Can Sports Play Help Protect Against Damages of Childhood Trauma? Research says, YES!

In their latest Public Health story, NPR’s Susie Neilson shed some light on the conversation about lasting effects of youth sports participation. Pediatrician Molly Easterlin played sports most of her childhood and attributes many of her life successes to skills she learned through team sports. Catalyzed by challenges she saw with her patients, Easterlin conducted years of research to find whether she could support her hunch that children who played sports were healthier, not just physically, but emotionally. She recently published her finding in JAMA Pediatrics. The research was clear that participation in team sports as a young person can significantly reduce depression and anxiety in people with childhood trauma. Read Neilson’s full article here.