Adults who played sports as children have better mental health than those who gave up or never played, research shows

Adults who continuously played organized sports during their youth have fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression compared to those who never played or stopped, according to a new study.

Those who stopped playing sports had worse mental health than those who never played.

Many more people quit sports in their youth than play continuously until age 18, said Chris Knoester, the lead author of the study and a sociology professor at Ohio State University.

“If you play sports and continue to play, it is positive for your mental health, but if you stop, it seems to be negative – and most kids stop,” said Knoester.

The study, published today (June 26, 2024) in the Sociology of Sport Journal, showed that most people quit sports because they no longer found them enjoyable or felt they were not good enough. This suggests ways to improve youth sports programs, said the lead author of the study Laura Upenieks, an assistant professor of sociology at Baylor University.

“Our findings on why kids quit organized sports suggest that the current situation is not ideal for everyone and that barriers to participation need more attention,” said Upenieks.

The study used data from the National Sports and Society Survey, conducted in 2018 and 2019 at Ohio State University. It included a sample of 3,931 adults from across the country who answered questions about their participation in sports as children and their current symptoms of anxiety and depression.

The results showed that 35% of participants never played organized sports, 41% participated and quit, and 24% continuously participated until age 18.

Those who continuously participated in organized sports during their youth reported fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety than others.

Those who quit had the worst mental health profile, while those who never played were somewhere in the middle.

Knoester emphasized that most participants did not have clinical levels of depression or anxiety and that the differences among the three groups were relatively small. However, these differences were significant.

By far the most common reason for quitting was “lack of fun,” which nearly half of respondents (45%) identified. The next most common reason was feeling they were not good enough players (31%). Other reasons for quitting included wanting to focus on grades (16%), health issues or injuries (16%), inability to afford sports (16%), problems with team members (15%), and interest in other clubs and activities (14%).

Interestingly, 8% of respondents said they quit because they were bullied by a coach.

Although quitting sports was linked to worse mental health, “not all reasons for quitting had the same effects,” said Upenieks.

Interpersonal reasons for quitting – including lack of fun, conflicts with team members, and bullying by a coach – were linked to adult symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Those who couldn’t afford sports and sports equipment also showed worse mental health.

However, those who quit to focus on grades actually showed fewer symptoms of depression, the study showed.

“Prioritizing education predicts better mental health in adulthood,” said Knoester.

Many previous studies have focused on the impact of playing sports – or not playing – on adult outcomes. But this study is one of the first to examine what happens when young people stop playing sports, said Knoester, and shows that persistence in playing is an important issue.

“Unfortunately, it’s not a simple story of playing sports being good for kids,” he said. “It’s complicated by whether kids continue to play sports and the reasons why they continue or quit.”

It’s easy to see why sports can be good for those who continue to play into adulthood, said Upenieks.

“The longer young people are exposed to a positive and encouraging sports environment, the more likely they are to develop habits that contribute to long-term mental well-being, such as regular exercise and teamwork,” she said.

The fact that so many kids quit shows that organized sports often do not provide a positive environment. But there are steps adults can take to improve that environment.

For starters, sports should be safe for kids. The fact that 8% of respondents said they were bullied by a coach is particularly alarming, the researchers said.

And the finding that nearly half of kids quit because they weren’t having fun and about a third quit because they felt they weren’t good enough should also be a wake-up call, said Knoester.

“We need to improve youth sports programs to support positive experiences for everyone and make them more enjoyable,” he said.

While winning is part of sports, it may be that adults overemphasize that aspect and ruin the experience for many young people.

“Most kids want to have fun with their friends and support each other,” said Upenieks. “It doesn’t have to be all serious.”

Knoester added: “Our findings suggest that taking away the fun and making kids feel like they’re not good enough can have cascading effects in terms of undermining confidence and self-esteem, which can carry into adulthood.”

Source: Ohio State University