Recent research provides compelling evidence that team sports participation during childhood and adolescence significantly enhances cognitive development and academic performance, offering benefits that extend well beyond physical health.
A longitudinal study conducted in the Netherlands and published December 17, 2024, in JAMA Network Open reveals that children who participate in team sports such as soccer and volleyball demonstrate superior executive function compared to peers who play individual sports or no sports at all. Executive function encompasses critical cognitive skills including decision-making, organization, memory retention, and focus.
"Scientific data indicate that playing a team sport like soccer improves executive function skills, which are among the most key life skills of all," noted Dr. Alison Brooks, professor of orthopedics at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, in an accompanying editorial.
Team Sports vs. Individual Activities
The Dutch study, led by Lu Yang from the University Medical Center Groningen, tracked nearly 900 schoolchildren from 2006 through 2017, assessing them at ages 5-6 and again at 10-11. Researchers measured daily physical activity, sports participation, and cognitive performance.
While moderate levels of general physical activity showed no significant impact on executive function, team sports participation at ages 10-11 consistently correlated with enhanced cognitive abilities. The researchers attribute this to the unique cognitive demands of team sports, which require children to "rapidly and dynamically respond" to uncertain interactions with teammates and opponents.
Individual sports included in the study were martial arts, swimming, and gymnastics, while team sports primarily consisted of soccer and volleyball.
Academic Performance Benefits
Complementing these findings, a separate study published in the journal Children and led by Professor Linda Pagani from the University of Montreal School of Psychoeducation demonstrates that organized sports participation significantly improves academic outcomes.
Analyzing data from a longitudinal study of nearly 2,800 Canadian children, researchers found that boys who participated in organized sports were nearly 15% more likely to obtain a high school diploma by age 20. Similarly, girls involved in sports showed a 7% higher likelihood of graduation.
The academic benefits for girls were particularly striking, with those in organized sports achieving 8% higher grades overall, while participants in artistic sports like dance and gymnastics demonstrated nearly 23% higher grades by age 18. Interestingly, unstructured physical activity was associated with an 8% decline in grades among girls.
"Practicing sports with a coach was associated with higher chances of having graduated from high school by age 20 years for both boys and girls," the researchers reported.
Mechanisms Behind Cognitive Enhancement
The structured environment of team sports appears to be a key factor in these cognitive and academic benefits. Team activities supervised by coaches provide opportunities for children to develop crucial skills in leadership, group behavior, and sustained attention—abilities that transfer effectively to academic settings.
"Team sports may serve as practice grounds for enhancing executive function," Yang's team concluded.
The cognitive demands of team sports—requiring rapid decision-making, strategic thinking, and coordination with others—create a unique training ground for brain development that individual activities may not provide to the same degree.
Access Disparities
Despite these clear benefits, not all children have equal access to organized sports. The University of Montreal study found that girls from low-income, broken, or dysfunctional homes were less likely to participate in sports.
"Important barriers remain to an active lifestyle in childhood, mainly the financial cost and involvement from parents," the researchers noted.
In the United States, participation rates are concerning. According to Brooks, the 2022 National Survey of Children's Health indicates only 53.8% of U.S. children aged 6-17 participated on a sports team, with participation dropping dramatically to just 30% by age 13. These statistics are even more pronounced among children from economically disadvantaged and minority families.
"By creating barriers to both sports entry and sustained sports participation, we may be denying children an opportunity to develop their full and true potential as humans," Brooks warned.
Clinical Implications
These findings have significant implications for pediatric health recommendations and educational policy. The cognitive and academic benefits of team sports participation suggest that increasing access to organized sports could be a valuable strategy for improving educational outcomes, particularly in underserved communities.
Healthcare providers may want to emphasize the cognitive benefits of team sports when counseling parents about physical activity options for their children. Similarly, educational institutions might consider prioritizing team sports programs as interventions to enhance academic performance.
As research continues to illuminate the connection between physical activity and cognitive development, the case for ensuring universal access to team sports opportunities grows stronger. The evidence suggests that team sports provide a unique combination of physical, social, and cognitive benefits that contribute significantly to children's development and future success.
