Working with students across North Frisco and McKinney every day, our team at Mathnasium sees firsthand how many local kids balance demanding sports schedules alongside math and their daily schoolwork.
On the surface, the athletic field and the math classroom look like two completely different worlds that have almost nothing in common.
The truth, however, is a bit more nuanced. The physical instincts, game-plan focus, and mental resets student-athletes practice on the field don't stop at the sidelines.
Today, we’re breaking down 5 research-backed reasons why being active in sports may naturally support the very skills and habits math requires.
Anyone who’s watched their kid on the soccer or baseball field has seen them judge the arc of a ball mid-air or time a run into open space. In those split seconds, their brain is evaluating distances, angles, and speed on the fly.
While it looks like pure physical instinct, researchers view it as real-time spatial processing.
In an explorative study, researchers Petra Jansen and Stefanie Pietsch (2020) examined the relationship between sports performance, spatial abilities, and math skills in school-aged children. Their findings highlighted that motor skills and spatial reasoning work hand in hand, particularly when it comes to geometry-related math tasks.
In classroom math, spatial ability helps students visualize shapes, understand geometric transformations, and map out spatial relationships on paper.
So, while spatial practice in the field doesn't replace structured math instruction, it can give your student a real-world foundation to draw from.
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If you need a reminder, working memory is that mental scratchpad students rely on when they have to hold details in mind while solving a problem.
For example, when a student solves a multi-step problem like 42 × 7, working memory is what lets them multiply 2 × 7 to get 14, hold the 4 in mind, remember to carry the 1 over to the tens column, and then add it to 280, all without losing their place.
Now, you might be wondering what that has to do with sports.
That link between coordinating movement and tracking details is grounded in research. In a study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, researcher Heidi Syväoja and her team (2021) examined how motor skills, fitness, and physical activity connect to math performance in students.
They found that motor skills have a direct positive connection to math performance, specifically through visuospatial working memory. Controlling complex movements acts as a bridge. It exercises the mental scratchpad kids use to hold, organize, and manipulate visual and numerical information while solving problems.
So as it turns out, telling a young athlete to "keep their eyes on the ball" might actually double as sound math advice.
Practicing complex motor skills helps strengthen the same working memory networks kids rely on in math class.
At its core, executive function is the brain’s air traffic control system. It includes working memory, self-control, and cognitive flexibility. These are the mental skills that help us manage attention, resist impulsive reactions, and switch gears when circumstances change.
In math, executive function gives students the mental space to hold steps in mind, resist rushing to a quick answer, and calmly pivot to a new strategy when their first approach hits a dead end.
A 2024 study in JAMA Network Open found that children in team sports scored higher on executive function than children in individual sports, suggesting that the fast-paced, unpredictable nature of team play may help train the kind of flexible thinking math requires.
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Sometimes the biggest hurdle in math isn't understanding but how students feel about it. At Mathnasium, we've met many students anxious about math.
That feeling directly impacts their ability to think. As Mark H. Ashcraft and Elizabeth P. Krause showed in their landmark study, math anxiety actively hijacks a student's working memory: "Math anxiety acts as a secondary task, consuming working memory capacity that would otherwise be allocated to the math task itself."
When worry takes over, there is simply less mental bandwidth left over to hold steps in mind or reason through a problem.
So where do sports fit in?
We looked into a different piece of research, a 2022 study exploring the link between physical activity and math achievement. The researchers found that regular physical activity was directly associated with better math performance, largely because it helped lower student anxiety levels.
By giving kids a natural way to release tension and build confidence through physical challenges, sports help settle the emotional noise. When that anxiety drops, working memory is freed back up, giving students the clear head they need to tackle math with confidence.
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In a large-scale analysis of Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) data, researchers demonstrated that students’ self-beliefs, motivation, and attitudes are all significant predictors of mathematics achievement.
In other words, how students see themselves as learners directly shapes how they perform when faced with numbers.
This leads us right back to sports.
A study examining fourth-grade students found that sports-related physical activity was indirectly linked to mathematical achievement through self-concept. The findings suggest that participating in sports helps children build a stronger sense that they are capable, and that stronger self-concept carries over into the math classroom.
This fits right in with what we know about math anxiety, too. If a student feels unsure or intimidated, they may be less willing to take on a hard problem or stick with it long enough to solve it. But if sports help build a steady sense of confidence and personal agency, that student becomes far more likely to trust their ability, embrace the challenge, and stay engaged when math gets tough.
At Mathnasium, we help students build the skills and confidence to excel in math and beyond.
Mathnasium is a math-only learning center dedicated to helping K–12 students of all skill levels excel in math.
Your child might be managing a packed practice schedule, prepping for a big test the same week as a tournament, or simply hoping to feel as confident in math class as they do on the field. Our team can help with any of it.
Our proprietary teaching approach, the Mathnasium Method™, is built around each student's skill level, learning style, and goals.
To help students develop a deep understanding of math, our approach includes:
Assessment and Personalized Learning Plans. Every student begins their Mathnasium journey with a diagnostic assessment that identifies current skill level, learning style, and goals. From there, we build a personalized learning plan around exactly what they need next, whether that means catching up, keeping up, or getting ahead.
Teaching for Understanding. Specially trained tutors use natural language and a mix of verbal, visual, mental, tactile, and written techniques so students understand the reasoning behind a concept before moving on to the next one.
Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking. Students get time to work through problems on their own first. When a tutor does step in, they break complex concepts into manageable bits and explain both the how and the why behind an answer. This helps students develop problem-solving skills and critical thinking tools they can rely on in math and life.
A Caring and Fun Group Environment. Our sessions include interactive games, earned rewards, and the consistent celebration of progress. As a result, students build true confidence and completely transform their outlook on math.
Families see lasting, measurable progress:
94% of parents report an improvement in their child's math skills and understanding
93% of parents report their child's improved attitude toward math after attending Mathnasium
90% of students saw an improvement in their school grades
With more than 1,100 learning centers across North America, there is likely a Mathnasium close to you.
Families located near North Frisco and McKinney, TX, can visit Mathnasium of North Frisco, a trusted local center dedicated to building confident math thinkers.
Whether your student is looking to catch up, keep up, or get ahead in math, our team is ready to help!
📅 Schedule a Free Assessment at Mathnasium of North Frisco
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Mathnasium of North Frisco is a math-only learning center for K-12 students in McKinney, TX. Trusted by over a million parents, Mathnasium uses personalized learning plans and the proprietary Mathnasium Method™ to help students catch up, keep up, and get ahead on their math journey.
Our specially trained tutors deliver face-to-face instruction in a supportive and fun small-group environment, working with students both in center and online to develop a deep understanding of math, build confidence, and improve academic performance.
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(469) 248-8844
(469) 248-8844
