Brain on Sports Podcast: Can we develop creativity through sports?

Tufts University psychology professor Sam Sommers explores the intersection of sports and creativity with guest Matt Bowers, an expert in athlete and coach development at the University of Texas.

“This is Your Brain on Sports" is a new podcast from Sports Illustrated in which SI executive editor Jon Wertheim and Tufts University psychology professor Sam Sommers explore the intersection of sports and human nature—what the world of sports has to teach us about who we are, what we care about, and the forces that shape our behavior. In this week’s episode we tackle sports and creativity.

Sommers talks with guest Matt Bowers, an expert in athlete and coach development at the University of Texas. Bowers discusses what makes for a creative athlete—how can we predict who will become the next Lionel Messi on the pitch, Wayne Gretzky on the ice or Kobe Bryant on the court? Sommers and Bowers then turn their focus turns to youth sports: Does playing on organized teams foster or hinder creativity? What about playing multiple sports versus specializing? Bowers shares with us his latest research in a discussion you won’t want to miss if you’re a sports fan, coach, parent or all of the above.

Listen below or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, and check back every week for a new episode.