%PDF-1.7 1 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Outlines 2 0 R /Pages 3 0 R >> endobj 2 0 obj << /Type /Outlines /Count 0 >> endobj 3 0 obj << /Type /Pages /Kids [6 0 R 25 0 R 40 0 R ] /Count 3 /Resources << /ProcSet 4 0 R /Font << /F1 8 0 R /F2 9 0 R /F3 10 0 R /F4 11 0 R /F5 27 0 R >> /XObject << /I1 13 0 R >> /ExtGState << /GS1 22 0 R /GS2 23 0 R /GS3 28 0 R /GS4 29 0 R /GS5 39 0 R >> >> /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] >> endobj 4 0 obj [/PDF /Text /ImageC ] endobj 5 0 obj << /Producer (dompdf 3.1.0 + CPDF) /CreationDate (D:20250908083558+00'00') /ModDate (D:20250908083558+00'00') >> endobj 6 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Annots [ 14 0 R 16 0 R 18 0 R 20 0 R ] /Contents 7 0 R >> endobj 7 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 1770 >> stream xXMs6WqJCCv݉SJ͌S9rH$hEIjSԗx\e4x~uCwi)G*G$EYcKZSV')=~@^RhI9iio,=J;+=~C|]^Ik|]d峮uS3CF_t%+N,e? :XК#~Ed^ ޚ&a诘 :):'#9Ս|<ݺXzr+[.zSE]^f5N˄>UQ/e,xM| zs`U&Ig;9J`vL"Dbm-KKZ>K" NjVdA:TunVt~E{w ^&E@YZ$iV]hxϾmЁGʾ3p*~I, r^xR\j|_tD_U#Cz5M$4==7-AblQDSV1~rxrgdeYB_,Ys},8[d1fROf-$9ΆK4VH΍:̭X9ɬעlaMnˠ#.CIYВW1)X+X8y4%w ,6YK6i9fk^'i;7K~!Ѯ#xtxXpPeFKi36G[ds c:-yY 0zqUY*)OEWCSndE sXS]_|ƮϾr؁+㋈GnF};1*䂕D}:mm{j'٩fOXj܏ԚqxN~i1jeD@ yJ$Wֱ*ͯMY#cyI@96 N. zt Ypg}{[xSM|V5 sDB=6{Md똚z \I h/'<KB%Cd]N qEZ`Bv$0M^oK0ieg%82tUڄ~ O1Z ߀ "UV0́) zqbdzNKzSPhg_ogc¡J}BzRcDBDK 2M伝Ny`Q 4T12&dsI4Yve;*H@bCz/IEA@u!1c5ba$ɐ-0i %OyjΒgKS AR̘2蠌~a?R>!sz-YLuv > ֡x]XΠm0H 9}lٝU "xj{?KۀB01<.3!1¸%|%FƉk?k!f<4 /UX:MGVB) ױ|&z 'ԕc 9|Y9}}.Ҥ>̓)JB-yIMJsKy ^|),ߢH.v$Bܼ_ qS+ b[U&MrKVbŖTw>f93r$}La':^} » endstream endobj 8 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F1 /BaseFont /Helvetica /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 9 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F2 /BaseFont /Times-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 10 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F3 /BaseFont /Times-Roman /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 11 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F4 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 12 0 obj [6 0 R /Fit] endobj 13 0 obj << /Type /XObject /Subtype /Image /Width 125 /Height 125 /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB /Filter /DCTDecode /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 5629>> stream JFIFC    !'"#%%%),($+!$%$C   $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$}}" #v;wYt{o'V-RH%pk )XZ"_?