importance of sports in student life essay

Essay On Importance Of Sports

Essay on Sports

500+ word essay on the importance of sports.

Sports keep us healthy and active. We can have a healthy mind only when we have a healthy body. We can achieve anything in our lives if we have a healthy body and a peaceful mind. Physical and mental well-being comes naturally when we involve ourselves in sports activities. Sports help in improving our overall personality and make us more active and attentive. Here, students can find a 500+ Words Essay on the Importance of Sports where we will be discussing how important a role sports plays in our life.

Essay on the Importance of Sports

The topic of sports is very broad. It can serve as a form of therapy and a tool in different aspects of life, which can help change the world. Through sports, children develop physical skills, exercise, be team players, and improve their self-esteem. Sports play a significant role in advancing education and in enhancing knowledge.

Playing sports means regular exercising, jogging, going to the fitness centres or playing any game. There are different types of games involved in sports activities. Each game has its own specific rules. These sports activities are done either by individuals or teams for leisure, and entertainment as well as to compete against one another. Playing sports improves the physiological functions of the body organs and improves the functionality of the entire body system. Through sports, we learn different skills like leadership, patience, coordination, motivation, and team effort.

Sport has great importance in building personality, too. For some people, it is not only the body movement or playing strategy, but it’s a life philosophy. In the modern world, a positive attitude to sports is becoming a trend and style. Young people try to look sporty, fit and full of energy. A sports career in India was considered less lucrative in the past. However, now it has become one of the gainful professional options for students. Sometimes students take an interest in sports merely for adventure and a tension-free life. Now, sports games are gaining popularity. Various sports competitions are played at the international level, such as the Olympics. Apart from it, multiple matches and inter-city competitions are organised to promote the field of sports.

Benefits of Sports and Games

Nowadays, we can see problems related to unhealthy lifestyles. We sit more and more on the couch, surrounded by modern technologies. We don’t realise the importance and benefits of sports and physical activities. The lack of physical activity in our body leads to obesity and many other health problems such as heart disease and so. It has become a necessity of today’s world that all of us do daily physical activities or play any sports for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Regular physical activity benefits health in many ways. It helps build and maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints, controls weight, reduces fat, and prevents high blood pressure. Children who participate in physical activities such as sports, experience positive health benefits. These health benefits include a decreased risk of high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Also, these children are less likely to smoke or use drugs and alcohol than children who don’t participate in sports.

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Frequently asked Questions on the Importance of Sports Essay

Why is playing sports important for us.

Playing sports not only helps in the active functioning of our body but also helps in flexibility and reduces the chances of falling sick.

Which was the first sport to be played in the world?

Wrestling is said to have been the first sport played in the world, depictions of the same can be found in the caves of France.

Which is the most famous sport in the world?

Football is ranked as the top sport with 3.5 billion followers, seconded by Cricket.

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How Sports Benefit A Student’s Life and Why Is It Important?

Donna paula.

August 19, 2023

The popularity of sports in schools has been on the rise, with an increasing number of children actively participating in various athletic activities. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2020, an encouraging 54.1% of children engaged in sports. This growing trend highlights the importance of fostering discussions about physical well-being in students, as sports play a vital role in promoting their overall health and development.

This article will delve into the reasons behind the surge in sports participation and the significance of prioritizing physical well-being in the lives of young learners.

Why are sports important for students’ lives?

Sports are crucial for students’ lives as they instill discipline, time management, and resilience – essential qualities for academic and professional success. Through rigorous training and commitment, students learn discipline, a valuable skill in balancing studies and extracurriculars. Managing practice sessions, competitions, and academics teaches effective time management.

Moreover, facing challenges, victories, and defeats in sports fosters resilience, preparing students to handle setbacks in their academic and future professional pursuits. These experiences build character, confidence, and teamwork, shaping well-rounded individuals capable of navigating obstacles, adapting to change, and excelling in various spheres of life.

What are the physical health benefits of sports for students?

Sports offer numerous physical health benefits for students. Regular participation improves cardiovascular health, enhances muscular strength and endurance, and promotes flexibility and coordination. Engaging in physical activities helps maintain a healthy weight , reducing the risk of obesity-related issues. It also boosts bone density, reducing the likelihood of osteoporosis later in life.

Sports contribute to better immune function , reducing the occurrence of illnesses. Additionally, students who participate in sports are more likely to adopt a physically active lifestyle, which can lead to long-term health benefits and a decreased risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.

How do sports contribute to students’ mental and emotional well-being?

Beyond physical fitness, engaging in sports offers a myriad of psychological benefits that contribute to their overall mental health and emotional resilience.

Positive Impact of Sports on Mental Health and Stress Reduction

Participating in sports positively impacts students’ mental health by releasing endorphins , reducing stress hormones, and promoting a sense of achievement and self-worth. Regular physical activity in sports can alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression, improve mood, and enhance cognitive function. Furthermore, the camaraderie and social support within sports teams foster a sense of belonging and emotional well-being, empowering students to navigate life’s challenges with greater resilience and a positive outlook.

Do sports have an impact on student’s academic performance?

The relationship between sports and academic performance has been a subject of interest among educators and researchers alike. Many studies suggest that sports can positively impact students’ academic achievements , as engagement in physical activities fosters skills and traits that are transferable to the academic realm.

How sports can enhance concentration, discipline, and time management skills

Participating in sports demands focus and concentration, which can improve students’ ability to concentrate during study sessions and exams. The commitment and dedication required in sports instill discipline, enabling students to adhere to study schedules and deadlines. Moreover, managing sports practice and academic commitments cultivates practical time management skills, helping students balance their athletic pursuits and academic responsibilities. These acquired skills and traits contribute to improved academic performance and overall success in their educational journey.

What social skills and personal development opportunities do sports provide for students?

Engaging in team sports and competitive activities can foster a range of interpersonal abilities essential for building solid relationships and navigating social situations effectively.

Exploring the social benefits of sports, such as teamwork, communication, and leadership

Participating in team sports cultivates essential social skills like teamwork, where students learn to collaborate and work cohesively toward a common goal. Effective communication is honed as players interact on and off the field, fostering understanding and cooperation.

Additionally, sports present leadership opportunities, empowering students to take charge, motivate others, and guide their teammates toward success. These social attributes not only enhance the sports experience but also carry over to various aspects of student’s personal and professional lives.

Fostering interpersonal relationships and community engagement through sports

Sports provide a platform for students to build lasting friendships and bonds, creating a sense of belonging and support within their teams. As they compete against other schools or communities, students develop a broader perspective, understanding diverse viewpoints and embracing inclusivity.

Furthermore, sports events and tournaments promote community engagement, bringing together families, friends, and supporters, fostering a collective spirit and a shared passion for sports. These experiences help students appreciate the value of community involvement and contribute to their personal development as empathetic, socially conscious individuals.

How can participating in sports teach students important values and life skills?

The experiences gained in sports, such as perseverance, sportsmanship, and goal setting, play a pivotal role in shaping their character and preparing them for future challenges.

Highlighting the values and life skills learned through sports, such as perseverance, sportsmanship, and goal setting

Sports provide a fertile ground for cultivating important values and life skills. Perseverance is developed as students encounter setbacks and learn to bounce back stronger. Sportsmanship instills respect for opponents and fair play, promoting integrity and empathy. Goal setting teaches students to work with dedication and discipline, fostering a growth mindset and determination to achieve both on and off the field. These invaluable qualities prepare students for success in various aspects of life, laying a strong foundation for personal growth and achievement.

How sports contribute to character development and preparing students for future challenges

Engaging in sports not only enhances physical abilities but also plays a significant role in character development. The challenges and triumphs experienced in sports teach students resilience, teaching them to overcome obstacles with fortitude. Learning to win gracefully and accept defeat with humility nurtures sportsmanship and a sense of fair competition.

Furthermore, the camaraderie and teamwork fostered through sports build social skills and the ability to collaborate effectively. These character-building experiences equip students with the tools needed to face future challenges, instilling confidence and a positive mindset that will serve them well in their academic, professional, and personal endeavors.

