For parents, watching a child dedicate time and energy to athletics can bring about mixed emotions. On one hand, fostering and encouraging a child’s opportunities to play a sport they love is immensely satisfying. However, that joy can be tempered by the reality that only 7% of high school athletes go on to compete at the college level. However, there are multiple benefits to youth athletics aside from the pursuit of elite-level competition or a college scholarship.

In addition to the obvious health advantages that come with sustained physical activity, participating in youth sports can support a well-rounded childhood. We caught up with Dr. Mark Steffen, senior vice president and chief medical officer at Blue Cross, to get a health expert’s opinion – and we identified some opportunities for how parents may want to think differently about the role of sports in their children’s lives.

Sports as growth opportunities

The first days and weeks of learning any new activity in childhood can be tough, especially with sports. Defining success in terms of working hard at something new and learning more about themselves can set the stage for an overall positive experience.

“As a parent of younger kids, I think organized sports, especially team sports, are a great way for kids to build collaboration skills and a sense of belonging,” said Dr. Steffen. “These abilities don’t necessarily come naturally for everyone. It’s really important to engage with kids about their experience and feelings, even when it might seem unrelated to the activity.”

The ups and downs of sports – and the emotional swings that come with winning and losing – can teach a child that it is natural and healthy to talk about feelings with parents and other trusted people in their lives.

“Many childhood activities, including sports, can create solid foundations for essential behavioral health skills,” said Dr. Steffen. “Research has shown that sports participation can improve children’s resilience to life stressors.”

“It can be tempting to try and shield our children from emotional discomfort,” added Dr. Steffen, “but our goal should be support them in identifying and expressing those emotions and to equip them with the tools to deal with them.”

Building awareness and recruiting help

Dr. Steffen notes that the focus and determination displayed by athletes does not make them any less immune to mental health challenges. In fact, as a group, elite athletes have been found to have similar levels of mental health disorders as the general population.

Additionally, research has shown that college level student athletes often have a bias against seeking help for mental and emotional issues. “Openly and proactively engaging athletes in discussion about mental health can create an environment that destigmatizes mental illness and opens the door to those that do or may need to seek help,” stressed Dr. Steffen.

“The goal is to get athletes to openly share. But all too often, we see them get anxious because they simply don’t know how to ask or worry that they will be judged negatively.”

Supporting mental health

According to the CDC, the number of adolescents reporting poor mental health is increasing.  Talk to your children about the very real pressures in their world and talk about how they can access resources even if they don’t need them right now. Just getting comfortable with the conversation may help down the road or even prepare them to help a friend in need.

Blue Cross has many mental health resources for members. Call the number on the back of your member ID card to learn more about coverage specific to your plan. Related reading: Pediatric anxiety and depression are on the rise: Top tips to support kids' mental wellness

If your children follow collegiate or professional sports, many teams and players at those levels are helping to building awareness of self-care practices and making help available to athletes. In the latest episode of Whole Health Gophers, two athletes shared their stories and advice on the importance of mental health. VIDEO: Whole Health Gophers, Mental Health. For Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, supporting the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers gives us an opportunity to promote health and wellbeing throughout Minnesota.

If you need mental health crisis support, or are worried about someone else, please call or text 988 or visit the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline chat to connect with a trained crisis specialist.