&CnHy,9 6dZ.h̛2܋0~k!g%v*z%$q^}בp|A[$tU;嫆x3eߞnxw{ XrfhsVqV%ei =G dbAk~DZ1YHuZ\Ttf{MlrDurʒןy0.K־N.>DR w M{$J4O' !"#3124lEd猜*3FV/zOTwAP=@zU(~d u]kCd,N6k-Ηî!ZcǯQҡ:y!eih(©rn og8a,fqˍFÒfFq4ufn:i۹2=K{O|1ea=7b)jţG7!1AQ "#23aBqr4RPb?x4e/&ڼjiɧMp:UevA /U>V޳>Wά**w ->Du J jj\y*D]K`sR FNѐw;#P̗JPkK\mNPӝʵY`]o;{Ol]nʲlxZ0$hBuD]W|xy H< Jܼu4֛fSVIe^f*vgkL=FP_OROsrxwл MU:vO?4A״վM̒8ԏ8tDhu>շGH 0&뺎jc# .Nz.՘Ty-DHpT87^C9J`l kIvЛ;EQwIdòUU"t_4 *// {(a0KPxoi6p}UW@oVtWF饗Io-z*g?=TDfP` Z)Ա\Ue!cFO2KqU(2]S;&-ٓ?rԳDeb\_]f 7Lc͂rYPk'RF7.2e<&VkQf"m~HF!r5y;%n&#-)w2u}OWu\Ac4D̅v30{^4pou[.amZoṂom&XEl1b'zvZPۼICe:ְՀۼ^ѝ(xcftgH๞Ȅvw:ǘbt>| BLoWx]cq=52mW4yJuuwG?/ FٔeJ3Z!&/jMVjo9$ Њf؏"ѭ**_.P.Lz@X9|xa83_̑ _<k_hzq.1zp[,"Qib WtKfŋıxx{ևF:7vV5[0U`7ɢ. &Y.H^BƵ hF+*!Qԗ>ӡss)yNAajmU3G$6Tylb+ǣKzSNԬq7*n`-Mk2uݠѧPKZ׋eD &Hc#L=])x'ӊ1u\4Hvn'(EIl`EyL+T',{q)e ('uue-tX.bAaJ_6vl*c)#x zG@%Y]%OIRm5/ WQ ceRocx:Yy Xnş T5s_IG]n%!1AQaq 0?H!h"AMHTP2vkC@D 0s#K;%Vc1᧰1 q :5<'V]5&ܖʨQ\b y믮*W㥊U-.\4~oZ2Ub-Y#%'<x</Y{rY&!1AQa q?{ӽˍ qQ T0,ήTa\(5m>" }3o pߚu6ퟞЪ›S rC^a4. <1fe\ǼFt8iRxϔ:H߶癀ed OEJG%!1AQaq?u=4*f?_mgJ?##|d ;!D3G_8l/^1DOl0ltpp] Nwg :gh: 4o<_9.b|5ƾ:Xhh\%+9"i8b}S :RqK8uuo$-Y MS 6ާ+nnE?ГU `y e*>79ʿa{Km(i.P; T-_P)-\*u2Vr5.0*prp2,RK6uPi&a¡?B]+Y!,ߖ綨8 nLbI?>OqƱ(a&?" Y]usb~%?6#ED1=>gjt?b{$)fݙC/ɖaD5|&ҝQy:!+ѐPeG3[:0϶7`@8-PeQsqC78ŷvOۏ 0/Xjhn`SB=8A:> TJtśudh)oJZdCvVG1Qxᄂ~]bu˫8MܡL.} s}qs_%=)S듍 ^!p`!`O/gDjol21?ڔi `$M{p  ?] W&>I䃪]( a@݂r-F7dǨ&{ S˧ŋD'3Ͳ?? 醴(8!e^jzcъ>RH#(4=OŖ/`Pzrٿ(!!h4yuMV`kqǝgQ瞂Q\Z["~򕼯?g_zX2{5:|D$ |Nf|ðYBG܊dփxJ SX~vtbrY %)ϟ's:{t i?WPms@ucz5U׬`$wiTvc+N^b7ي\69#Nӎq@>,|`` ٧5/`=g!LDs6@cPy1!5hsߏyMqzm 4ڷ-T - B^wpRN,YIo7y5NOFT" endstream endobj 14 0 obj << /Type /Annot /Subtype /Link /F 28 /A 15 0 R /Border [0 0 0] /H /I /Rect [ 35.0000 526.2110 103.0160 538.4210 ] >> endobj 15 0 obj << /Type /Action /S /URI /URI (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/03/190321135154.htm) >> endobj 16 0 obj << /Type /Annot /Subtype /Link /F 28 /A 17 0 R /Border [0 0 0] /H /I /Rect [ 126.3800 341.0390 223.0880 353.2490 ] >> endobj 17 0 obj << /Type /Action /S /URI /URI (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/03/190321135154.htm) >> endobj 18 0 obj << /Type /Annot /Subtype /Link /F 28 /A 19 0 R /Border [0 0 0] /H /I /Rect [ 537.2720 114.5630 559.2800 126.7730 ] >> endobj 19 0 obj << /Type /Action /S /URI /URI (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/03/190321135154.htm) >> endobj 20 0 obj << /Type /Annot /Subtype /Link /F 28 /A 21 0 R /Border [0 0 0] /H /I /Rect [ 35.0000 99.9110 103.6880 112.1210 ] >> endobj 21 0 obj << /Type /Action /S /URI /URI (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/03/190321135154.htm) >> endobj 22 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 0.3 >> endobj 23 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 0.3 >> endobj 24 0 obj [6 0 R /Fit] endobj 25 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Annots [ 31 0 R 33 0 R 35 0 R 37 0 R ] /Contents 26 0 R >> endobj 26 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 2508 >> stream xYے6}cR%UߜڛgR~H I9Z36= 4VFDOFnYen:XncqjlumrvWFdU ͆wJ_ݷwggme{=<Ҽej5 FQݑŮZdR5+DhPZG=d rڰF>&;VȮbVD1:mņc/ 4GM? ;kղRe' PxE` |ug7FPըq^^StY Atl',D+o+}hx{ДF`}YWv0h>ԡF_`䠱Pa`L-3L`fVXxG5GDk^.E1j-2B%зdHTu>P,H>VK;VvVۼ"(vߩtG5ylϋ(݆&bv~ 0_TYKs,R((bNc5#:>M}tP8 jcqiʱv@UsEH('N1@V%?+ZMHT*b !h YGCcǮ䃴xM~lƇʫË GĞF)ɥnI XWZV쫬,\|MQa#-oa/u{dZoҖɖštRJԃ)>.>D[g>vEmㄝW/+UTplEW6_ɁVbԜʮ^c1cf߲(oNA'eQ ֛lYiSIL-N&(֗ǵP-snxA6f 1d@A^F+~ Bs>4P4ew#EjުAaD{ IW;8i.;pAEi53b%/|/hafDYՔl짊9{r?#JS'H3Pojh=i$J0k nE/uH_Ȣ`ͮyM +[D#S5A<$_VӐm q}OĢz%,#`ԗ-%t!oEz*} ]M',B%jW |9JNoNCaS훑v ~oTUB> jW^w|Rͧ1ddˬA*zrՔAn YIFOslcI2fєQ[ XRاYwh5.jj4?Kk04Hٶ,,'9 ƴ$Y\c쓧Mˆjg>H|Ɨ'5Ijh=x?Bő:XɴD-ͽQȗcRNrgJ;1@x3a6VGqhqnn1vh18h6 &r7ݧƐ!i-P{l@Jbթ$hQq]6b=(zXxQ(mca}ũNC1``?QEh6iv]zqkklU0 0dͯLAL|C{1K #B_5tI:rj+ڀE"(JmTi}!e7ے4O$_Nw.invVD)mk%{q+:I J>FT^jtEKѭ&結MOaeD@ƼruX}e3$Cv "еd4/vP̾@`o(/%5R{z)Vz*;RS{B6{ jIw,ǢzX- VU]XCၨ+3YYo[/!~ˎR@֫ Ox AI88ݖV8D'ɘ_5  F8G)}d5f86te\~n*!C WnRlloi֤2`k m~GL2^Mm\P=uObQI/mHg&,9K:~5[^ߨ:RśӹK޼x6Ymճ5be_L[$EK6m}ڈy 4 [/v拙xs X endstream endobj 27 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F5 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Oblique /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 28 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 1 >> endobj 29 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 1 >> endobj 30 0 obj [25 0 R /Fit] endobj 31 0 obj << /Type /Annot /Subtype /Link /F 28 /A 32 0 R /Border [0 0 0] /H /I /Rect [ 109.7120 504.7850 217.0760 516.9950 ] >> endobj 32 0 obj << /Type /Action /S /URI /URI (https://tsahealthyarmy.com/kfg) >> endobj 33 0 obj << /Type /Annot /Subtype /Link /F 28 /A 34 0 R /Border [0 0 0] /H /I /Rect [ 66.3320 419.5250 110.3480 431.7350 ] >> endobj 34 0 obj << /Type /Action /S /URI /URI (https://tsahealthyarmy.com/kfg) >> endobj 35 0 obj << /Type /Annot /Subtype /Link /F 28 /A 36 0 R /Border [0 0 0] /H /I /Rect [ 332.4440 348.9170 362.4680 361.1270 ] >> endobj 36 0 obj << /Type /Action /S /URI /URI (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/12/171213220122.htm) >> endobj 