How can students balance sports and education effectively?

Balancing sports and education is a common challenge faced by students, as both demand significant time and dedication. Effectively managing these commitments is crucial to ensure academic success while reaping the numerous benefits that sports offer.

Tips and strategies for students to manage their time effectively between sports and academics

Create a schedule: Develop a well-structured timetable that includes dedicated study hours and sports practice sessions. Organizing tasks in advance helps students allocate time efficiently, preventing last-minute rushes and reducing stress.
Prioritize tasks: Identify academic assignments and exams that require immediate attention and focus on completing them first. Learning to prioritize helps students manage their time effectively, ensuring they fulfill their academic obligations without compromising their sports commitments.
Utilize downtime efficiently: Make use of breaks between classes or during travel to review notes or complete quick academic tasks. These pockets of time add up and allow students to stay on top of their studies even during busy sports seasons.
Communicate with coaches and teachers: Open communication with coaches and teachers is vital. Informing them about academic commitments and sports schedules can lead to better support and flexibility when necessary.
Set realistic goals: Establish achievable short-term and long-term goals for both academics and sports. Realistic objectives keep students motivated and focused, leading to a more balanced approach.
Learn time management techniques: Adopt effective time management techniques, such as the Pomodoro Technique, to improve productivity during study sessions and maintain energy levels during sports activities.
Stay organized: Keep academic materials and sports gear well-organized to save time and reduce distractions when transitioning between sports and study sessions.
Get enough rest and nutrition: Proper rest and a balanced diet are essential for peak performance in both sports and academics. Adequate sleep and nutrition help students stay alert, focused, and perform at their best in all areas of life.
Seek support: Reach out to peers, coaches, or academic advisors for support and advice on managing sports and education. Sharing experiences and seeking guidance can be beneficial in finding effective solutions.

The importance of maintaining a healthy balance between sports and other responsibilities

Finding an equilibrium between sports and education is vital for students’ holistic development. While sports contribute to physical fitness, teamwork, and character-building, academic success remains a crucial foundation for future opportunities and career prospects.

Striking a balance ensures that students not only excel in sports but also perform well academically, opening doors to a wider range of possibilities. Furthermore, maintaining a healthy balance teaches students valuable life skills, such as time management, discipline, and adaptability, which are transferable to various aspects of their personal and professional lives. This balance also helps students avoid burnout and excessive stress, promoting overall well-being and fostering a positive outlook toward both their educational and athletic endeavors.

Ultimately, a harmonious blend of sports and education prepares students for future challenges, equipping them with a well-rounded skill set and a strong foundation for success.

What are the long-term benefits of sports in students’ lives?

Participating in sports during their formative years can have a lasting impact on student’s lives, extending far beyond their school days. The skills and values acquired through sports play a significant role in shaping their character and influencing their personal and professional journeys.

How the skills and values acquired through sports continue to benefit students in their personal and professional lives

Discipline and Time Management: The discipline and time management skills cultivated in sports become ingrained habits that students carry forward into adulthood. Whether it’s meeting work deadlines, balancing family responsibilities, or pursuing personal goals, the ability to manage time efficiently proves invaluable in maintaining a successful and fulfilling life.
Resilience and Perseverance: Sports often involve facing challenges, setbacks, and failures. Learning to bounce back, stay motivated, and strive for improvement instills resilience and perseverance. These traits enable individuals to navigate the ups and downs of life, tackle obstacles with determination, and ultimately achieve their ambitions.
Teamwork and Leadership: The teamwork and leadership experiences gained through sports carry over into various aspects of professional life. Working collaboratively, communicating effectively, and motivating others are all vital skills in a team-oriented workplace. For those in leadership positions, the ability to inspire, delegate, and make strategic decisions stems from the foundations laid in their sports endeavors.
Stress Management and Well-being: Sports offer a healthy outlet for stress relief, promoting mental well-being. Engaging in physical activity as a lifelong practice contributes to better physical health, reducing the risk of chronic illnesses. Regular exercise releases endorphins, fostering a positive mood and overall emotional balance.
Networking and Social Skills: Participating in sports introduces students to a diverse range of individuals, from teammates to coaches, opponents, and spectators. Building strong interpersonal relationships and networking are essential in both personal and professional life, opening doors to opportunities and connections.
Healthy Lifestyle: The value of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, learned through sports, remains relevant throughout life. Students who develop a love for physical activity are more likely to continue engaging in exercise and recreational sports as adults, reducing the risk of health issues and promoting longevity.

Participating in sports offers a wealth of long-term benefits that extend well beyond the playing field. For students, the skills and values acquired through sports form a strong foundation for personal and professional growth, fostering resilience, discipline, and teamwork. As parents and students, embracing the opportunities sports provide can pave the way for a healthier, more fulfilling life, promoting overall well-being and a brighter future filled with countless possibilities. Embrace the power of sports, and embark on a journey of holistic development and lasting success.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do sports and fitness affect students’ life.

Sports and fitness positively impact students’ lives by promoting physical health, building discipline, enhancing teamwork, fostering mental well-being, and instilling valuable life skills.

Why sports are important in youth development?

Sports are crucial in youth development as they promote physical fitness, teamwork, discipline, resilience, and social skills, nurturing well-rounded individuals for a successful future.

What is the importance of sports development programs in schools?

Sports development programs in schools are essential as they enhance physical fitness, teach life skills, build teamwork, boost confidence, and cultivate a healthy competitive spirit, contributing to students’ overall growth and success.

How can you encourage youth to participate in sports?

Encourage youth to participate in sports by highlighting the fun, camaraderie, health benefits, and opportunities for personal growth and achievement that sports offer.

Why is physical fitness important to students, and how will it impact your academic performance?

Physical fitness is vital for students as it improves concentration, memory, and cognitive function, leading to better academic performance. Regular exercise also reduces stress, enhances mood, and boosts overall well-being, creating a positive impact on learning and achievement.

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Importance of Sports in Student’s Life Essay

Importance of Sports in Student’s Life Essay (450+ Words)

Sports have a significant role in the lives of students, just like food, education, and other essential things. It is a means of entertainment, which is necessary for students who are engrossed in their studies. Outdoor sports help students revive and regain their lost energy, providing mental freshness and the ability to concentrate better on their studies.

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Moreover, sports are essential for good health. Outdoor games, especially, allow students to share the company of nature and inhale the fresh air, providing them with physical exercise, which keeps them physically and mentally fit. The games and sports make the students dynamic, which is vital at their age.

Sports teach students valuable qualities such as discipline, collaboration, leadership, judgment, courage, and determination to win, which are essential for developing their personality traits. These characteristics make them effective in various circumstances, enabling them to contribute significantly to society and the country to which they belong.

Furthermore, sports provide an outlet for excess fat and weight, keeping students healthy and active. This aspect is crucial in maintaining their health, as sports activities are the best means to utilize time positively.

However, India’s sports standards are not at par with other developed countries, mainly because sports activities do not receive enough importance in schools and universities. Therefore, making sports compulsory in all schools and colleges is vital to empower various students to participate in sports, which will also facilitate the country to select the best teams out of the crowd.

The advantages of sports are not limited to good health and personality development. Great athletes become well-known in society, earning names and fame for themselves, their institution, and their country. They get good jobs in good organizations, and many athletes have chosen the game as their profession, earning good money and the opportunity to travel to various destinations and enjoy life.

To achieve the country’s desired standards in sports, it is crucial to provide opportunities to children right from the beginning. Sports can be made a compulsory subject, and marks can be added to the result to attract students to work hard and succeed in sports. The government and school administration have to ensure adequate sports facilities in all schools and colleges to inspire students to take part with more interest.

In conclusion, sports have an extraordinary value in life, and their nobility should be maintained. Teachers need to ensure that students are given the opportunity to show genuine ability, effortlessness, nobility, and liberality. Students should be motivated to participate in sports to gain a genuine advantage from games. With this approach, many Indian sportsmen have won laurels for the country in many events, and the aim of each student should be to accomplish a good position in sports activities.

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How to Write a Non-Cliche College Essay About Sports + Examples

What’s covered:, what makes a sports essay cliche.

