Myth 1: “It’s good for the kids

There is a widespread belief that sports is a good way to build “character” in children.Many people believe sports participation results in better citizens, better students, or any other positive human quality.In fact, some believe that sports are absolutely necessary, and perhaps the only way, to develop such qualities.

The issue of building “character” often is mentioned as a byproduct of sports participation. But what is “character?” In a recent book entitled “Sports in the Lives of Children and Adolescents,” Robert Griffin describes good character as comprised of four traits: responsibility, integrity, decency, and independence (2). The question we now have to ask is, “Do sports really help build these and other positive qualities in children?” Rather than relying on anecdotal information or commonly-held beliefs, Griffin surveyed the published literature to determine if there was any real evidence behind this idea.

Among other things, he found that many researchers and authors blindly accept this principle, but few actually generate, or even cite, research to support their opinions. Furthermore, it is often difficult to identify clear cause-and-effect relationships between sports and academics, for example, because of the many other contributing factors (3). Still, he concludes that “on the whole, athletes seem to do as well if not a bit better academically than their nonathlete counterparts. At the same time, what I have seen has squelched any enthusiasm I might have had for the idea that sports can be trusted to contribute to increased levels of academic accomplishment. ... [Research] seems to show that sports doesn’t help when it is the only form of extracurricular activity for a student, ... sports doesn’t do anything for low-ranking team members, ... and sports doesn’t seem to do anything for grades and academic aspirations in schools where academics are emphasized and regarded over and above sports performance” (4). Thus, “sports” or “more sports” alone is not necessarily going to make someone a better student. Griffin also mentions that there is data indicating that college athletes have lower moral reasoning levels than their nonathlete counterparts (5). This is hardly a ringing endorsement of sports as a way to build character. He concludes, “for most kids, it seems, sports doesn’t have a major effect on character one way or the other.”

In many cases, the anecdotal information we hear about may just be due to the fact that people with a certain “character” are drawn to sports in the first place; sports does not necessarily create this character. That is, the characteristics of a good athlete (discipline, work ethic, ability to work toward long-term goals) are the same attributes you see in most good students. However, that doesn't mean that there is a cause-and-effect relationship between the sports and academic experiences. It’s true that sports can help in character development, but we can’t count on it to happen every time, or automatically just by participating. It is the type of experience children have that really makes a difference, not the amount of the experience.

Myth 1: “It’s good for the kids!"
Myth 2: “It’s what the kids want!”
Myth 3: “Everyone Else is Doing It So We Have To!”  
Myth 4: “It’s necessary to separate out the best performers to help them reach their full potential!”
Myth 5: “It doesn’t do them any harm!”

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