(This article has been written by Rajesh Kumar Singh, Educationist and Founder & Managing Director of Kunverse Global School)
Sport is one of the greatest and most fascinating things man has created. As a powerful tool, sport removes every obstacle and helps us to think better about ourselves, both mentally and physically. Sport is very beneficial for children. Therefore, it is very important to include sports in your daily routine from childhood itself. Participation in sports early in life develops physical skills, makes new friends, gets regular exercise, learns to be a team member, learns to play fairly, improves self-esteem Come and enjoy.
Sports play an important role in the mental and physical growth and development of the child. However, the list of values and benefits a child can learn from sports is quite long. There are many other positive aspects of play that reveal its reality.
Play is a healthy and enjoyable way to keep a child engaged. Involving your child in sports at an early age goes a long way in their overall development. Sports have long been helpful to human beings in health, freshness, unity and happiness and provide a variety of benefits to children, youth, adults and the elderly. However, the contribution of sports in the physical and mental growth of children can be seen as its special result.
Given below are five such reasons, which are very important for the growth and early development of the child.
1. Staying active through sports supports good health
It has been said in many studies that by adopting an active lifestyle and following a healthy routine at a young age, the risk of serious problems like obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis and cholesterol and later blood pressure can be reduced.
2. Regular exercise helps relieve stress
Like teenagers, children also go through high levels of stress. If this stress is not removed in childhood, then it can lead to the problem of severe depression.
Regular exercise can activate certain parts of the brain by releasing feel-good chemicals that help relieve anxiety and depression. Such chemicals are called neurotransmitters and include dopamine, endorphins, norepinephrine, and serotonin.
Neurotransmitters are helpful in controlling the mind and are released when physical activity increases. So when the child actively plays sports they are able to overcome the level of depression in an effective manner.
3. Team Sports Keep Kids Engaged
Another benefit of sports is that it creates stability, especially among children who come from vulnerable backgrounds and communities.
Games provide an opportunity for children to do something special. The good thing is that play is an effective medium to engage children in activities related to character building. It has been seen that children fall prey to bad habits very fast in their spare time.
4. Physical activity can also improve academic performance
Actively participating in sports during childhood proves to be extremely effective for improving academic performance and overall development in the future.
Studies have shown that children who participate in sports from an early age have more positive attitudes, better test scores as well as good habits in the classroom, and children who have greater ability to focus and concentrate.
5. Games also help in character building
The skills learned and their use during physical activities and play go a long way in the growth and development of the child.
There are many important interpersonal values and characteristics that are gained by playing and participating in sports such as teamwork, honesty, valuing hard work.
Competition during sports helps children manage successes and failures.
parent’s contribution
1. If parents find it difficult to encourage their children to play sports, they should try to set an example for them by becoming more physically active by doing some work at home or by taking part in sports themselves. In addition, they can increase their children’s interest in sports by playing sports such as basketball, tennis or cricket with themselves or by simply throwing or catching a ball.
2. They should not pressurize the child to engage in a sport in which they are not particularly interested.
3. If the child does not want their parents to attend their match, then the parent should stay away from it and keep an eye on the result. There could be a possibility that they may be nervous about not performing or getting good scores, or may even run away with confidence. Therefore, parents should take a very supportive stance towards their children.
4. Parents should ensure that their children do not overlook other tasks like school homework, exams, tuition etc. It is vitally important not to overlook their other work in an effort to engage young children with play or some other grieving.