How To Make Your Sports Essay Unique

Great Examples of College Essays About Sports

Where to get your college essay edited for free, or by an expert.

You’ve been brainstorming essay topics for your college applications, and you think you’ve finally found the right one: an extended metaphor likening your experience on the field with overcoming personal struggles. The problem: many other students have this same thought.

The purpose of a college essay is to make yourself stand out as a unique individual, but when students write about sports, they often blend in. Because of that, students are usually advised to pick a different topic.

That being said, it is possible to write a non-cliche college essay about sports if you put in a little extra effort. Read along to learn how to make your sports essay different from all the other sports essays.

Sports essays are cliche when they follow a standard trajectory. Some of these trajectories include writing a story about:

An agonizing defeat
Forging bonds with teammates
Overcoming adversity
Overcoming an injury
Refusing to quit
Victory during a big game

Because sports essays have very similar themes and “lessons learned,” it can be difficult to make your story stand out. These trajectories also often focus too much on the sport or storyline, and not enough on the writer’s reflections and personality.

As you write your essay, try to think about what your experience says about you rather than what you learned from your experience. You are more than just one lesson you learned!

(Keep in mind that the sports essay is not the only college essay cliche. Learn about other essay cliches and how to fix them in our complete guide).

How to Make Your Sports Essay Unique

1. focus on a specific moment or reflection..

The college essay is a way for students to humanize themselves to admissions officers. You do not feel human if you are describing yourself as just another player on the field!

One important way to make your essay about you (not just about sports) is by focusing on a specific moment in time and inviting the reader to join you in that moment. Explain to the reader what it would be like to be sitting in that locker room as you questioned the values of the other players on your team. Ask your reader to sit with you on the cot in the trainer’s room as your identity was stripped away from you when they said “your body can’t take this anymore.” Bring your reader to the dinner table and involve them in your family’s conversation about how sports were affecting your mental health and your treatment of those around you.

Intense descriptions of a specific experience will evoke emotions in your reader and allow them to connect with you and feel for you.

When in doubt, avoid anything that can be covered by ESPN. On ESPN, we see the games, we see the benches, we even see the locker rooms and training rooms. Take your reader somewhere different and show them something unique.

2. Use sports to point out broader themes in your life.

The main risk when writing about sports is neglecting to write about yourself. Before you get started, think about the main values that you want to express in your sports essay. Sports are simply your avenue for telling the reader what makes you unique.

As a test, imagine if you were a pianist. Would you be able to talk about these same values? What if you were a writer? Or a chemist? Articulating your values is the end, and sports should simply be your means.

Some values that you might want to focus on:

Autonomy (you want to be able to set your mind to anything and achieve it on your own)
Growth (you seek improvement constantly)
Curiosity (you are willing to try anything once)
Vulnerability (you aren’t afraid to fail, as long as you give it your all)
Community (you value the feedback of others and need camaraderie to succeed)
Craft (you think that with deliberate care, anything can be perfected)
Responsibility (you believe that you owe something to those around you and perhaps they also owe something to you)

You can use the ESPN check again to make sure that you are using sports as an avenue to show your depth.

Things ESPN covers: how a player reacts to defeat, how injuries affect a player’s gameplay/attitude, how players who don’t normally work well together are working together on their new team.

Things ESPN doesn’t cover: the conversation that a player had with their mother about fear of death before going into a big surgery (value: family and connection), the ways that the intense pressure to succeed consumed a player to the point they couldn’t be there for the people in their life (value: supporting others and community), the body image issues that weigh on a player’s mind when playing their sport and how they overcame those (value: health and growth).

3. Turn a cliche storyline on its head.

There’s no getting around the fact that sports essays are often cliche. But there is a way to confront the cliche head-on. For example, lots of people write essays about the lessons they learned from an injury, victory, and so on, but fewer students explain how they are embracing those lessons.

Perhaps you learned that competition is overwhelming for you and you prefer teamwork, so you switched from playing basketball to playing Dungeons & Dragons. Maybe, when your softball career ended abruptly, you had to find a new identity and that’s when you became obsessed with your flower garden and decided to pursue botany. Or maybe, you have stuck with football through it all, but your junior-year mental health struggle showed you that football should be fun and you have since started a nonprofit for local children to healthily engage with sports.

If your story itself is more cliche, try bringing readers to the present moment with you and show why the cliche matters and what it did for you. This requires a fair amount of creativity. Ensure you’re not parroting a frequently used topic by really thinking deeply to find your own unique spin.

Night had robbed the academy of its daytime colors, yet there was comfort in the dim lights that cast shadows of our advances against the bare studio walls. Silhouettes of roundhouse kicks, spin crescent kicks, uppercuts and the occasional butterfly kick danced while we sparred. She approached me, eyes narrowed with the trace of a smirk challenging me. “Ready spar!” Her arm began an upward trajectory targeting my shoulder, a common first move. I sidestepped — only to almost collide with another flying fist. Pivoting my right foot, I snapped my left leg, aiming my heel at her midsection. The center judge raised one finger.

There was no time to celebrate, not in the traditional sense at least. Master Pollard gave a brief command greeted with a unanimous “Yes, sir” and the thud of 20 hands dropping-down-and-giving-him-30, while the “winners” celebrated their victory with laps as usual.

Three years ago, seven-thirty in the evening meant I was a warrior. It meant standing up straighter, pushing a little harder, “Yes, sir” and “Yes, ma’am”, celebrating birthdays by breaking boards, never pointing your toes, and familiarity. Three years later, seven-thirty in the morning meant I was nervous.

The room is uncomfortably large. The sprung floor soaks up the checkerboard of sunlight piercing through the colonial windows. The mirrored walls further illuminate the studio and I feel the light scrutinizing my sorry attempts at a pas de bourrée, while capturing the organic fluidity of the dancers around me. “Chassé en croix, grand battement, pique, pirouette.” I follow the graceful limbs of the woman in front of me, her legs floating ribbons, as she executes what seems to be a perfect ronds de jambes. Each movement remains a negotiation. With admirable patience, Ms. Tan casts me a sympathetic glance.

There is no time to wallow in the misery that is my right foot. Taekwondo calls for dorsiflexion; pointed toes are synonymous with broken toes. My thoughts drag me into a flashback of the usual response to this painful mistake: “You might as well grab a tutu and head to the ballet studio next door.” Well, here I am Master Pollard, unfortunately still following your orders to never point my toes, but no longer feeling the satisfaction that comes with being a third degree black belt with 5 years of experience quite literally under her belt. It’s like being a white belt again — just in a leotard and ballet slippers.

But the appetite for new beginnings that brought me here doesn’t falter. It is only reinforced by the classical rendition of “Dancing Queen” that floods the room and the ghost of familiarity that reassures me that this new beginning does not and will not erase the past. After years spent at the top, it’s hard to start over. But surrendering what you are only leads you to what you may become. In Taekwondo, we started each class reciting the tenets: honor, courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, courage, humility, and knowledge, and I have never felt that I embodied those traits more so than when I started ballet.

The thing about change is that it eventually stops making things so different. After nine different schools, four different countries, three different continents, fluency in Tamil, Norwegian, and English, there are more blurred lines than there are clear fragments. My life has not been a tactfully executed, gold medal-worthy Taekwondo form with each movement defined, nor has it been a series of frappés performed by a prima ballerina with each extension identical and precise, but thankfully it has been like the dynamics of a spinning back kick, fluid, and like my chances of landing a pirouette, unpredictable.

Why it works:

What’s especially powerful about this essay is that the author uses detailed imagery to convey a picture of what they’re experiencing, so much so that the reader is along for the ride. This works as a sports essay not only because of the language and sensory details, but also because the writer focuses on a specific moment in time, while at the same time exploring why Taekwondo is such an important part of their life.

After the emotional image is created, the student finishes their essay with valuable reflection. With the reflection, they show admissions officers that they are mature and self-aware. Self-awareness comes through with statements like “surrendering what you are only leads you to what you may become” and maturity can be seen through the student’s discussion of values “honor, courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, courage, humility, and knowledge, and I have never felt that I embodied those traits more so than when I started ballet.” These are the kinds of comments that should find their way into a sports essay!

