The following information was taken from The Benefits of Youth Sports Article by Jordan D. Metzl, M.D., Carol Shookhoff, Ph.D. We are going to highlight the physical benefits of your sports participation over the course of the next few posts. Any other ideas are welcome! Fitness. Kids who play sports develop general physical fitness in a way that's fun, and they establish lifelong habits for good health. This is particularly important at a time when obesity in the United States has reached epidemic proportions: the incidence of obesity has increased by more than 50 percent among America's children and teens since 1976 and continues to grow at a staggering rate! Dan Bencsik, Bux-Mont Awards