The Action Network has a new study examining how parenthood impacts elite athletes — and the results overturn a lot of assumptions.

After analyzing 40+ athletes across nine sports, we found that parenthood doesn’t inherently help or hurt performance. Instead, it amplifies whatever trajectory an athlete is already on.

Key insights:

• Athletes on the rise surge post-parenthood.
  Examples: LeBron James (+43.7% PER), Stephen Curry (+45.9% assists), Cristiano Ronaldo (+81.8% goals).
• Athletes already battling age or injury continue declining.
  Examples: Serena Williams, Andy Murray, Tiger Woods — each facing late-career wear, injuries, or external disruptions.
• Team sports provide better support systems.
  Basketball, soccer, and baseball showed more frequent gains than tennis, golf, and track.
• Women’s soccer stands out as a rare, overwhelmingly positive cluster.

Top 5 Post-Parenthood Winners

1. Crystal Dunn — Soccer
   +200% Goals per Game
2. Clayton Kershaw — Baseball
   +112.9% Wins Above Replacement
3. Sydney Leroux — Soccer
   +100% Goals per Game
4. Cristiano Ronaldo — Soccer
   +81.8% Goals | +69.2% Assists
5. LeBron James — Basketball
   +43.7% PER | +40.4% PPG

You can see the full list and research here.