For many years, sport has been a strong element of the curriculum across the majority of good schools. In fact, you may have proud memories of times when you represented your own school at sporting events and how doing so has influenced your adult life to a certain extent. It is only fairly recently that research has begun to delve into the wider benefits of sport in schools.
Without a doubt, PE (physical education) lessons are beneficial in helping children stay fit and healthy, especially if it’s a regular feature of school life. However, it also helps young people on a mental, social and emotional level. In order to explore further, I have partnered up with a senior school in Surrey to get the perspective of their Director of Sport.
Regular physical sport activity, as experienced by children in schools, will help reduce the likelihood of many chronic illnesses, such as strokes, cancer, obesity, type two diabetes and even musculoskeletal illnesses. Since children might not necessarily understand these health benefits when they’re young, it becomes our responsibility as parents to ensure our children are getting enough physical exercise.
The fulfilment of winning a game will help a child with their self-esteem and overall happiness, which then contributes to improved performance in other school subjects. As well as physical health, sport helps children with their emotional wellbeing and can even be a great socialising skill as well as teaching children how to play well as part of a team.
Sport also helps young people develop key skills that can be transferred to other areas of their education and personal lives. For instance, when playing sport, young people need to know how to persevere, even when they feel like giving up. This is an important attribute that will help children succeed in exams and perhaps even in the future when they’re applying to universities or jobs. What’s more, children who play sports learn to become a team player and communicate effectively with their peers as a means to reach a common goal. Again, being able to work as part of a team is a valuable skill that can be transferred to other aspects of life.
Until next time,
Jada x
