Sports and Well-being
The Positive Psychology of Sports
Picture taken before last night’s Rancho Quakes Baseball Game
Do sports make your life more fulfilling? For many of you, this is an easy question to answer - a resounding YES! However, is this the case for everyone? If so, what is it about sports that brightens up our lives?
It’s Football Time
Every year, over 17 million people tune in to watch a football game on television hosted by the National Football League (NFL). In college football, over 45 million fans fill the stadiums of colleges and universities across the country.
I, for one, love football. I am a huge football fan -- one of those people who watch games religiously every Thursday, Sunday, and Monday. Some might say, this is possibly dysfunctional (probably only those who don’t watch football like many of us), but I see so many positive things about tuning in to sports in a variety of ways.
If I am to relate sports to the PERMA+4 Model of Well-Being (see The Science of Flourishing), I first think of positive emotions. The amount of people who find joy in sports is incredible! I really enjoy the process of watching and engaging with sports and I know so many other people who do as well. Football can make you laugh, smile, cry, and everything in between.
I also think about how sports have a tendency to bring people together, to bind us to communities and cultures. There’s nothing better than spending a game day with a group of people, who all have a common interest and passion for sports. Some of my favorite experiences are tailgating prior to sports games, watching games all day with my friends and family at home, and the great friendships I’ve built over the years with my teammates. Who are your sports communities?
There are really so many implications that sports have on our well-being, so I will save more for another time. However, below I have listed some of the potential pathways between sports and well-being that I will be exploring. I hope that you can let me know which are the most relatable and interesting to you so I can help uplift some of the positive experiences you have had.
Sporting The Way Podcast Segments
As another outlet for sports and well-being discussions, we are developing a new segment of the Promote Yourself Podcast called Sporting The Way. In this new segment we have four passionate individuals who live, breathe, and eat sports! Okay, maybe not eat, but you get the point.
The four of us are looking to share our positive experiences with sports in our own lives, and are looking to have larger discussions about how sports can be one valuable pillar to creating positive communities that aim to flourish. First episode out soon!
Further Topics on Well-Being and Sports
Here is a list of topics that I uncovered when researching the positive impacts of sports on people’s lives. These are topics that we will cover in future newsletters in more depth, but I wanted to throw out a list of topics to get feedback from you all to communicate which topics are the most interesting for you. Let me know in the comments below, which topics you’d like us to explore first!
Positive Youth Development: How do sports programs contribute to the development of important life skills and values in young athletes?
Mental Health and Sports: In what ways can sports be used as a tool to promote mental well-being, reduce stress, and enhance psychological health?
Physical Fitness and Health: What are the specific physical health benefits of participating in different sports, and how can they be maximized?
Social Connection and Belonging: How do sports teams and fan communities create a sense of belonging and social connection, and what impact does this have on individual well-being?
Empowerment Through Sports: Can sports play a role in challenging societal norms, promoting gender equality, and empowering marginalized groups?
Sports and Education: What evidence exists regarding the correlation between sports participation and academic success, and how can these benefits be harnessed for educational purposes?
Leadership and Life Skills: How can sports programs intentionally cultivate leadership, discipline, and life skills in participants?
Resilience and Overcoming Challenges: What strategies can athletes and coaches employ to teach resilience and help individuals bounce back from adversity?
Stress Management: How does participation in sports serve as a means of stress relief and management, and what practices are most effective?
Community Engagement: In what ways can sports events and organizations foster community engagement, social cohesion, and a sense of unity among diverse populations?
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