“Advanced females ages 13 to 14 please proceed to staging with your coaches at this time.” Skittering around the room, eyes wide and pleading, I frantically explained my situation to nearby coaches. The seconds ticked away in my head; every polite refusal increased my desperation.

Despair weighed me down. I sank to my knees as a stream of competitors, coaches, and officials flowed around me. My dojang had no coach, and the tournament rules prohibited me from competing without one.

Although I wanted to remain strong, doubts began to cloud my mind. I could not help wondering: what was the point of perfecting my skills if I would never even compete? The other members of my team, who had found coaches minutes earlier, attempted to comfort me, but I barely heard their words. They couldn’t understand my despair at being left on the outside, and I never wanted them to understand.

Since my first lesson 12 years ago, the members of my dojang have become family. I have watched them grow up, finding my own happiness in theirs. Together, we have honed our kicks, blocks, and strikes. We have pushed one another to aim higher and become better martial artists. Although my dojang had searched for a reliable coach for years, we had not found one. When we attended competitions in the past, my teammates and I had always gotten lucky and found a sympathetic coach. Now, I knew this practice was unsustainable. It would devastate me to see the other members of my dojang in my situation, unable to compete and losing hope as a result. My dojang needed a coach, and I decided it was up to me to find one.

I first approached the adults in the dojang – both instructors and members’ parents. However, these attempts only reacquainted me with polite refusals. Everyone I asked told me they couldn’t devote multiple weekends per year to competitions. I soon realized that I would have become the coach myself.

At first, the inner workings of tournaments were a mystery to me. To prepare myself for success as a coach, I spent the next year as an official and took coaching classes on the side. I learned everything from motivational strategies to technical, behind-the-scenes components of Taekwondo competitions. Though I emerged with new knowledge and confidence in my capabilities, others did not share this faith.

Parents threw me disbelieving looks when they learned that their children’s coach was only a child herself. My self-confidence was my armor, deflecting their surly glances. Every armor is penetrable, however, and as the relentless barrage of doubts pounded my resilience, it began to wear down. I grew unsure of my own abilities.

Despite the attack, I refused to give up. When I saw the shining eyes of the youngest students preparing for their first competition, I knew I couldn’t let them down. To quit would be to set them up to be barred from competing like I was. The knowledge that I could solve my dojang’s longtime problem motivated me to overcome my apprehension.

Now that my dojang flourishes at competitions, the attacks on me have weakened, but not ended. I may never win the approval of every parent; at times, I am still tormented by doubts, but I find solace in the fact that members of my dojang now only worry about competing to the best of their abilities.

Now, as I arrive at a tournament with my students, I close my eyes and remember the past. I visualize the frantic search for a coach and the chaos amongst my teammates as we compete with one another to find coaches before the staging calls for our respective divisions. I open my eyes to the exact opposite scene. Lacking a coach hurt my ability to compete, but I am proud to know that no member of my dojang will have to face that problem again.

In the beginning, you might think this is another cliche sports essay about overcoming adversity. But instead, it becomes a unique statement and coming-of-age tale that reads as a suspenseful narrative.

The author connects their experience with martial arts to larger themes in their life but manages to do so without riffing off of tried-and-true themes. Through statements like “I knew I couldn’t let them down. To quit would be to set them up to be barred from competing like I was” we learn about the students values and their desire to be there for those who depend on them.

The student also brings it full circle, demonstrating their true transformation. By using the “Same, but Different” ending technique , the student places themself in the same environment that we saw in the intro, but experiences it differently due to their actions throughout the narrative. This is very compelling!

“1…2…3…4 pirouettes! New record!” My friends cheered as I landed my turns. Pleased with my progress, I gazed down at my worn-out pointe shoes. The sweltering blisters, numbing ice-baths, and draining late-night practices did not seem so bad after all. Next goal: five turns.

For as long as I can remember, ballet, in all its finesse and glamor, had kept me driven day to day. As a child, the lithe ballerinas, donning ethereal costumes as they floated across the stage, were my motivation. While others admired Messi and Adele, I idolized Carlos Acosta, principal dancer of the Royal Ballet.

As I devoted more time and energy towards my craft, I became obsessed with improving my technique. I would stretch for hours after class, forcing my leg one inch higher in an effort to mirror the Dance Magazine cover girls. I injured my feet and ruined pair after pair of pointe shoes, turning on wood, cement, and even grass to improve my balance as I spun. At competitions, the dancers with the 180-degree leg extensions, endless turns, and soaring leaps—the ones who received “Bravos!” from the roaring audience—further pushed me to refine my skills and perfect my form. I believed that, with enough determination, I would one day attain their level of perfection. Reaching the quadruple-pirouette milestone only intensified my desire to accomplish even more.

My efforts seemed to have come to fruition two summers ago when I was accepted to dance with Moscow’s Bolshoi Ballet at their renowned New York City summer intensive. I walked into my first session eager to learn from distinguished ballet masters and worldly dancers, already anticipating my improvement. Yet, as I danced alongside the accomplished ballerinas, I felt out of place. Despite their clean technique and professional training, they did not aim for glorious leg extensions or prodigious leaps. When they performed their turn combinations, most of them only executed two turns as I attempted four.

“Dancers, double-pirouettes only.”

Taken aback and confused, I wondered why our teacher expected so little from us. The other ballerinas seemed content, gracing the studio with their simple movements.

As I grew closer with my Moscow roommates, I gradually learned that their training emphasized the history of the art form instead of stylistic tricks. Rather than show off their physical ability, their performances aimed to convey a story, one that embodied the rich culture of ballet and captured both the legacy of the dancers before them and their own artistry. As I observed my friends more intently in repertoire class, I felt the pain of the grief-stricken white swan from Swan Lake, the sass of the flirtatious Kitri from Don Quijote, and I gradually saw what I had overlooked before. My definition of talent had been molded by crowd-pleasing elements—whirring pirouettes, gravity-defying leaps, and mind-blowing leg extensions. This mindset slowly stripped me from the roots of my passion and my personal connection with ballet.

With the Bolshoi, I learned to step back and explore the meaning behind each step and the people behind the scenes. Ballet carries history in its movements, from the societal values of the era to each choreographer’s unique flair. As I uncovered the messages behind each pirouette, kick, and jump, my appreciation for ballet grew beyond my obsession with raw athleticism and developed into a love for the art form’s emotive abilities in bridging the dancers with the audience. My journey as an artist has allowed me to see how technical execution is only the means to a greater understanding between dancer and spectator, between storyteller and listener. The elegance and complexity of ballet does not revolve around astonishing stunts but rather the evocative strength and artistry manifested in the dancer, in me. It is the combination of sentiments, history, tradition, and passion that has allowed ballet and its lessons of human connection to become my lifestyle both on and off stage.

This essay is about lessons. While the author is a dancer, this narrative isn’t really about ballet, per se — it’s about the author’s personal growth. It is purposefully reflective as the student shows a nice character arc that begins with an eager young ballerina and ends with a reflection on their past. The primary strength of this essay is the honesty and authenticity that the student approaches it with.

In the end, the student turns a cliche on its head as they embrace the idea of overcoming adversity and demonstrate how the adversity, in this case, was their own stereotypes about their art. It’s beautiful!

“Getting beat is one thing – it’s part of competing – but I want no part in losing.” Coach Rob Stark’s motto never fails to remind me of his encouragement on early-morning bus rides to track meets around the state. I’ve always appreciated the phrase, but an experience last June helped me understand its more profound, universal meaning.

Stark, as we affectionately call him, has coached track at my high school for 25 years. His care, dedication, and emphasis on developing good character has left an enduring impact on me and hundreds of other students. Not only did he help me discover my talent and love for running, but he also taught me the importance of commitment and discipline and to approach every endeavor with the passion and intensity that I bring to running. When I learned a neighboring high school had dedicated their track to a longtime coach, I felt that Stark deserved similar honors.

