Adolescent growth, development, and psychosocial aspects of sports participation: an overview.

This chapter examines sports participation in the context of adolescent growth and development. Because the nature of sports participation is highly organized and competitive, it is imperative that parents, coaches, physicians, and other clinicians remember that they may be placing increased pressures on the adolescent to perform and practice. The authors review the impact of physical growth and psychosocial development and also describe how substance abuse, depression, and aggressive behavior may or may not be influenced by sports participation.