Nicholas Franz in his childhood garage with his hockey gear.

A volleyball is tossed into the air and is hit with a vibrating smack. A tense breath is held by the audience as the ball is bounced back and forth over the net. The loud bang of the ball hitting the waxed gym floors sounds one moment, then cheering. Friends and family clap and holler as the team gains another point.

Kids in kindergarten to grade 12 who participate in team sports benefit physically, mentally and socially. 

According to an article on The Benefits of Youth Sports in Child Development published by the University of San Diego, “Through friendly competition, teamwork and physical activity, kids have the opportunity to learn new skills, develop self-confidence, build character, and so much more. That’s why the aim of encouraging overall child development through sports supersedes any desire to top the standings.”

Sarah Peters is a 20-year-old life-long Lethbridge resident and currently a student at the University of Lethbridge. In sixth grade, she began playing volleyball on her middle school’s team after her gym teacher recommended her to try out. It was a difficult adjustment for her at the start.

“The most difficult part at first was balancing schoolwork and volleyball, but I enjoyed playing with the girls on the team a lot, so I kept going.”

The University of San Diego’s article mentions that children in team sports build better relationships with their peers and learn high-level communication and collaboration skills.

“While much attention must be paid to looking inward, team sports require cooperation with others in order to achieve a mutual goal. This helps the focus become more external in nature, enabling participants to learn the type of bonding and team-building skills that will be necessary throughout their whole lives.”

Nicholas Franz is a 23-year-old electrical student at Lethbridge Polytechnic. He grew up playing hockey and baseball. He shared that the influence of playing team sports while younger has impacted how he carries himself in team settings now in his life. 

“I’m more of a team player and try to work with people as much as I can, whether it’s with a group project or at work.”   

Participating in sports while in school has been seen to have academic advantages as well. The University of San Diego reports student athletes to have 40 per cent higher test scores and overall higher GPAs than their peers who were not in sports. Franz shared that the push to constantly improve in his sport translated to his school work too. 

“I took the same mindset from my sports into my schooling, like trying to get a better grade on every test.”

Peters shared a similar sentiment about how her pursuit of improvement in volleyball carried over into schoolwork. 

“I absolutely carried the need to keep improving from volleyball to school. Wins at competitions and getting a good grade would both give me similar satisfaction that would push me to keep doing better.”

Growing up in a sport provides formative experiences for children that they may not otherwise get to experience. Not only are there physical benefits, but the mental and social benefits can impact someone for the rest of their life.