How Does Sports Help Kids in School?

The Gurukul Panchkula Kids

Sports and physical activity generally play a significant part in the lifestyle of Indian kids. Involving a child in sports program can have both positive effects and drawbacks. Monitoring the child’s sporting experience can ensure that the positives outweigh the negatives. Physical education is an important component for any age which can have a big impact on the physical health of the child and overall outlook. Top ranked schools in Chandigarh use sports programs to give kids a chance to use some energy, boost self-esteem, get fit and develop much needed confidence to undertake challenging tasks on their own. 

Here are some ways sports help kids.

Psychological Well-Being 

A child participating in school sports gain important psychological benefits. Kids playing sports are likely to have reduced anxiety and depression. Sports can also boost self-esteem, which may improve confidence and academic performance. Learning to lose is an important lesson for kids that they get from sports. While there is no harm in being competitive, kids learn sportsmanship and express frustration in a non-aggressive manner.

Social Interaction 

Children who play sports are often found to enjoy enhanced social interaction with other kids. This method of socialization helps to build effective skills in children for interacting with both peers and adults. Organized sports in schools develop a peer culture that plays an important role in the school environment. When a child feels integrated into this environment, his school performance improves. Joining a sports team gives children a sense of belonging and the opportunity to make new friends. Getting involved in a sport also gives them a social circle and even enables them to learn tackling bullying at school.

Health Benefits 

An average school going child gets 43 minutes of moderate physical activity each day, according to some reports. However, the child spends nearly 20 percent of his time in watching television. School sports provide opportunities for exercise that ultimately promote cardiovascular fitness and weight management in kids. Health habits can be changed for kids aged between 12- 16. Involving children in school sports programs can help them develop healthy behaviors that can turn into good habits. Physical activity reduces risks for obesity in kids and maintain their body mass index.

Character Building 

Sports can provide opportunity for character-building in your kids. Children learn valuable lessons about cooperation and fair play. A child can also develop strong self-discipline as he strives to learn and excel at a sport. Self-discipline can help a child improve his school performance. Sports participation can also enhance critical-thinking and problem-solving abilities.

Higher Self-Esteem 

Playing sports boosts a child's sense of self-worth as he is surrounded by teammates who eventually become friends. This increased social status results in an improved attitude that encourages the child to become more enthusiastic and participate in a variety of activities including academic pursuits. Studies show that kids who play sports perform better in school than those who don't.

Improved Grades 

Studies report that students who performed best on fitness tests, excelling in aerobic capacity, strength, endurance and body composition, also performed better academically. For some students, sports can provide motivation for improved academic performance. Although not all athletes are natural students; however, playing the sport they love drives them to overcome obstacles in the classroom and improve performance. This helps them establish a work ethic that will serve them well for as long as they remain in academics.

Improved Concentration 

Multiple studies demonstrate that even relatively short spans of games or sports help to increase the duration and intensity of concentration following such physical activities. Students were found to be more attentive towards lectures and classroom activities, after engaging in sports. Most students were found not willing to leave the classroom as well. Kids who are more active show greater attention, have faster cognitive processing speed, and perform better on standardized academic tests than those who are less active. 

Building Resilience 

Sports and games come with highs and lows, wins and losses. Sports can sometimes be a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. One study found that children who are highly involved in sports are more ‘psychologically resilient’. Sports teaches kids to pick themselves up after a hard tackle. It also teaches them to hold their head high after losing or get right back immediately after a loss. Sport is also about bouncing back and learning from mistakes. The earlier kids can learn these skills, the better. These psychological and social benefits of playing sport can help kids become well-rounded and mature adults. 

Learning Team Work 

Sports eliminates the word "I" from the minds of kids and makes it "we". Children learn to think about their team first before themselves. This makes them less selfish and work in teams. Although individual performance is necessary, a team can’t succeed without working together. Communication is the key. Learning to be part of a team is like learning the value of effectiveness of teamwork. This can be a useful lesson for kids to carry into adulthood and their future careers.

School sports can have many benefits for children. Playing sports also teaches kids about responsibility and being part of a team and the importance of teamwork. This article discusses the many benefits of sports towards the grooming of a child in school.