Dr. John Ratey, author of Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, explains that regular physical activity and sports can significantly improve classroom performance by reducing behavior issues, boosting grades, improving test scores, and helping kids regulate their emotions. Translation: while your child is running drills or chasing a ball, their brain is leveling up in ways that pay off far beyond the field. Kids Learn to Be Good Winners, Not Just Good Losers We all want our kids to lose with grace. But winning well is just as important, and often overlooked. Sports provide repeated opportunities to manage the emotions that come with success. Can kids stay grounded? Can they congratulate the other team? Can they share the spotlight? Dr. Michael Austin, co-author of Fatherhood: Philosophy for Everyone, says that sports encourage the qualities that define true humility, explaining, “Sportsmanship gives us chances to praise and encourage others, rather than seek glory for ourselves.” Emotional maturity in the face of victory builds a steadier kind of confidence, one that lasts long after the season ends. 100 Hawaii Parent SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTcxMjMwNg==