Written by As I wrote in my last article, sports have been on the chopping block of school budgets for decades. Physical education classes and extracurricular programs at all grade levels have suffered as districts insist on exam preparation as a more worthwhile pursuit. This is a dangerous trend, as a wealth of research points to the numerous benefits sports pose for children. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, physical education and school sports are “as important to long-term productivity” as academics.
They serve as a valuable tool for a child’s development. Regular activity at a young age not only promotes physical and emotional health; it also introduces kids to competencies that are key to their success in their academic, professional, and personal lives. Here are four important skills that are critical in encouraging kids to become healthy and productive citizens.
Sportsmanship
In every sport, there are rules to abide by, competitors to respect, and authority figures like referees and coaches to follow. As participants, kids have the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of how to be a good sport. Many of these values translate into good citizenship.
Winning and losing in competition is an opportune time to teach such values. Take, for example, learning to be a humble winner and gracious loser. Wins and losses happen constantly in life, and knowing how to act in each situation is critical to staying grounded and maintaining positive relationships. On the field, a team with a strong culture encourages courtesy in winning and losing.
Healthy Habits
To perform at a high level in any discipline, solid nutrition and conditioning are essential. As kids transition out of organized athletics and into an independent lifestyle, the habits of eating nutritious food and taking care of their bodies are already known. A lifelong commitment to a healthy, active lifestyle is set on its course. In addition, the World Health Organization has determined that higher levels of physical activity at a young age can drive kids away from unhealthy habits in the future, like consuming alcohol or tobacco.
While maintaining a healthy lifestyle into adulthood requires discipline, participating in sports does provide a solid foundation.
Teamwork
Knowing how to work effectively with groups is a critical skill that kids can develop through participation in sports. In fact, research from George Washington University found that the most enjoyable part of playing sports for kids was teamwork, not competition.
A team’s success depends on how well its members work well together. This is true for a high school basketball team as it is in the workplace, higher education, or even a community as a whole.
According to the University of Southern Maine, an athlete that is part of a team with a positive culture fosters a tendency toward cohesion, unity, and consensus-building off the field. In other words, working effectively as a team member in a given sport teaches kids the same lessons they need to be reliable and productive teammates in other pursuits. They are better prepared for those situations as a result of their prior experience working in a team.
Persistence
Learning to deal with the ups and downs of competition without losing focus or hope is an incredibly valuable lesson sports teach athletes. As with many aspects of sports, it serves as a mirror image of adult life. There are unavoidable peaks and valleys in one’s personal life, career, and health. Accepting this fact and knowing to maintain hope for the future is critical to long-term happiness. Just as a tennis player can come back after losing a set to win a match, an individual can rebound after a setback to achieve greater things.
Persistence, however, isn’t limited to competition. Athletes learn fairly quickly that the amount of dedication they put into their sport is directly related to their performance. Learning the value of hard work and how it leads to greater achievement is valuable for their future pursuits. As I’ve written previously, this practice must be of their own volition, or less it can result in burnout.
Sports and competition tend to resemble daily life. The lessons kids learn through participating in sports abound; in this article, I have chosen to focus on just four. Young athletes learn sportsmanship, healthy habits, teamwork, and persistence — all highly applicable to their future.