Parents also benefit from youth sports

Parents who sign up the children for sports to learn about teamwork may learn some of the same lessons themselves, U.S. researchers said.

Study leader Travis Dorsch, a doctoral student in health and kinesiology at Purdue University, said as children make friends and learn to work well in groups, parents are practicing the same behaviors in the stands and on the sidelines.

The study, published in the Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, found spousal communication also improved as adults coordinated logistics for carpooling and attending practices and games, while other parents noted they improved their time management skills.

People often think about how youth sport benefits children because of physical activity, self-confidence and friendships, but we found that parents also are affected when their children play organized team sports, Dorsch said in a statement.

Some parents said they were motivated to learn about or begin playing the sports their children participated.