in
anxiety by a registered psychiatrist. Parents and teachers sports. Lower socioeconomic status is linked to
of the students were then asked to complete a hindered social development in children, so a lack of
questionnaire in order to provide more supplemental access to physical activity will exacerbate the pre-
understanding of day-to-day behaviours. Finally, an existing disparities. 24 Since the majority of studies
additional survey was given to each of the parents to that were utilized in this review are cross-sectional,
indicate the level of sports participation their child many of the confounding variables are still affecting
engaged in. The results indicated that there is a positive the result, so the causal pathway cannot be
correlation between engagement in sports and a decrease guaranteed with certainty. In the future, community
in social anxiety symptoms, which was shown to be more and school-based sports participation should be
significant for children participating in team sports (18). recorded with more consistency and accuracy. Not
only will this data help with reducing the increasing
4. Developing a Healthy Sense of
rate of childhood obesity in North America, but it
Competition (Understanding Social will also help with the promotion of prosocial
Norms): behaviours in youth.
While team sports focus a majority of interpersonal
interactions around teamwork, individual sports promote
social development through friendly competition (21).
Playing on a team allows children to familiarize
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