Positive Youth Sports Facts:

• Kids who play sports do better in school and are less likely to get in trouble.
• Fewer boys in team sports used "other drugs" like cocaine, heroin and methamphetamines, compared to their active non-team counterparts.
• The rate of absenteeism is less than half for students who participate in sports versus those who do not participate in sports.
• School dropout rate for athletes is 1%, while the dropout rate for non-athletes is more than 8%.
• Discipline rate is 10% lower for athletes versus non-athletes.
• Grade point average for athletes is one GPA point level higher than non-athletes.
• Students who participate in sports are 90% less likely to use drugs and 3 times more likely to graduate.
• Girls who participate in high school sports are 80% less likely to become pregnant as teenagers.
• Sports allow children to build confidence, take risks, and feel successful when they accomplish their goals.

Sources for the above information include articles by Ivanhoe.com, the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, the Seattle Business Journal, the Colorado Association of Health Physical Education Recreation and Dance, and www.coachjerry.com/ques51.htm.