Psychology News
Researchers at the Ohio State University explored how sports help kids develop grit to overcome challenges in adulthood. The study is published in the journal Leisure Sciences.
Understanding Grit
Grit is popularly defined as the perseverance and passion to achieve long–term goals. It is also considered as mental toughness or psychological resilience.
The Study
In order to understand the long-term benefits of sports participation, the research team surveyed data from the National Sports and Society Survey (NSASS) sponsored by Ohio State’s Sports and Society Initiative. 3,993 adult participants across the US answered the survey online between the years 2018-2019.
Grit was measured by asking participants to rate themselves on eight statements not directly related to sports. They were also asked to report how their athletic experience and lessons from sports affected their work ethic.
The Findings
The results revealed that participants who played sports in childhood and/or youth scored high on the grit scale, compared to those who didn’t play sports or quit playing sports.
The group with significant sports participation is found to be more psychologically resilient in overcoming challenges as adults and achieving their long-term goals.
One of the lead researchers, Emily Nothnagle, elaborated: “[Sports] participation seems to have improved people’s development of grit even more than they realized.”
To Know More You May Refer To
Nothnagle, E. A., & Knoester, C. (2022). Sport Participation and the Development of Grit. Leisure Sciences, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/01490400.2022.2090037