When we think about youth athletics, it’s easy to focus on physical outcomes: faster sprints, stronger lifts, or sharper skills. But research shows movement impacts far more than the body. It plays a central role in how young people learn to regulate their emotions.
Emotional regulation is the ability to monitor, adjust, and express emotions in ways that support goals and relationships. For children and adolescents, strong emotional regulation is linked to better mental health, fewer behavioral problems, and stronger social ties (PMCID: PMC3018741). Yet adolescence is also a vulnerable period where stress, hormonal shifts, and social pressures make regulation more difficult (ScienceDirect, 2021).
Movement offers a powerful tool. Physical activity boosts neurotransmitters like dopamine and endorphins, which lift mood and reduce stress (Wood & Hearts, 2023). Studies consistently show that exercise lowers symptoms of anxiety and depression in youth while promoting positive emotions (PubMed). Beyond mood, movement also strengthens “executive self-regulation,” the ability to control impulses and attention. Programs that blend rhythmic, coordinated activity with training (such as ladder drills, yoga, or sports performance related games) have been shown to improve both self-control and emotional balance (PubMed).
For athletes, this connection is especially meaningful. A session at A3 Sports Performance isn’t just about conditioning the body; it’s an opportunity to help young people practice resilience. Structured drills teach pacing, mindful recovery helps manage stress, and even short movement breaks can reset a child’s emotional state. Over time, these habits extend beyond sports and into school, friendships, and everyday challenges.
Movement is not just physical training. It’s emotional training. When youth learn to regulate their bodies, they also learn to regulate their emotions. And at A3, that’s the heart of our mission: building athletes who are strong in every sense of the word.
