TUESDAY, Dec. 9, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Are you worried your child will become a difficult teenager who is in constant conflict with parents, teachers and other authority figures?
Get him involved in sports, a new study suggests.
Researchers reported Dec. 8 in the journal European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry that children who participated in organized sports between ages 6 and 10 showed fewer signs of oppositional defiant disorder as adolescents.
“Children who participated regularly in organized sports showed significantly fewer subsequent symptoms of oppositional defiance at both ages than children with low or irregular participation,” said lead researcher Matteo Privitera, a doctoral student at the University of Pavia in Italy.
“Sports can serve as a natural and influential context for learning self-regulation, collaboration and respect for rules,” he added in a press release.
For the study, researchers tracked nearly 1,500 boys and girls who participated in organized sports between the ages of 6 and 10, and then answered questionnaires at ages 10 and 12 to assess oppositional defiant disorder.
“Symptoms of the disorder include persistent patterns of irritability, defiance and hostility toward authority figures,” Privitera said. “The disorder is overrepresented in children and is often associated with other neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD and learning difficulties.”
Importantly, “these behaviors can impact learning, relationships and long-term mental health,” Privatera added. “In our study, we wanted to examine the symptoms and try to identify accessible, community-based strategies that promote more adaptive behavior in children.”
The results showed that children who stayed in organized sports showed fewer signs of defiance at ages 10 and 12 than children who participated less frequently.
According to the researchers, no similar associations were found in girls – which is not surprising considering that pre-adolescent boys generally show more defiance than girls.
“Our results support the idea that structured extracurricular activities can promote behavioral resilience,” said researcher Kianoush Harandian, a doctoral student at the University of Montreal, in a press release. “Sports provide a supervised and socially stimulating environment that can help children internalize norms of adaptive behavior.”
Lead researcher Linda Pagani, a professor at the University of Montreal, pointed to long-term benefits.
“Promoting sustained physical activity in middle childhood can reduce the burden of disruptive behavior problems and support long-term well-being,” he said in a press release. “It’s a simple, actionable strategy with benefits for families, schools and communities.”
More information
The University of San Diego has more information about the benefits of youth sports on child development.
SOURCE: University of Montreal, press release, December 8, 2025
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