Sports in School – Helping to Build Students Total Well Being
There was a time, when children used to wait for that one period of games in the whole 6-hour long school time of the day, and when they used to get it, all would run into the ground like free birds from a cage, because in that period, children were allowed and encouraged to play all sorts of games and sports they like and enjoy themselves. But as the time progressed, the size of the grounds became small and the length of the lecture time and school increased. But, in the coming times, schools have realized the fact that sports are an inevitable part of school time and children are encouraged to get into it since the smaller classes and even pursue it further as a career option.
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Proven Research
According to the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity who conducted a research on some students in primary class as well as in higher classes, in different parts of the world reviewed their academic performance after they get into school based physical activities, found out astonishing results.
They found that
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Their academic performance improved after they attended physical education activities.
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There was no negative effect, even after allotting an additional hour to physical activities.
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They also observed that children who attended school along with PA or sports during the week, were performing better than their counterparts who only attended school lectures.
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There are many benefits of sports in schools for the below reasons:
Character Building Traits
It instills traits like self-confidence and self-esteem, team spirit, discipline, social skills, leadership skills etc.
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Self-confidence and Self-esteem
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A word of praise, a pat on the back, a loud roar from the team mates is some of the factors that boost self confidence in a child.
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When the children play, it’s not important whether they win or lose, but after playing, the appreciation which they receive makes them feel motivated and gives them a feeling of self-confidence, which stays with them forever.
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For example, if they are playing a game, and they lose, the teachers and parents should ask whether they enjoyed the game, give a pat on their back and say well played/good job etc. which would make the children happy, instead of asking why they didn’t win the game or what went wrong.
2. Discipline
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Discipline is often taught to the students in class. But the lesson is better learnt through self-learning is better learnt and what better way to teach someone, than through sports.
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Playing a game is a very big form of mental and physical discipline. The student has to follow the rules fairly, play the game and follow the coach for instructions, which makes them sincere and also successful.
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When the students play, it should be strictly instructed to them to follow the rules, or disqualification may be given. This would make them realize never to play in undisciplined manner.
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3. Team-Spirit
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Winning a game is not only due to an individual but the effort of the whole team in games like football, cricket etc.
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When a game is played, it requires the whole team’s work effort to work to win. A student cannot be selfish and play the game for themselves, but on behalf of the whole team.
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Team spirit is not only required to win the game, but in all phases of life, if someone moves ahead of us, we should have that spirit, not to feel bad about it.
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Like, at the end of the game, the losing team should be felicitated with the title of the team who showed great team spirit. This would make them proud of themselves and they would follow the same, in the future.
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4. Social Skills
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Sports help kids interact with each other having different traits. This helps to know about different people and how to behave with them.
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Sometimes, we come across people, who are not very friendly. But as we need to work together with them, we stay polite to them and work out a healthy relationship with them.
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It helps to develop mutual respect and cooperation.
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It can be done that, students who do not well together be placed in one team, so that they can work together and come to know each other, sometimes resolving the issue between them or find out a way to work together to achieve a common goal.
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5. Leadership
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Being the captain of a team is a lot of responsibilities and it would automatically teach the students to behave as a leader of them.
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It teaches them to take care of people who work with them, and progressing along with them, instead of only their personal growth.
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It also teaches them how to handle the people who are not well-behaved all the time.
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Being a good leader is to show how well one understands the team, and if some issue arises, the leader can handle it accordingly.
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For example, teachers sometimes make mischievous students the captain of the team, so that they become responsible, don’t get distracted and also come to know of their own self as a responsible leader/person.
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Academic and Health Benefits
Proven researches like above and similar ones have implied the importance of sports and its importance in academics and better health.
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Happiness
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The level of excitement and happiness that students get is unimaginable. For a while, they get to forget their studies, grades and all other negative thoughts and focus on the game, and be themselves.
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Playing any kind of sport also helps in releasing the hormones beta-endorphins, which increases the feeling of well-being as well as takes them away from depression, anxiety and other negative physical and mental problems.
2. Mobile phones at bay
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The biggest issue of parents and teachers of today is the extensive use of mobile phones by the students which would be lessened by playing sports.
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Not only the phones, sports also keeps the students from other negative influences as they do not have leisure time for something else and the mind doesn’t distract in the wrong direction.
3. Healthy mind in healthy body
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If students are said to exercise or meditate, they feel bored. But sports is a very good form of exercise which keeps a person fit, increases blood circulation, keeps obesity far away, prevents heart diseases and many more.
4. Academics
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It definitely helps with academics as the mind can concentrate at one place as its active due to sports. Like in the research above, it was proved that students who played and studied were better than the ones who did not.
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It also helps them find their passion and they can also make a career out of it.
Conclusion
When you say about including sports in school , it need not always be a supervised and well guided one always. It is better to form a group of students who have passion in certain sports skills and guide them to become good athletes.
However, not every student may like the pressure of being guided in their leisure activities. Let them play sports with minimal guidance just to ensure that they are safe but give them the freedom to form their own team, rules and just play for fun.
