Be it physical fitness, a healthy mind, or a positive attitude, sports help students with manifold advantages. Studies suggest that students who follow sports as a crucial element of their routine perform better even in academics. Sports ensure the good physical, mental and emotional health of children. Schools must emphasize sports and provide quality sports facilities as the same help inculcate significant life skills. Sports and physical activity must be a vital part of school education as it lays a strong foundation for a healthy lifestyle at an early age.
Glance through the top reasons why schools should be providing sports facilities and how indulging in sports rewards students with amazing returns.
Physical Benefits
- Better health & fitness - Sports serve as the best physical workouts for the body. Strengthening bones, toning muscles and instilling flexibility, sports are definitely the easiest yet most effective ways to keep children fit and healthy.
- Strong immunity - Medical research and studies have proved that physical activity leads to a better immune system. So why not give our children the advantage of the same by getting them involved in sports at the school level?
- Shield from lifestyle diseases - Physical education keeps students active saving them from chronic lifestyle diseases like diabetes, obesity, poor blood circulation, etc.
Mental Benefits
- Stress buster - Completing assignments, attending coaching classes and following a tight study schedule, students certainly go through a lot of stress unknowingly. Though the immense support and encouragement received from family members and friends always help, participation in sports acts as a quick stress buster. It refreshes the mind and retains energy making students ready to face any challenge!
- Improved reflex actions - The involuntary reactions called reflexes get better with sports activities.
- Active & alert mind - Thinking how sports nurture an alert, active mind? Well, it is scientifically proven! Playing sports results in better blood flow to the brain which in turn, aids in building a better connection between various nerves and the brain. In short, when students indulge in sports, they attain improved creativity and better memory power.
- Improved motor skills - Motor skills are the various abilities of the body that control different physical movements like balancing, walking, running, etc. Sports, especially organized sports are known for improving motor skills too.
Other benefits
- Mutual trust, teamwork & cooperation - Sports make children know and understand the importance of trust and teamwork. They learn to help and encourage each other in different situations.
- Acceptance of failures in a positive way - It is worth noticing that sportsman spirit is one of the best advantages offered by sports. Physical education makes children accept failures positively. They learn to cope with disappointment and do not fall prey to anxiety or depression at any point in life.
- Self-confidence - Sports encourage persistence and practice. Students can discover their talents and abilities by getting involved in sports which leads to augmented self-confidence.
- Discipline & responsibility - The organized structures, rules, and regulations attached to any sport induce disciple, responsibility, and self-control in participants.
- Better decision-making skills - Scientific studies say that sportspersons have better decision-making abilities. The need of making quick wise decisions under pressure is yet another important aspect that develops into a habit when regular sports participation is followed.
- Career-building skills - Most importantly, sports induce career-building skills in children that prove helpful in the future years when they grow up and join the workforce.
The Bottom Line
Nurturing feelings of love, peace, unity, discipline, and a lot more than you may imagine, sports ensure the holistic development of children and help them build a strong and confident character.
