Some school children look forward to signing up for competitive sports, while others find the physical requirements of sport to be like ‘pulling teeth’. For many, there is little question on the impact of keeping kids physically active, but there is much discussion on the topic of how this should be achieved.
For most schools, sports are a huge part of the facility’s culture and identity. This can be identified as a pro and a con. This week, we are going to take a look at the pros of the role that sports play in schools.
First, competition pushes children to learn at a quicker level, while performing at a better degree. Through sports, children learn how to think faster on their feet, hence leaving them to complete tasks at a faster pace. Aside from this, competition teaches one to bring forth their best foot. Keeping score may not always be seen as a good thing, but it gives one extra motivation to do their best, just as grading papers does as well. Competition can also teach one to manage their nerves, pushing one out of his or her comfort zone. It also can give an athlete the feeling of butterflies, and overtime can teach one how to manage that ‘adrenaline rush.’ This can be beneficial in a student’s future when it comes to taking exams, giving presentations and interviewing for jobs.
Competition can also be something that some students avoid due to fear, but once that fear is eased, the outcome can be very rewarding, teaching one to take healthy risks. Not only does competition help one overcome fear, but it can also teach one patience. In life, things do not always go our way, and playing competitive sports is one way of proving that. When a team does not win, the game usually did not ‘go their way.’ This outcome can train one’s mind that not everything in life will go your way, but that does not necessarily mean that you ‘lost,’ but rather to try a little harder the next time around.
Competition also teaches one how to set goals and practice to achieve those goals. In order to achieve the goals that one has in regard to sports, playing by the rules is critical. Understanding how to play with rules in place and creating approaches to use those rules to one’s benefit are all important things that competitive sports can teach a student.
With the need of commitment to succeed in competitive sports, this is a trait that one can take away when participating in competitive sports. To succeed in any sport, it will take lots of practice, and one showing up to scheduled practices and games as well. As anyone knows, students also have the responsibility and commitment to their schoolwork, which requires time management to be able to succeed in both schools and team sports, so in return sports can help play a role in building a student’s time management skills.
These are just some of the pros that school sports can play a role in. Stay tuned for next week’s blog to read about the other side of school sports, the cons.
Article by: Hala Sanyurah
