As we continue to see fewer kids playing youth sports today, we must ask why this trend is in motion — and what we need to do to reverse course? Increasingly more studies are showing declining youth sport participation, with the most common reasons being the seriousness of youth sports (less fun), sport burnout and related mental health issues, early cuts in youth sports that deselect kids well before they hit puberty, travel costs, and the overall expense of youth sports factoring in equipment, lessons, and other related fees. While all of these issues certainly contribute to fewer kids playing youth sports today, I see another, more basic factor being largely overlooked — yet more influential than any of the other variables previously mentioned. From my direct clinical experiences with kids, technology (including smart phones and video games) have pulled more kids away from sports than any other reason, and I am about to explain why.
Screens > youth sports?
Setting aside variables like burnout and youth sport costs for a moment, you will quickly observe that nearly all kids today have access to “screens” by means of smart phones, tablets, and video games. In the most simplest of explanations, these things are fun for kids! Why go outside in 90+ degree heat when you can relax at home in an air conditioned room, connected with friends by means of video game headphones, and experience an endorphin-rush scoring points and earning new rewards??! This is what we call immediate gratification! Yes, sometimes it really is as simple as that.
Why run laps, sweat, get yelled at by coaches, and endure all of that when you can sit home in a comfy bedroom complete with gaming chair and easy-access refrigerator? This question becomes even bigger when a kid doesn’t think he or she will earn much playing time in sports, resulting in a decision of whether to stand on the sidelines all season, or connect with friends virtually by means of omnipresent technology? If you were 12 years old, what would you do?
Yes, there are many different factors impacting the decline in youth sport participation today, and we should not lose sight of things like the early professionalization of youth sports, or the concerns around youth sport burnout and mental health. But in this moment these are not the primary reasons why kids are exiting sports. Instead, kids are experiencing a lot of fun on their devices, and don’t always see the fun associated with being disciplined, working hard, or the value of developing life skills learned through sports that can be applied toward future life success. What kids do often see are super-serious sport leagues, some coaches running teams like the pros do, and a huge time commitment. And while thinking about all of that, they look over and see the newest game just released, and all their friends getting online to start playing! As adults, we might think choosing video games over active sport participation as short-sighted — but these are not adults, they are kids making spontaneous decisions.
Final thoughts
Sometimes in life we overlook things that are right in front of our faces, and this can happen with research, too. While examining the impact of youth sport costs and related concerns (i.e. burnout) are most certainly important, we need to stay vigilant and aware of seemingly simpler issues, like the overall impact technology is having as it directly relates to physical activity, and especially youth sports. Kids, like adults, will generally gravitate toward things that are fun, while steering clear of things that are not always fun (like long, tough sport practices). Parents, therefore, need to stay aware and on top of things like limited screen time, while rewarding kids for committing to sport teams and trying their best. Using this approach not only will kids get more exercise, but their mental health will improve as well.
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