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Sports and Child Development

Christina Felfe, Michael Lechner and Andreas Steinmayr

PLOS ONE, 2016, 11(5): e0151729

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Abstract

The role of curricular activities for the formation of education, health and behavioural outcomes has been widely studied. Yet, the role of extra-curricular activities has received little attention. This study analyzes the effect of participation in sports clubs—one of the most popular extra-curricular activities among children. We use alternative datasets and flexible semi-parametric estimation methods with a specific way to use the panel dimension of the data to address selection into sports. We find positive and robust effects on children’s school performance and peer relations. Crowding out of passive leisure activities can partially explain the effects.

Cite (BibTeX)
@article{Felfe2016sports,
  author      = {Felfe, Christina and Lechner, Michael and Steinmayr, Andreas},
  title       = {{Sports and Child Development}},
  journal     = {PLOS ONE},
  year        = {2016},
  volume      = {11},
  number      = {5},
  pages       = {e0151729},
  doi         = {10.1371/journal.pone.0151729}
}

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Earlier versions

  • IZA Discussion Paper No. 6105 (2011)
  • CEPR Discussion Paper No. 8523 (2011)
  • CESifo Working Paper No. 3629 (2011)

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