Team sport is a popular way for millions of people to push themselves and maintain a healthier lifestyle. But it can also be a great way for children to develop life-long skills and gain valuable lessons that they can take with them into adulthood.
A team sport is any activity that requires a group of players working as a unit, such as a football or baseball team, in order to complete a competition or game. There are many different types of team sports, each of which require a unique set of skills. Some examples include rowing, which requires conditioning, coordination and teamwork; tennis, which is a fast-paced game that involves communicating with teammates; and basketball, which is a high-energy game that requires communication and practice.
Participation in team sport has been linked to a variety of benefits, including greater mental health, increased resilience to the stresses of everyday life, improved school performance and lower risk-taking behaviours. However, little evidence has been published on the effectiveness of interventions to promote participation in team sport among girls.
This article presents a narrative assessment of four studies investigating physical activity interventions to encourage and sustain participation in team sports by secondary school age girls in the UK. In addition, the authors highlight recommendations for future research on promoting participation in team sport by adolescent girls, with particular emphasis on the need to focus on rigorous and high-quality evaluation of complex intervention designs.