Our school district’s board of education indicated they would only dedicate our track to Stark if I could demonstrate that he was extraordinary. I took charge and mobilized my teammates to distribute petitions, reach out to alumni, and compile statistics on the many team and individual champions Stark had coached over the years. We received astounding support, collecting almost 3,000 signatures and pages of endorsements from across the community. With help from my teammates, I presented this evidence to the board.

They didn’t bite.

Most members argued that dedicating the track was a low priority. Knowing that we had to act quickly to convince them of its importance, I called a team meeting where we drafted a rebuttal for the next board meeting. To my surprise, they chose me to deliver it. I was far from the best public speaker in the group, and I felt nervous about going before the unsympathetic board again. However, at that second meeting, I discovered that I enjoy articulating and arguing for something that I’m passionate about.

Public speaking resembles a cross country race. Walking to the starting line, you have to trust your training and quell your last minute doubts. When the gun fires, you can’t think too hard about anything; your performance has to be instinctual, natural, even relaxed. At the next board meeting, the podium was my starting line. As I walked up to it, familiar butterflies fluttered in my stomach. Instead of the track stretching out in front of me, I faced the vast audience of teachers, board members, and my teammates. I felt my adrenaline build, and reassured myself: I’ve put in the work, my argument is powerful and sound. As the board president told me to introduce myself, I heard, “runners set” in the back of my mind. She finished speaking, and Bang! The brief silence was the gunshot for me to begin.

The next few minutes blurred together, but when the dust settled, I knew from the board members’ expressions and the audience’s thunderous approval that I had run quite a race. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough; the board voted down our proposal. I was disappointed, but proud of myself, my team, and our collaboration off the track. We stood up for a cause we believed in, and I overcame my worries about being a leader. Although I discovered that changing the status quo through an elected body can be a painstakingly difficult process and requires perseverance, I learned that I enjoy the challenges this effort offers. Last month, one of the school board members joked that I had become a “regular” – I now often show up to meetings to advocate for a variety of causes, including better environmental practices in cafeterias and safer equipment for athletes.

Just as Stark taught me, I worked passionately to achieve my goal. I may have been beaten when I appealed to the board, but I certainly didn’t lose, and that would have made Stark proud.

This essay uses the idea of sports to explore a more profound topic—growing through relationships. They really embrace using sports as an avenue to tell the reader about a specific experience that changed the way they approach the world.

The emphasis on relationships is why this essay works well and doesn’t fall into a cliche. The narrator grows not because of their experience with track but because of their relationship with their coach, who inspired them to evolve and become a leader.

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Essay on Importance of Sports

Students are often asked to write an essay on Importance of Sports in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Importance of Sports

Introduction.

Sports play a vital role in our lives. They are not just for fun but are also important for our health and overall development.

Health Benefits

Participating in sports helps us stay fit and healthy. It strengthens our muscles, improves heart function, and boosts our immune system.

Building Character

Sports teach us important life skills like teamwork, leadership, and discipline. It instills a sense of responsibility and helps us develop a strong character.

Improving Academics

Sports improve concentration and memory, aiding in academic performance. It also reduces stress and enhances creativity.

In conclusion, sports are essential for our physical, mental, and social well-being. Therefore, everyone should participate in sports regularly.

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Speech on Importance of Sports

250 Words Essay on Importance of Sports

The pivotal role of sports.

Sports play a significant role in shaping our lives. They are not just physical activities to keep us fit, but they also contribute to our overall personality development, and instill values such as discipline, responsibility, self-confidence, sacrifice, and accountability.

Physical and Mental Wellbeing

Sports are instrumental in maintaining physical health, improving mental strength, and promoting social interaction. They enhance cardiovascular health, improve muscle strength, and help in weight management. Moreover, they foster mental health by reducing stress, anxiety, and depression. The spirit of sportsmanship developed through sports is invaluable, teaching individuals to handle both victory and defeat with grace.

Life Skills and Character Building

Sports provide a platform for the development of essential life skills. They nurture teamwork, leadership, problem-solving abilities, and time management skills. They also instill a sense of discipline and punctuality, which are crucial for personal and professional life. Moreover, sports foster resilience and perseverance, teaching individuals to remain undeterred in the face of challenges.

Contribution to Academic Success

Contrary to the common perception, sports can enhance academic performance. They improve concentration, memory, and learning abilities, thereby contributing to academic success. Furthermore, many universities value sports achievements, providing scholarships to talented athletes.

In essence, sports are an integral part of a well-rounded education system. They offer a multitude of benefits beyond physical fitness, contributing significantly to mental health, character building, and academic success. Therefore, the importance of sports in our lives and society at large cannot be overstated.

500 Words Essay on Importance of Sports

Sports, often perceived merely as games, hold a significant place in society. Their importance transcends the boundaries of recreation, extending to the domains of education, social development, and health.

Physical and Mental Health

Engaging in sports is an excellent way to maintain physical health. It helps in the development of muscular strength and enhances body coordination. The physical exertion involved helps in burning calories, improving cardiovascular health, and boosting the immune system.

Beyond physical health, sports also contribute to mental well-being. They help in reducing stress levels and improving mood. The concentration required during sports activities enhances cognitive skills. Furthermore, sports promote better sleep, which is crucial for mental health.

Character and Skill Development

Sports serve as a practical platform for character and skill development. They inculcate essential values such as teamwork, discipline, and respect for others. Sports teach individuals to handle both success and failure gracefully, fostering resilience.

From a skills perspective, sports enhance leadership abilities, strategic thinking, and decision-making skills. They also foster communication and negotiation skills, as sports often require individuals to strategize and collaborate to achieve a common goal.

Social Benefits

Sports play a vital role in building a sense of community. They foster social interaction and help in developing strong relationships based on mutual interests. Participating in sports can also break the barriers of race, religion, and culture, promoting social harmony.

Educational Value

In an academic setting, sports can significantly contribute to a student’s learning experience. They teach practical lessons about the importance of hard work, perseverance, and dedication. Moreover, students who engage in sports often display improved concentration and learning abilities in their academic pursuits.

Economic Impact

On a larger scale, sports contribute to economic development. They generate employment, boost tourism, and can spur infrastructural development. Successful sports events can significantly contribute to the local and national economy.

In conclusion, the importance of sports is multifaceted. They contribute to individual health, character development, social cohesion, and economic prosperity. As society becomes increasingly sedentary, the role of sports in promoting a healthy and active lifestyle becomes even more crucial. Therefore, fostering a culture that values and promotes sports participation is essential for individual well-being and societal progress.

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Reasons Why Sports are Important in a Student's Life

Why are sports important.

When we talk about a student, an image of a child with a heavy school bag with lots of books immediately pops into our minds. However, many believe that a school's environment shouldn’t be just confined to academics. Since only reading or studying makes children bookworm, many other activities have a vital role in the holistic development of a student, such as sports or games, etc.

But some people, or let’s say some parents, are still struggling with the importance of sports in students' life . They often doubt, “What makes sports a worthy investment for students other than education?” Though studies are important, we can’t deny that sports help in the overall development and growth of a child.

The information in this article will surely make you think about the value of sports in students' life and regularly inculcate them in your child’s overall routine. So, let’s check out how games and sports are going to have a major role in a student’s life.

Importance of Sports in a Student’s Life

Also Read: International Sports Day: Why is it Celebrated?

Importance of Games and Sports in Student’s Life

For ages, sports have been viewed as a way to stay healthy and fit, but it goes beyond that. Today, sports are essential for students' overall growth and development. Playing various sports helps them teach life skills such as teamwork, leadership, accountability, patience, and self-confidence and prepares them to face life challenges.

Students get a chance to work on their physical and mental abilities to achieve goals in their life. We can realise the importance of sports in our daily life through a variety of national and international sports events organised all over the world where different players represent their countries and showcase their sporting capabilities.

Additionally, the learning of a student starts from the primary level and sports help students develop a strong mental and physical foundation from an early age. Given below are the reasons why sports and games are crucial in a student’s life, in addition to their academic development.

