Pro: Kids who play sports do better in school.
Organized sports don't just help kids' bodies, but their minds as well, says Kim Gorgens, clinical associate professor in the Graduate School of Professional Psychology at the University of Denver. A study published in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience in August found that kids who did more aerobic exercise had more compact white matter in the brain, which is linked to better cognitive function. “We are just beginning to understand the role of aerobic exercise in brain plasticity,” she says. “The findings are incredibly robust for kids. Brain and body fitness appear to be the same thing. Research suggests that physical activity is essential for learning and retention of learned material.”