How Being an Athlete Can Help Kids to be a Scholar

Realising the potential for sport to boost performance in the classroom

We want our kids to do well in school, so it is worth knowing that sport can support and assist kids in their scholarly efforts. Children who regularly participate in sport tend to be more engaged in class. Physical fitness is positively associated with academic achievement in children and adolescents, whereas motor skill development is linked with IQ as well as academic performance, all of which points to the benefits of engaging in sport. Time allocated to quality physical education within the school day is well spent from the perspective of scholastic performance. Exercise interventions have successfully been employed within schools for the specific purpose of improving kids’ exam scores.

It might come as a surprise to some readers that engaging in sport might actually support kids’ ability to perform in the classroom. Whilst most parents and teachers tend to agree that sport is a worthwhile pursuit for kids, many also worry that extracurricular sport might get in the way of homework and jeopardise their chances of doing well in their studies. Given the perceived conflict it is understandable that high school students might opt out from sport to focus on school, often with the encouragement of their parents. The steep decline in participation from age 12 onwards suggests that we need to do a better job of making the case to teens (and parents) that engaging in extracurricular sport remains worth their time. So let us lay out the scholastic argument for participating sport throughout the school years.

Sport and physical exercise in general primes the brain to learn. A bout of exercise has the power to boost cognitive function and the intensive and vigorous exercise provided by sport is especially potent in this regard. Physical exercise increases neuroplasticity, rendering us more responsive to learning, in part by releasing growth factors within the brain that help to make new connections. Cognitively engaging physical activity (which aptly describes sport) also enhances executive function in kids, such that they are better able to resist distraction and focus in class. Physical exercise improves working memory, which is of course very helpful when being taught something new. These benefits also extend to helping consolidate newly acquired information into memory.

Given all the ways that sport appears to boost the ability to learn, the sceptical reader might ask why are outstanding junior athletes not renowned as being high flyers academically. The truth is that whilst engaging in sport might afford the opportunity for enhanced learning, would-be student-athletes must still do their part to realise that opportunity. The interest and investment to pay attention in class and dedicate the necessary time to studying are necessary ingredients. Accommodating a busy practice schedule and travelling to compete not only requires time management but also making the commitment to prioritising study with the time that is available.

A related reason is the culture, especially for boys. As teens seek to establish their identity among their peers, those who excel in sport tend to lean into their athlete persona. Being studious does not necessarily fit the stereotypical image of the high school jock, so there is perhaps not the social incentive or expectation that they should also invest in their schoolwork. Sadly, the dream of reaching the highest level or playing professionally likewise leads too many to neglect their studies.

There is no contradiction in the term student-athlete - far from being at odds, when done properly, engaging in sport and study can prove mutually beneficial. Regularly participating in sport helps kids to attend to what is being taught, boosts their cognitive faculties for learning and helps them to retain what they have learned. In sharing this message I hope the growing Athlete Generation community can help more kids take advantage of these complementary effects and strive to excel as a scholar and an athlete.