Research indicates that children engaged in physical activities and sports possess higher cardiovascular fitness and do better in most subjects including math, science and English. Also, children love participating in sport and physical activity and it is important they gain these skills and benefits at their schools. Sport participation enhances information processing, goal direction learning, flexible thinking, concentration and memory.
Sports have a proven power to affect child’s life world over. Participation in it provides a pathway to a better, brighter, and more successful future. However, in today’s world, widely and easily available technology including computers, video games, smartphones and iPods are adding to the problems started off by the good old TV screen. Children are seated glued to screens for good four to five hours a day in addition to the eight hours spent in class. This inactivity is contributing to what is now being called as the sitting disease.Too much inactivity converts into highly sedentary lifestyle that has been found to lead to a range of lifestyle diseases like diabetes, heart disease, obesity and depression.
The need to get up and get active is not a luxury but a necessity for children. Technology has its merit but the exposure needs to be limited, to allow time on the field and to be with other children. Physical activity brings myriad benefits to the brain. Studies show that just one 30-minute session of vigorous exercise demonstrates positive changes in the brain including improvements in memory and motor skill co-ordination.
A child does not have to be a professional athlete to play sport. In fact, those who participate recreationally stand to gain the most benefit. Simply by participating students gain a number of positive social and psychological skills including discipline, fairness, teamwork, leadership and empathy. Children who play sport show improved goal directed learning in class. They become better at ignoring distractions, managing several pieces of information at once, allowing flexible thinking and improved concentration.
Moreover, it is obvious that Children absolutely love participating in sports and physical activities. The best way to provide children with the ability and skills to play sport is to provide an opportunity to pick up these skills at an early age by providing access to sport facilities in school. Given the pressure of academic excellence on children, it is imperative that schools embrace the structured curriculum based approach for sports that are now available in our country.
Solutions that augment academic curriculum delivery while maintaining a healthy balance between mind and body are a must.
Holistic development of children can only be brought if schools adopt a scientific and innovative approach to physical education and sports.
The writer is Chirag Patel is the CEO of KOOH Sports