As FIFA World Cup play opens today, a University of Iowa study finds playing soccer may help young people with intellectual disabilities improve their physical fitness — as well as their brain health.
J.J. Chen, a UI professor of health, sport, and human physiology, says they found a 15-week soccer program improved reaction time, spatial skills, and well-being, while reducing anxiety.
“We gather the people with and without intellectual disabilities,” Chen says. “The purpose for this is not only for physical health. We are trying to gather them all together, so they can know each other, they can learn the new sport skills, so they also can improve their mental health and also their social functioning.”
The research shows playing what Chen describes as “inclusive soccer” can help young people on and off the field. He says the UI plans to broaden its studies into other sports, including badminton and pickleball.
“We are trying to provide any different kind of opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities so they will be able to learn any sport or leisure skills and knowledge,” Chen says, “so in the future, when they go back to the community, you may be able to see them in a rec center and they are playing any sports with the rest of us.”
The study included young people with and without intellectual disabilities, and Chen says it sends a message about the potential benefits of social inclusion and acceptance.
“Especially for the parents who have a kid with disabilities, they should encourage them to go out and start to learn some leisure and sports skills because not only for physical health, also for the mental health,” Chen says, “and also we want to encourage the people without disabilities to be more open-minded, we can welcome them.”
The research is being published in “Sport Sciences for Health.” Chen is director of the UI’s Health and Adaptive Recreation Therapy (HEART) Lab.
