RICHMOND, Va. (August 27, 2025) - The ECNL Center for Athlete Health and Performance, led by ECNL Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Drew Watson, published new research for coaches, players and parents on the exceptionally strong relationship between athlete overall mental health and sports. 

"We've long known the physical benefits of playing sports," Dr. Watson said. "Highlighting the profound mental health benefits that pair with the physical benefits was something I felt was extremely important. The results from our work during and after COVID really underscored these benefits, and I'm proud to be able to share that with the rest of the athletic community." 

Physical activity and its benefits have been studied and researched for decades, and the results are clear: increased physical activity is associated with improvements in virtually every physical system, including cardiovascular function, metabolic health, bone health, immune function, and more, and has has been widely recognized as a powerful way to improve mental health across a broad range of populations.

However, until recently, and especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, the mental health benefits of sport have not been as clearly known or featured as prominently as the physical benefits. This new batch of research makes the mental health benefits of spots extremely clear. 

"Prior to COVID-19, we recognized that participation in organized sports was associated with a broad range of positive outcomes for children, including decreased risk-taking behavior and substance misuse, improved self-esteem, improved academic performance, greater levels of adult physical activity and even improved lifelong financial success," Dr. Watson said. "But the COVID-19 pandemic truly highlighted the vital role that sports play in the mental health of children."  

During the early school and sport cancellations during COVID-19, adolescent athletes were reporting startling high levels of anxiety and depression. As sports were restarted in parts of the country, researchers saw mental health improved dramatically among those athletes who returned to sports, irrespective of whether they returned to in-person school or not. Unfortunately, those athletes unable to return after six or 12 months of restriction were reporting worsening mental health, and that athletes from racial/ ethnic minority groups and lower socioeconomic areas were the most negatively affected.

The research also showed the mental health benefits of returning to sports were not just due to the increase in physical activity; in fact, the increases in physical activity only explained around 25 percent of the total improvement in mental health. This suggested that while physical activity is beneficial, the majority of the mental health benefits of organized sport participation are attributable to psychosocial factors such as the re-establishment of peer networks, role models, athletic identity and purpose for young athletes. 

"While we have long appreciated the value of sports, these results were even more dramatic than we might have expected," Dr. Watson said. "These studies highlighted the crucial role that sports play in the lives of children throughout the US, as well as the profound negative impacts that loss of sports can have." 

The ECNL Center for Athlete Health and Performance launched in March 2025 to identify, develop and share best practices in long-term youth athlete health, development and performance. The ECNL Center for Athlete Health and Performance provides compilations of the most applicable research from around the world on topics relevant to youth athletes, as well as evidence derived from research projects within the ECNL conducted in collaboration with Dr. Watson's Human Performance Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin.

The ECNL Center published its first two research findings in late March: (i) sleep and injury in athletes, and (ii) injury risk reduction. The ECNL Center will continue to conduct research, disseminate evidence, and offer recommendations on a wide range of high-yield topics relevant to youth athletes, coaches, and families, including mental health, injury and illness risk and prevention, load management, pediatric exercise physiology, sport nutrition, and more. 

For more information regarding the ECNL Center for Athlete Health and Performance, click here. 

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About the ECNL:

The ECNL is the nation's leading youth soccer development platform for America's top soccer players. The ECNL mission to provide the best youth sports experience in the world drives constant innovations in competitions and experiences for players, parents, families, coaches, referees, and partners. The ECNL has questioned convention and challenged the status quo of youth sport since 2009, pushing boundaries and striving for unmatched excellence. Together with its clubs and club leaders, the ECNL creates unforgettable memories and supports the development of youth players into college stars, professionals, world champions, and leaders.

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