Health/Physiological Benefits of Playing Sports

The physical benefits of playing sports are countless for students. Several physical activities can play a vital role in leading a happy and healthy life; they are as follows:

Overall Fitness - Indulging in sports can help students prevent chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, depression, anxiety, and stress, and develop a healthy heart, improve bone density, and lung functionality. It helps lower blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure levels as well as uplifts mood, improves muscle strength, reduces the risk of obesity, and boosts energy levels.

Healthy and Fit Body - To answer “ why is sports important for students?” We can say that it helps develop healthy eating habits and prevent obesity. Children involved in sports typically consume more fruits and vegetables and cut off junk/fast foods. Additionally, it makes your body sweat and burn calories that help you maintain a strong and healthy body.

Prevent Diseases - Indulging in sports is a great way to avoid communicable and non-communicable diseases. Sports activities have been found to have various cardiovascular benefits, including decreased blood pressure and improved cardiovascular fitness. It has a positive effect on sleep quality.

Reduces Stress - Researches show that people who are more into sports are more likely to experience higher levels of happiness compared to those who aren’t. Aerobic activities such as running or cycling reduce stress and the risk of mental disorders such as depression.

Hormonal Benefits - The role of sports in students' life can be seen in the form of endorphins, i.e. the brain's natural “feel good” chemicals or hormones your body releases when it feels pain or stress. They are relaxed with exercises or sports activities. When you exercise, your body releases dopamine and serotonin which make you feel good.

Social and Personality Benefits of Playing Sports

The value of games and sports isn’t limited to physical benefits; rather, it also contributes to one’s social and personality development. Here is how:

Enhanced Social Relationships - The students who are actively engaged in sports tend to develop a strong bond with other students. This is because they have to work as a team which teaches them to enhance social relationships as well as leadership skills for goal setting and character building. It helps them improve their self-esteem, social interaction, and a more positive outlook on life.

Develops Life Skills - Playing sports not only helps in developing physical and mental health, but it also develops the life skills of a student. Sports activities teach students ethics, values, discipline, and a sense of mutual trust. The sportsman's spirit helps them deal with various phases of life gracefully as well as avoid evils such as drugs and suicide. This signifies the importance of sports in students' life.

Time Management and Discipline - If a student plays a sport, they must stick to a particular timeline to perform the task following the set of rules &and regulations of the game. They need to be patient, cautious, and frequent in their efforts. It ultimately helps students improve their time-management skills in different fields of life.

Develop Better Values - Skills like patience, teamwork, leadership, discipline, learning from failure, etc., are developed when students are indulged in any type of sport. These skills are equally important when it comes to study and management. They nurture mutual respect, honesty, dedication and gesture of appreciation, etc.

Educational Benefits of Playing Sports

Students who are actively involved in sports have higher chances of pursuing sports as their career option. They can regularly practice their favourite sports and learn techniques to master that sport. Apart from these, sports have great importance in the field of education too. How?

If there is some sports activity included in students’ daily activities, it will contribute towards their overall brain as well as physical development.

By giving equal importance to sports at the school level, the students can get early exposure to sports activities, which would help their overall development. Earlier, more importance was given to grades rather than extracurricular activities. But since then, the education system has changed, and more focus is shifted towards the holistic development of students.

Academic studies and athletic capabilities are associated with each other. They work like the two sides of the same coin. Along with theory sessions, sports also have a significant role in education. It leads to the overall formation of an individual’s personality and contributes to their holistic development. The educational benefits of sports are countless and aren’t limited to physical.

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FAQs on Reasons Why Sports are Important in a Student's Life

1. What is the main importance of sports?

Sports help develop a child’s overall personality and character to become more efficient, confident and adaptable. It teaches various life skills and lifelong healthy habits of fitness to students.

2. Which sport is the best for students?

Basketball, Baseball, Cricket, Volleyball, Football or Soccer are some of the recommended sports for students.

3. Is sport good for studying?

Regular involvement in sports and physical activities helps students improve their physical and academic performance by increasing their concentration power and memory skills towards content and subject material.

Essay on Sports and Games for Students and Children

500+ words essay on sports and games.

sports and games are essential for both physical and mental of the students. Moreover, it increases the immunity of the person. As it increases the blood flow in the body and makes it adaptable for exertion. The main difference between a sport and a game is, we can play games both indoors and outdoors. But we can only play sports outdoors. Furthermore, there are various advantages to sports and games. Some of them are below:

Advantages of sports

Physical Fitness- Sports and games play a major rule in keeping a person fit and fine. Furthermore, it increases the blood flow in the entire body. So this helps in keeping the heart in the best condition. Moreover, the immunity of the body increases by playing outdoor sports. Also, it helps in keeping your body fat percentage low. This makes the appearance of the body better and makes a person good-looking.

Increase mental health- Games like chess , card games increase the mental health of a person . As it develops Spontaneity and the response time of a person. As a result, a person’s mind can make a decision under pressure. Thus this helps in increasing the IQ of a person and its’ presence of mind.

Increase Stamina- Outdoor Sports like Football , cricket, basketball, swimming builds the stamina of a person. As all these sports require a lot of running, the stamina of a person automatically increases. Therefore a person can work for a longer period of time without getting tired.

Builds a sense of teamwork- Some sports need individual participation, while some require teamwork. Thus sports enlists teamwork in a person. Which is essential in every fieldwork. A company can only run by working together and not individually. So it is important for a person to know how to work together in a team. Only then you can achieve the desired goal .

Stress-relieving- Sports can bring a change to your day to day routine. Moreover, it can relieve you from stress as your body will experience a change. It gives your mind a boost of enthusiasm and happiness. As a result, it will fill you with energy for the next day.

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Disadvantages of sport and games

Dangerous- Some sports like football, cricket , basketball, swimming can be dangerous. Because any injury can occur while playing these sports. Therefore you should wear proper safety gear before playing it. Moreover, it can be harmful if you are playing it while you are sick.

Exhausting- Sports require energy, so a person needs to have proper meals. Moreover, the body needs rest to recover from the exertion. Therefore you need proper sleep every day if you are indulging in any sport.

Takes time- In order to play any sport, you have to take out time from your busy schedule. This may be very difficult for some people. As they work day and night to fulfill the needs of their family. So a person needs to cut off some things from their busy schedule to take out time to play a sport.

FAQ On the essay on sports and games

Q1. What is the main difference between sports and games?

A1. The main difference between sports and games is, we can play sports only outdoors. But games can take place both indoors and outdoors.

Q2. Write any two advantages and disadvantages of sports.

A2. The advantages of sports are it keeps a person fit and is a stress buster. The disadvantages of sports are it can be dangerous to play, injury can occur while playing and it is can be exhausting.

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Essay on Importance of Sports for Children and Students

Table of Contents

Importance of Sports: The importance of sports in our daily lives cannot be questioned. There are so many reasons why sport is an important part of our lives. First of all, doing sports can make us healthy, both physically and mentally. In the past, people believed that health was only about the physical part of our body, but now we know that there is a mental part of our health as well. So, doing sports can also help us to have a better mental health. In addition, sports can help us to build our character. Doing sports can teach us to be more disciplined, more responsible and more dedicated.

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Find paragraph, long and short essay on Importance Of Sports for your kids, children and students here.

Long and Short Essay on Importance of Sports in English

We have provided some essay on Importance of Sports under various words limit for the students. Now-a-days, students are commonly assigned to write essays and paragraphs in their classroom by the teachers. Essay writing helps students to enhance their writing skill and knowledge about any topic. All the Importance of Sports essay given below are written using easy words and simple sentences. So, students can select any of the sports importance essays given below according to their need and requirement.

Additionally these essays will also make you understand what is the importance of sports, what are the values of sports and games, what are the advantages of sports and games, what is physical coordination and strength, how sports helps in character and health building, what is the role of sports in building health, money and nation, what is the role of eminent sports personalities, what is the importance of sports for health, how it is important for personality development, what is the importance of sports in nation development etc.

Importance of Sports Essay 100 words

Sports require physical exercise, which results in better blood circulation and an overall improved physical stamina. It opens up one’s nerves and makes the body more flexible, agile and responsive. Despite all the physical advantages, participating in a sport also works wonders to your brain and overall personality.