37 0 obj << /Type /Annot /Subtype /Link /F 28 /A 38 0 R /Border [0 0 0] /H /I /Rect [ 224.4080 222.3530 257.0960 234.5630 ] >> endobj 38 0 obj << /Type /Action /S /URI /URI (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/12/171213220122.htm) >> endobj 39 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 0.67 >> endobj 40 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Annots [ 43 0 R 45 0 R ] /Contents 41 0 R >> endobj 41 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 669 >> stream xUn0+Tn}C# Y@, ~jWIHl"ipwDf孄譆7C϶̾@XPX ,~(v5lߏw~-3 ̍ "9@δEpAlG|ڠ13y:Q5gk]uf^]D[qz(n!fst6aVr QCjUP*W+=j;-v 5Sciu353]u 9b˶m} 碯hشv C/c,2=Hhҹy۳^ }j۠>\EK[ivPr"Zfr-%h<1eIp0AE|0fn!qfv {3m3{( *a7DJhv"l0wCe"{_=k;-ds oݰ#ScCϹ2(KΜ=9rWvM %PՃ[X7ñWG[⤣[ *),r~-ڪ.gQz M٤ '#m}b=<;}'?t98&rm$[ pC1p']ܸ\Ȩ0 endstream endobj 42 0 obj [40 0 R /Fit] endobj 43 0 obj << /Type /Annot /Subtype /Link /F 28 /A 44 0 R /Border [0 0 0] /H /I /Rect [ 91.0040 677.9570 250.3880 690.1670 ] >> endobj 44 0 obj << /Type /Action /S /URI /URI (https://westernusa.salvationarmy.org/usw_thq/location_search/) >> endobj 45 0 obj << /Type /Annot /Subtype /Link /F 28 /A 46 0 R /Border [0 0 0] /H /I /Rect [ 65.0000 663.3050 146.3720 675.5150 ] >> endobj 46 0 obj << /Type /Action /S /URI /URI (https://give-usw.salvationarmy.org/give/229662/#!/donation/checkout) >> endobj xref 0 47 0000000000 65535 f 0000000009 00000 n 0000000074 00000 n 0000000120 00000 n 0000000436 00000 n 0000000473 00000 n 0000000622 00000 n 0000000765 00000 n 0000002608 00000 n 0000002715 00000 n 0000002823 00000 n 0000002933 00000 n 0000003046 00000 n 0000003075 00000 n 0000008872 00000 n 0000009005 00000 n 0000009119 00000 n 0000009253 00000 n 0000009367 00000 n 0000009501 00000 n 0000009615 00000 n 0000009747 00000 n 0000009861 00000 n 0000009920 00000 n 0000009979 00000 n 0000010008 00000 n 0000010153 00000 n 0000012735 00000 n 0000012851 00000 n 0000012908 00000 n 0000012965 00000 n 0000012995 00000 n 0000013129 00000 n 0000013211 00000 n 0000013344 00000 n 0000013426 00000 n 0000013560 00000 n 0000013674 00000 n 0000013808 00000 n 0000013922 00000 n 0000013982 00000 n 0000014113 00000 n 0000014855 00000 n 0000014885 00000 n 0000015018 00000 n 0000015131 00000 n 0000015264 00000 n trailer << /Size 47 /Root 1 0 R /Info 5 0 R /ID[<6b418e8296491de3defacf8113412fea><6b418e8296491de3defacf8113412fea>] >> startxref 15383 %%EOF How getting healthy is good for kids’ brains | Caring Magazine
Read Caring Magazine Volume 29

