Sports are such an integral part of many children’s lives and have many positive benefits beyond physical health. Participating in sports leads to increased self-esteem, confidence, discipline, and connectedness which in turn improves mental health, stress level, sleep patterns and energy levels. Children can gain many skills playing a sport such as communication, conflict resolution, mind-body coordination, how to win and lose, and teamwork. 

Playing a sport does come with risks, and overuse injuries and burnout are becoming much more common in pediatrics due to increasing sport specialization and year-round training. Many of these injuries can be prevented with parent/coach/athlete education, pre-season evaluations for areas of improvement, strength training, stretching and increased awareness.