The every-four-years spectacle of the Summer Olympics renews an interest in sports by children and adults alike. But with school just about to start for the fall, parents will be happy to learn the rewards of playing sports are not just physical. Researchers from the University of Montreal found sports participation for young children increased their chances of being successful academically through high school and beyond.

Kids may want to just play sports because they are fun, but parents know their children can learn valuable lessons such as discipline, sacrifice and how to persist in the face of obstacles. Traits that can also translate to other areas of life.

Scientists at the University of Montreal wanted to know how sports participation affected academic achievement and published their findings in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise.

Researchers tracked the development of nearly 1,500 boys and girls born in 1997 or 1998 to see if there was a link between sports participation between the ages of 6 and 10 and academic success through age 17. And what they found a direct correlation in both boys and girls.

"We found that participation from kindergarten to Grade 4 had a positive effect, above and beyond other factors, right to the end of high school," said professor Linda Pagani.

The research showed children who regularly practiced a sport were more likely to get better grades than their peers who played little or no sports, and less likely to drop our of school by their senior year of high school. They also placed a higher emphasis on their academic performance and had higher aspirations regarding continuing their studies in college.

"Middle childhood is a critical moment in child development," said Pagani, "and parents want their children's free time to count for something. However, until now, with this study, despite substantial investments by parents and communities, there has been no compelling evidence on the unique contribution of youth sport to academic success.

"We now know that by participating in organized sport, youngsters develop a positive self-image and social skills that teach them the importance of teamwork, of taking responsibility and of developing and maintaining relationships—and that this translates into better academic engagement in emerging adulthood."

Click here to read more in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.