There is new scientific evidence, based on ten years of research, which supports that being on a sports team is protective against most of the major child and adolescent psychopathologies, substance use and abuse and children’s perception of happiness.  Jim Hudziak, MD director of the Vermont Center for Children, Youth and Families, and his colleagues in the Netherlands have done extensive research on the benefits of sports participation at a genetic level.

Until recently there has been little hard evidence to back up what seems obvious to many.

Any man or woman who has grown up playing sports as part of an organized team, has coached sports and/or had children who have participated in team sports may not be surprised to hear that children who are given this opportunity are less likely to suffer from mental illness, be obese, smoke cigarettes, do poorly in school and a host of other concerning outcomes.

Child Psychiatrists at The Vermont Center for Children, Youth and Families at the University of Vermont and Fletcher Allen Health Care have developed their treatment protocol based on these findings.  Dr. Hudziak has started this program based on the belief, and supported by his research, that all children should have the opportunity to participate in team sports.  In fact his clinical team “prescribes” participation in team sports as part of their treatment plan.

To this end Dr. Hudziak and his colleagues have developed a Sports Big Brother and Sister program that borrows from the heritage of the traditional “Big Brother” programs but has a specific skill component, e.g., teach a disadvantaged child a specific sport skill.  The long term aim of this program is to make sure that all children have a chance to realize the benefits of team sports in an environment in which many children do not have anyone who has the time, patience, or skills to teach the necessary skill sets to become a member of a team.  The program can use any sport but because of his association with Vermont and USA hockey, Dr. Hudziak started his pilot study with a hockey program.  To date all of the children and parents who have participated in the hockey mentor program report unilateral positive responses.  As one young boy said, “I love my hockey big brother!”.  He then decided that the VCYYF State Wide pilot program would be a Hockey Big Brother and Sister program.  This could serve three goals:

1.      Help needed children realize the benefits described above.

2.      Assist teenage children in developing mentoring skills and participating in giving something back to VT and USA hockey.

3.      Increase the number of children in VT hockey programs.

While the solution seems simple “to assure that all children have access to team sports” the reality is that many children never have this opportunity.  Obstacles such as family problems, emotional problems, the cost to participate, transportation, lack of early childhood training in basic athletic skills, challenging behavior and not enough sports teams targeting different skill levels, all impede many children’s access to participating in team sports.

To find out more about The Vermont Center for Children, Youth and Families check out their web page at www.med.uvm.edu/vccyf  .  To become involved in The Hockey Big Brother Big Sister program contact your local VSAHA’s Chair person.

Eliza Pillard, LICSW

Vermont Center for Children, Youth and Families