Sport is a competition where you compete with the opponents. You need to judge their moves and make instant decisions, consequently improving your mental ability. Thinking quickly and responding accordingly has positive impact on a sportsman’s brain.

Sports also develop your social skills as you interact with your opponents as well as the teammates. It improves one’s ability to work in a team giving him/her an exposure to the team culture, which is beneficial in professional life as well. Even the mere spectators of a sport interact with each other and support their respective teams by shouting and cheering; resulting in overall happiness and a good social behavior.

Importance of Sports Essay 150 words

Sports play a great in everyone’s busy life especially for students. Everyone should involve themselves in the sports activity even for a small time all through the day. Sports are necessary because it brings physical and mental fitness to the person involved in this on regular basis. People who have busy schedule in their life get tired very easily. As we all know that, living a relaxed and comfort life we need a sound mind and a sound body. Education is very necessary to get name, fame and money. In the same way, getting a sound mind and body, everyone must involve in some type of physical activities for which sports is the best way.

Being involved in sports activities benefits a person in many ways. It does not provide only physical strength however it increases mental power too. Outdoor sports such as football, cricket, volleyball, hockey, running, etc., helps in improving physical health and mental fitness. However, some indoor games and sports like brain games, chess, Sudoku, etc improves mental power and concentration level.

Importance of Sports Essay 200 words

If we see back for a while in the history or put some lights on the life of any successful person, we see that name, fame and money never come easily. It needs a dedication, continuity, patience and most importantly some physical activities means physical and mental health of a person for a healthy survival and success. Sports is the best way to get involved in the continuous physical activities. Success of any person depends on the mental and physical energy. History reveals that only supremacy have power to rule the nation or person.

Importance of Sports

Sports are nice way to get involved in the physical activities which benefits a lot. Sports are given much importance in many countries as they know it’s real benefits and need in the personal and professional life of a person. Sports are physical activities of much importance for any athlete or a professional sportsperson. It means a lot for them and their life. Sports have nice scope for the sportspersons nationally as well as internationally. In some countries, sports and games activities are arranged in the celebration of some events or festivals, for example; Olympic Games are organized to pay honor to the Olympiads of the ancient Greece.

Importance of Sports Essay 250 words

Values of Sports and Games

Sports are nice physical activities that provide freedom from the stress and worries. It has nice scope and professional career for the sports persons. It has ability to give sportspersons their required name, fame and money. So, we can say that, sports can be played for personal benefits as well as professional benefits. In both ways, it benefits our body, mind and soul. Some people play it daily for their body and mind fitness, enjoyment, etc., however some play it to get valuable status in their life. No one can ignore its values in the personal and professional life. First Olympic Games were held in 1896 in Athens which is now held continuously after every four years in different countries. It involves both, outdoor and indoor games in which sportsperson of many countries takes part.

Some of the outdoor sports and games are like football, hockey, volleyball, baseball, cricket, tennis, kho-kho, kabaddi, etc., which require a playground to be played. Indoor games are like carom, cards, chess, table tennis, puzzle, indoor basketball, etc., can be played at home without any playground. Some sports and games like badminton and table tennis can be enjoyed both as indoor and outdoor.

Advantages of Sports and Games

Sports and games are very beneficial to us as they teach us punctuality, patient, discipline, teamwork and dedication. Playing sports help us in building and improving confidence level. If we practice sports on regular basis, we can be more active and healthy. Being involved in the sports activities help us in getting protected with numerous diseases such as arthritis, obesity, obese, heart problems, diabetes, etc. It makes us more disciplined, patient, punctual, and courteous in life. It teaches us to go ahead in life by removing all the weaknesses. It makes us bold and gives the feeling of happiness by reducing the occurrence of anxiety and angry. It makes us physically fit and mentally comfort using which we can easily deal with all the problems.

Importance of Sports Essay 300 words

Introduction

Sports are generally liked by everyone especially kids however it may harm them in many ways. Kids can be easily injured and deviated from their study. However, kids love to go outside and play sports or games with their friends. If we have a look on the history, we see that sports are given much importance from the ancient time. In the modern time, growing popularity of other entertainment things like video games, television, etc., are decreasing the demand of sports and games in the life. However, it is also true that sports and games are treated by the many countries as cultural activities, so we can say that the trend of games and sports can never finish in the future.

Sports activities have been made compulsory in the schools and colleges for the student’s good physical health, mental health and professional career. Sports have nice career in future for anyone who involved dedicatedly. It is very beneficial especially for the students as it support physical as well as mental development. People who are much interested and good in the sports can live more active and healthy life. They can develop better discipline and leadership qualities at the workplace as well.

Physical coordination and strength

It is considered that both, sports and strength are two sides of the coin. It is true that a person involved in the sports activities get more strength than the normal person without any physical exercise. A person interested in the sports can develop great body strength and make his/her career bright by participating in any sports at national or international level. Playing sports help in strengthening the immune system, maintaining physical coordination, enhancing body strength and improving mental power.

Character and Health Building

Playing sports on regular basis helps in character and health building of any person. It is generally seen that a person involved in sports activity from the very young age, develops very clear and strong character as well as good health.

Sportsperson becomes more punctual and disciplined thus, we can say that sports give various strong and well-built individuals to the society and nation.

Importance of Sports Essay 400 words

Sports and games are physical activities involves in skill development of competitive nature. Generally two or more groups compete against each other for the entertainment or win the prize. Sports activities for both, men and women are needed to be promoted as it enhances the physical, mental, financial health of the person. It plays various great roles in strengthening the nation by building the character and health of its citizens. Sports bring speed and activeness to human’s way of acting.

Role of Sports in Building Health, Money and Nation

The role games and sports can never be ignored by anyone as it really the matter of importance. People can be involved in the sports activities for their personal as well as professional growth. It is good for both boys and girls to build fine physique. It makes people mentally alert, physically active and strong. Good health and peaceful mind are two most important benefits of the sports. Students are youth of the country and they can be more benefited by the sports activities. They can be more disciplined, healthy, active, punctual and can easily cope with any difficult situation in their personal and professional life. Being involved in the sports regularly helps to easily overcome from the anxiety, tension and nervousness.

It improves the physiological functions of the body organs and thus positively regulates whole body functioning. It helps in maintaining the body health and thus keeps mind peaceful, sharp, and active with improved concentration. It boosts the body and mind power and energy level. It gives everyone a nice break from the monotonous life. Sports have a bright professional career so youths interested in it, do not need to worry and they only need to continue their interested sport with full dedication. It teaches everyone to work in team by developing a sense of cooperation and building team-spirit. More inclination towards sports makes both, a person and a nation, financially healthy strong. So, it should be promoted by the parents, teachers and government of the country.

Role of Eminent Sports Personalities

The nation having more famous sports personalities get worldwide familiarity very easily in less time. There is no need of extra effort to motivate the youths of that country. They can be easily motivated by seeing the already famous sports personalities. Youths of such country get more chance very easily to make their career in the field of sports. Well known sportsperson also encourage the forthcoming youths of their country.

Long Essay on Importance of Sports 800 words

The importance of sports in one’s life is invaluable and has many physical and mental health benefits. In schools, importance is given to sports to make the overall development of children and prepare them to face all the challenges of life. It enhances their capability so that they can perform better in their academics and achieve the goal of their life. The importance of sports can be easily understood by the fact that various sports events are organised on national and international platforms and sportspersons represent their countries in these events for the pride of their nation.

Sports also play a vital role in developing values and mutual trust. They help us to take instant decision and also enhance our thought process. The sportsmanship or the sportsman spirit which develops during sports, teaches us to accept victory or defeat in a graceful manner with being respectful to others. Sport also prepares us to face the challenges of life in a very positive and calm way. Sports like Kho-Kho, Kabbadi, Football etc., helps to develop the physical fitness in an individual by strengthening their muscles and bones.

Importance of Sports for Health

Sport is one of the best exercise which helps to maintain the overall fitness of an individual. Engaging regularly in various sports prevents various chronic diseases and develops healthy bones, efficient heart and improves lung functions. It helps to manage weight, controls diabetes, improves blood circulation and controls stress level. Sports lead to a well balanced mental and physical growth and tones up muscles and strengthen bones.

