The benefits of team sports for mental health and how Utah parents can support their children – ETV News

Club for Boys and Girls Club

Salt Lake City, UT – February 7, 2025 – Mental Health is a growing care in Utah, with families expressing deep concern about access to support and resources. Assess the needs of the community of 2024, conducted by the clubs for boys and girls of Greater Salt Lake, emphasized the mental health as one of the most urgent challenges facing families at home and in the wider community. According to the national child health study published in 2020, 1 in 7 children aged 3 to 17 are diagnosed with anxiety, depression or behavior disorder, and Utah Children’s Center reports that 58% of children receiving clinical clinical Diagnoses do not go to obtaining subsequent treatment or consultation.

These concerns, complicated by financial concerns, the lack of widespread education for mental health and difficulty in navigating health systems left families to look for alternative ways to support their children. Youth sports programs serve as a proactive and preventative approach to mental well -being, helping children build resilience and develop strategies to deal with a supportive environment.

A 2019 survey, entitled “Association of participation of sports in a team with long -term mental health results among individuals exposed to adverse children in childhood” They found that children playing in a team are less likely to experience depression later in life, especially those who have experienced adverse childhood experiences such as household instability or trauma.

Dr Esterlin and a team of researchers analyzed data from nearly 10,000 individuals and found that the participation of team sports was associated with significantly lower percentages of depression and anxiety at adulthood. The structured nature of team sports and social connections provide a protective effect that maintains long -term mental resistance. Team sport offers a safe environment where children can develop life skills such as teamwork, communication and emotional regulation. When children participate in a joint game, they learn how to solve problems, build trust, manage frustration and work for shared purposes. These skills contribute to the success of the field and to improve emotional well -being.

For parents who go around the complexity of child -rearing today, connecting with other families through sports can provide comfort and shared experience in training. Whether you are discussing parenting strategies, offering encouragement, volunteering as a coach or just applauds from the sidelines, parents who engage in their children’s sports teams contribute to the community, prioritizing the health and well -being of children.

In Greater Salt Lake Boys and Girls, our programs are designed to be inclusive and accessible to anyone offering opportunities for children-not just members of the club-up to 6th grade to participate. We acknowledge that physical activity and teamwork are a key component of mental well -being and our goal is to create positive, structured environments in which children can develop these mental health skills.

Linaya Agre, Athletic Director at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Salt Lake for 19 years, shared how often she saw children come out of their shells and develop their confidence in their programs: “I look at young children to study so much Very valuable skills. These children improve in one sport and learn to succeed in life in many ways. Learning teamwork, self-esteem, inner peace, learning to love yourself, learn how to earn and lose, overcome fears, do better at school, make new friends, feel better and Healthier, the list goes on. “

She has seen it over and over, young people who are shy or focus with the focus or temperature, begin to bloom on the court.

Our sports programs include:

• Junior Jazz Basketball: A favorite program that teaches team work, discipline and basketball basics while promoting physical activity.
• Indoor football: A quick sport that promotes agility, coordination and strategic thinking.
• Outdoor football: A great way for children to engage while enjoying the beautiful of Utah in the outdoor.
• One -day hockey clinics: Introduced in September, these new events allow children to experience sports in a fun, supportive environment with professionals.

Each program provides children with opportunities for the development of sustainability, leadership skills and a sense of achievement. More importantly, they offer space where children feel valued, supported and empowered to reach their full potential. Sign up today at www.gslclubs.org/Sports.

ABOutside boys and girls clubs on greater salt lake

Established in 1967 in Murray and Zahar House, Utah Boys Clubs are among the first in the country to include members of the Women’s Club. In 2015, the merger of the two organizations for boys and girls became one of the largest agencies for the development of youth in Utah. Now with seven places in the Counts Salt Lake, Carbon Acknowledges, clubs for boys and girls from the big Salt Lake support the enrollment of nearly 4,500 young people and teens and serves 1200 every day in school and summer programs, fulfilling our mission to inspire and empower and empower and empowering and empowering and empowering and empowering and empowering and empowering and empowering and empowering and empowering and empowering and empowering and empowering and empowering and empowering and empowering our mission, and will allow us to inspire and empower and allow us to allow us to allow us to be able to inspire and allow us to allow us to be able to inspire and allow us to allow us to be able to inspire and allow us to allow us to be able to inspire and allow us to allow us to be able to inspire and allow us to allow us to be able to inspire and allow us to be able to inspire and allow us to allow us to be able to inspire and allow us to be able to inspire and allow us to be able to inspire and allow us to be able to inspire and allow us to be able to inspire and allow us to be able to inspire and allow us to be able to inspire and allow us to be able to inspire and allow us to be able to inspire. We inspire and allow us to inspire and allow us to inspire and allow us to inspire and allow us to inspire and allow us to inspire and allow us to inspire and empower our mission to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring adults.

To learn more about the larger programs of Salt Lake Boys & Girls Club, please visit GSLClubs.org or call (801) 322-4411