It’s no secret that exercise can do everything from help with depression to boost immunity, but there are so many more benefits when applying those ideas to sports within a high school.

How can sports benefit your troubled teen? See below for some reasons why you should talk to your teen about joining in on sports this new school year.

Increase in school spirit. Representing your school as a team not only benefits the community but also can help the players by giving them a sense of pride in their school and community. Teens learn the fun in things like school rivalries, how to be gracious losers or winners and receive praise from their school for their efforts.

A decrease in risky behavior. Student athletes are less than half as likely to jeopardize their athleticism by engaging in dangerous behavior like alcohol or drug abuse. They are also less likely to become teen parents than those not participating in any extracurricular activities. If you are at your wit’s end with your teen, and starting to consider everything from a teen military program to a residential program for troubled teens, try putting them in after-school activities that will get them moving and socially involved.

It serves as motivation for good academics. Student athletes have higher GPAs than those not involved on average. Not only does exercise improve brain function and focus, but many schools require student athletes to keep their grades up to participate. If your student finds school boring or is not motivated to do well, getting them involved in a sport they love may help change their minds.

They learn about working hard and staying the course. One thing that teachers can’t successfully teach in a classroom is the idea of being persistent with your goals, and staying patient enough to keep trying to achieve them. No sports only have their players show up on game day. They have to practice every week to become better at working on their individual goals and their goals as a team.

They learn to work together and be a good leader. Even though a team is a group that is meant to work together to reach a common goal, leadership is vital to make the team function. Whether your teen likes to lead or likes to be an essential part of the bigger picture, they learn their role is crucial to the success overall, which can also spill over into school and life as they learn to work with groups and contribute their unique gifts.

They make friends. With team sports, there’s so much time spent with teammates that it’s nearly impossible not to form a bond. The common interest in sports is something for them to share, and they may find themselves becoming friends with peers they usually wouldn’t have approached outside of the team. Comradery is an integral part of keeping up team morale, so it’s crucial that they get along with their teammates and coach.