Low fear in childhood is associated with sporting prowess in adolescence and young adulthood

This study sought to establish if low levels of childhood fear were associated with high level sports performance in adolescence and young adulthood. Parent and teacher reports of fearfulness at ages 5, 7, 9 and 11 and self-reports of sporting achievements at age 26 were obtained for members of the longitudinal Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study. Findings indicated a dose–response relation between levels of childhood fear and later sports achievement such that low levels of fear were associated with the greatest likelihood of playing representative sport. Low levels of fear early in life may be associated with elite sports performance in adulthood.