Super Bowl LVI attracted nearly 100 million viewers this year. As America’s most popular sport, even those who aren’t diehard fans watch the spectacle. Yet where does our emotional investment in the outcome of a sporting event come from? Some psychologists theorize it dates back to pre-history, with roots in…
Sometimes, we are so invested in our favorite sports teams that we experience symptoms of depression when they lose a big game or when the season comes to a close. These symptoms can cause serious harm, but the good news is that there are effective techniques for recovering from sports…
Alternative sports, including swimming, martial arts, and archery, have the potential to help adults with ADHD better manage their symptoms While some of the best sports for ADHD symptoms may seem unconventional, the nature of these immersive activities offers a unique way to cope with a potentially challenging mental health…
Merril Hoge is a former professional football player for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Bears. Unfortunately, he was forced to retire his career early due to the lack of care he received following two concussions in the same five-week time period. Despite the life-altering injuries Hoge sustained playing the sport…
New research suggests certain positions and longer careers increase an NFL player’s risk of developing cognitive and mental health issues. Researchers analyzed career length, position history, head and neck injuries, concussion symptoms, depression and anxiety symptoms. They found that players with the longest careers were twice as likely to report…
Playing sports might protect boys from depression. Read: Back to Basics, Depression 101 A study from the journal Biological Psychiatry examined how exercise might impact the development of depression in children. It analyzed over 4,000 kids ages 9 to 11 and saw that sports participation was linked to fewer depression…
Most youth football helmets lack sufficient front padding. This, from the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab, which rated every youth football helmet on the market. Only seven of these helmets received a perfect score for effectively reducing head acceleration during impact. Those with lower ratings typically had front padding that was…
For some, it’s just a game. But for others, it’s a lifestyle. I’m talking about the players of course, but there’s another group that fits the bill: die-hard sports fans. For players and die-hard sports fans alike, there’s more on the line than a game lost and a slight blow…
Sports are a longtime love of mine—I may not tune into Sunday night football every week or follow my basketball team the whole season through, but I respect, support, and even envy what the players do for a living. When I was just 5 years old, I laced up my…
Sure, sports is primarily all about being an elite athlete, but the mental game is what tends to separate the good players from the truly great ones. Athletics is just as much about being physically superior as it is about being able to mentally dominate your opponents. While it isn’t…