Vol. #29

Hope in Action

Read Issue

Latest Impact StoriesView All

Popular Topics

PopularView All

soccer coach talking to youth team

How getting healthy is good for kids’ brains

byKyle Farber
October 8, 2019
4 minute read
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0
Listen to this article

As a youth football coach, I often hear from parents that they sign their kids up for sports to keep them fit or keep them out of trouble. Recent studies have shown that participation in sports benefits youth on a deeper level, as well. 

Researchers from Washington University in St. Louis have linked participation in team sports to larger hippocampal volumes in children and less depression in boys ages 9–11. Hippocampal growth helps regulate emotions. It is considered a crucial part of healthy brain development. 

The study used a nationwide sample of more than 4,000 children whose parents reported both the kids’ activity levels in team sports and their “depressive symptoms.” Brain scans performed on the children provided information on the status of hippocampal growth.

Interestingly, the researchers found the increase in hippocampal volume was only associated with sports and not with activities, like art and music, which are typically done individually.

While coaching, I have seen firsthand the benefits of youth participating in team sports. One player was very shy at first, and his parents told us that he was often bullied at school. I do not think I heard him say a word for the first few months that I coached him. 

Throughout the season, however, his personality had a complete 180-degree turn for the better. This emotional change carried into the following season and I was surprised to see that he has become a leader on the team. He is always first in line, helps other players he notices are struggling and often leads the break-down at the end of practice. Other coaches and I have noted just how much happier and confident he appears to be. He even has garnered a new nickname due to his newfound personality: Big Show.

“The fact that these relationships were strongest for team or structured sports suggests that there might be something about the combination of exercise and the social support or structure that comes from being on a team that can be useful at preventing or treating depression in young people,” said Lisa Gorham, lead author of the study.

Bigger than sports

The geographic area where I coach is plagued by gangs, crime and violence. The majority of my players live in housing projects and, typically, the project you are from defines who you are allowed to associate with. Further, people from other projects can even be considered enemies as rival gangs dominate these areas. On the football field, however, this is not the case. The players are united as a team striving for a common goal. I have had players (current and former) tell me that they do not care about these barriers anymore as they got to know each other on the field, despite the fact that they come from areas that have been at odds with each other for decades. This bond and sense of community has stuck with them, even though they have not been on the same team for years. 

Playing team sports helps set a productive mental and physical foundation that young athletes carry with them throughout life. This foundation comes in the form of friendships and life choices. The Salvation Army recognizes the importance of laying down the groundwork at a young age, even launching the Kids Fit Go program to spread that foundation.

The Kids Fit Go program is a simple and fun program that provides kids the knowledge to make healthy lifelong choices. The preventative program is built on five pillars: Purpose, Interactive Nutrition, Movements for Life, Leadership, and Skill Training. The goal of the program is to create lifelong results that set children up for a healthy future by taking a holistic approach. The Salvation Army believes that by equipping youth with the knowledge of how food and exercise affect the body for lifelong strength, overall health and disease prevention, we can influence and develop a global generation of health leaders.

Nutrition is a large aspect of the Kids Fit Go program as it plays a large role in development and a child’s well being, including mental health. Researchers found that failure to have adequate eating habits has repercussions beyond the immediate health risks. 

“Healthy eating is associated with better self-esteem and fewer emotional and peer problems, such as having fewer friends or being picked on or bullied, in children regardless of body weight,” according to a study published in the journal BMC Public Health. Inversely, better self-esteem is associated with better adherence to healthy eating guidelines, according to researchers from The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Senior author Dr. Louise Arvidsson stated, “We found that in young children aged two to nine years there is an association between adherence to healthy dietary guidelines and better psychological well-being, which includes fewer emotional problems, better relationships with other children and higher self-esteem, two years later. Our findings suggest that a healthy diet can improve well-being in children.” 

The Kids Fit Go program emphasizes the importance of a healthy lifestyle based on the choices children make, eating and otherwise. Simply put: When a child knows how to take care of themselves, they are more likely to fulfill their potential.

Do Good: 

Download this page as a PDF

You May Also Like