A study at Brock University in Canada shows that playing sports video games can increase involvement in real-life sports over several years among older adolescents and emerging adults. Essentially, the study found a long-term predictive effect of sports video game play on increased involvement in real-life sports over the 3 years. A major cause of this was found to be self-esteem. This study is one that continues to show that sports video game play may be an effective tool to promote real-life sports participation and physical activity among older adolescents and emerging adults.
Sports gamers, unlike some of their other genre peers, have been shown to develop higher levels of self-confidence. This higher self-confidence has translated well to physical activity and participation in competitions. Virtual sports games give children the opportunity to learn about the sports without ever having to step foot on a field. They do not have the fear of messing up in public or the embarrassment of letting teammates down when they play virtually.
As well, It serves as a great tool for kids who those whose interest in sports has come later in their adolescence (those who missed out on youth soccer leagues or little league baseball). Virtual sports help these kids learn how to compete. Many agree that virtual sports gaming also has the same psychological benefits as real world sports. Don’t agree? Just remember that victory builds confidence, and experiencing defeat encourages learning and improvement. And that stays true for any competition you take part in, even virtual.
NBA 2K players should have a pretty good idea of proper jump shot mechanics, pick and roll play calling and how general NBA rules work, without having to ever dribble a real basketball. Thus, although a young player’s actual basketball skill may be low, they may have incredible theoretical knowledge of what they are doing, and the confidence to improve on the physical parts of their game without a deep fear of failure or ridicule.
Interested in learning more on the effects video games can have on you? Visit our benefits section to learn more!
