Joining local sports clubs can benefit more than just kids’ physical health, according to new study

A new study reveals the importance of local sports clubs in boosting children's wellbeing, proving that it's not just exercise they offer. 

The incredible display put on by athletes this year at the Paris Olympics has likely got us all in the mood for some sporting fun. It's got parents and kids across the globe talking about sport more than ever, with experts sharing some great examples of conversations to have with your children while you're watching the games take place. 

If your little one has taken an interest in a particular sport they've seen, signing them up for lessons at a local sports club will not only get them some great exercise, and give them the chance to blow off some steam over the school summer holidays, but also let them experience the amazing benefits a new study has revealed sport can have on kids' wellbeing. 

A new report released by the University of Bath reveals that nearly all children who attend local sports clubs say that it gives them a sense of belonging and emotional connection, with the researchers praising the 'transformational benefits' of sport on developing minds. 

74% of kids who took part said they 'strongly agreed' that they felt a sense of belonging when playing sport, while 23% 'agreed'. Then, when asked if they felt an emotional connection to their sports clubs, 68% strongly agreed and 27% agreed. 

Speaking about their experiences, many of the children said that spending time at these clubs helped to reduce feelings of social isolation and helped divert their attention away from antisocial behaviour.

The researchers also found that community sport clubs have a positive impact on parents, allowing them to meet other parents and form new friendships as they watch lessons from the sidelines.  

Speaking about the study's findings, lead researcher Dr Haydn Morgan told Phys Org, "Having access to community sports clubs, that can provide essential opportunities for young people to have positive and safe social interactions; address feelings of social isolation; and foster a sense of belonging and community, is something that our research highlights as being critical in many young people's lives."

It's something that University of Bath alumni and GB Track Athlete and European Champion knows first hand. Talking about the community club she joined when she was just 12-years-old, she told Phys Org, "The club was a second home. It was a way to socialize and build friendships and role models that influenced us all outside of sport. What you might not get at school or at home, you get from the club. It gave us all discipline that we could apply inside the sport and outside the sport."

If you do sign your child up for sports clubs, you might want to keep in mind the massive impact a parent’s sideline behaviour can have on children that was revealed by new research. Or, if they're already signed up and want to quit, a parenting expert has revealed how to know when quitting is ok and when to encourage a child to stick it out. And, in other family news, groundbreaking new research reveals surprising link between neurodivergence and chronic fatigue in kids.