For the growing children, sports play a very essential part in developing their body and mind. It also helps to improve their academic level and makes them alert and attentive. Sports can also make significant contribution to the well being of the people in leading a healthy lifestyle. Regular sports and physical exercise could also help to treat various communicable and non communicable diseases and it is also a cost effective method to improve the health of the general public in developing as well as developed countries.

Importance of Sports for Personality Development

Sports not only develop our physical strength and keep us fit but it also does more to our overall personality. It helps in character building, developing leadership skills and improving goal setting capabilities. A person who engages more in sports activity regularly will automatically have improved self-esteem, increased social interaction and more resilient qualities which will make him to progress positively in his life.

Sports make children learn values, ethics, discipline, responsibility and develop a sense of mutual trust and confidence. It also makes them more accountable and improves their thought process. The most important aspect of sports in personality building is that it teaches sportsmanship which makes a person face ups and downs in his life more gracefully and makes him respectful to others. A sportsperson will always lead his life with a positive attitude, moral values and staying away from all the evils of the society.

Importance of Sports in Nation Development

The most important thing which majorly contributes to a nation’s development is peace and unity and sport plays an important role in nation building by creating a sense of oneness and togetherness among its citizens. It helps to build a sense of cooperation and team building among its people so that they can unite together and work for the development of the country. Sports build a strong character and elevate the confidence level in the youths of a country so that they can face the challenges of the competitive world and emerge successful to contribute in the nation’s development.

Sport also helps to elevate the health standard of a country. The country which has a high health standard always has a good quality of life and stress free environment. The country with healthy living will definitely have fewer issues as compared to the country with an unhealthy lifestyle.

The popularity of sports also gives rise to setting up of various sports industries which adds value to the country’s economy and increases the status of employment. The revenue generation potential from these industries is very high which could contribute to the economy in multiple ways.

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As we can see that sport is not only a medium of entertainment or an activity of leisure time but it also plays important roles in all the perspective of life. It is because of the importance of sports that there are various national and international sports events organised across the country as well as in the world. These events help to bridge gap and reduce tension between countries and make the global audience witness the diverse traditions and culture of the world. It teaches the importance of discipline, punctuality, responsibility and being respectful to others. Sport lays the foundation of healthy individuals and develops their capabilities and personalities in building a well developed and resilient nation.

Essay on Importance of Sports FAQs

What is importance of sports.

Sports are nice physical activities that provide freedom from the stress and worries. Being involved in the sports activities help us in getting protected with numerous diseases such as arthritis, obesity, obese, heart problems, diabetes, etc.

What is the importance of sports and games?

What is the importance of sports in students life?

Sports play a great in everyone’s busy life especially for students. Being involved in sports activities benefits a person in many ways. It does not provide only physical strength however it increases mental power too.

The Importance of Sports in Students Life: More Than Just a Game

We all know that 21 st -century education is not confined to academic success alone. Because it is about creating opportunities for a well-rounded education. And this literary means incorporating all forms of teaching and learning, including physical education. Today, there is an urgent need to acknowledge the importance of sports in students life. In fact, we can also say that our inactive lifestyles need a complete revamp!

Do you know that children and adolescents (between 5 -17 years of age) must indulge in 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activities daily?

This duration is already defined by the World Health Organization. under the ‘WHO Guidelines On Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior’. However, many of us are still unaware of sports benefits. And we get trapped in the ill effects of a sedentary lifestyle.

As adults in the role of stakeholders, we must focus on the development of our children’s physical domains. Because globally, around 80% of adolescents are quite inactive. And this means that most of our kids, surely need better lifestyle management.

Today, we will decode the real importance of games and sports. And help you understand the long-term advantages of investing in your child’s health.

What is the Importance of Sports in a Student’s Life?

Health and well-being.

A leading journal highlights the benefits of physical education for students. Here’s a look at these findings:

Physical activity and regular exercise help in keeping many diseases at bay. These include serious problems like heart stroke, diabetes, cancer, etc.
If one is physically active, it can help in maintaining body weight.

If you think obesity is a growing concern only with adults, here’s a quick fact check for you!

Obesity is a serious problem in Indian kids.

The National Family Health Survey shows shocking figures wherein the percentage of overweight kids increased from 2.1% to 3.4% (as of 2021).

It is unfortunate that we cannot blame the kids for these issues. Because we adults too lack lifestyle management. In fact, when it comes to obesity, Indian adults are no better!

There is a reported increase in the obesity levels of Indian adults as well (highlighted in the National Family Health Survey).

Holistic Development

The benefits of health and physical education significantly impact one’s holistic development. Because physical education teaches a student some valuable skills like teamwork and discipline. Other than this, physical activities also help children to identify and hone their natural abilities.

As kids, most of us get to know these advantages and the importance of games and sports. But later, all these benefits take a back seat. And when it comes to our kids, we start chasing the academic scores more than anything else. The Hindustan Times also highlights a brilliant point about health and physical education. It states that sports can help facilitate a culture of harmony. And this truly is a great advantage in a country as diverse as ours. In this way, it contributes to a student’s social development. And to the larger social goals as well.

Career Options

Remember the importance of games and sports essay that we wrote as kids?

We covered all points like national pride, personal success goals, and fitness. All these facts are realities now. Because sports can be a highly rewarding career option now. And our Indian government especially focuses on the development of sports for younger generations. It is a positive sign that there is a huge budget allocation to the sports sector in the budget as well.

Let’s take a look at the budget breakup and allocations for the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports for the financial year 2023-24.

allocation of funds by indian ministry | benefits of sports in students life

This healthy trend continues to grow in our country. Because even the previous years, the sports sector got a massive allocation with 3062.6 crores back in the year 2022. Undoubtedly, sports have the potential to be more than just a hobby. Because the growing sports landscape has a lot to offer to our younger generations.

Recreational Value

Another aspect that’s worth mentioning while discussing the importance of sports in students life is fun or recreation. In the hustle bustle of everyday life, our students need some hobbies or recreational activities to keep them going. Recreation through sports brings down anxiety levels. In fact, it is also helpful in reducing depression.

Other Advantages

Sports or physical education can also do wonders in driving healthy habits. A national study shows that participating in school sports activities actually reduces the chances of consuming alcohol, tobacco, and even drugs.

So isn’t that a wonderful way of boosting health in students when 9% of our high school students are already tobacco consumers?

<23% of our students consumed tobacco at home. While 20% preferred the school location>

percentage of Indian high school students consuming tobacco

Coming back to the miscellaneous advantages of health and physical education, a credible study also links it with numerous benefits in adulthood. As per the Lancet , sports are great for increasing participation in social activities, and delays marriage. In addition, it also has benefits related to better livelihood and gender parity. To top it all, sports participation also develops a much-needed quality called RESILIANCE!

What is the Importance of Physical Education in the Digital Age?

As discussed in the previous sections, a sedentary lifestyle is highly unhealthy for students. Globally , the present trends of childhood reveal the following facts:

Higher rates of inactivity
Excessive consumption of sugary, salty, snacks and soft drinks
Poor quality of sleep etc.

This digital age has presented challenges like obesity, gadget addiction, poor diet habits, etc. And once again, this shows an increased need to promote physical education in schools and at home.

India’s Vision About the Importance of Physical Education

With the impact of globalization and the threats of a sedentary lifestyle in this digital age, our country has prepared a design to combat these challenges. The National Policy of Education emphasizes structuring the curriculum and school pedagogies as per the needs of 21st-century education. Point number 4.8 under the ‘Curriculum and Pedagogies’ elaborates on the integration of sports to develop skills like:

Self-discipline
Citizenship
Responsibility
Self-direction
Collaboration
Self- initiative

This visionary policy also focuses on building an attitude of lifetime fitness in students. It also envisions developing some other related life skills as per the ‘Fit India Movement’ .

Today, screen time is one of the biggest concerns for parents. So much so that 90% of them reported that excessive screen time during the summer made their kid inactive. Most stakeholders are now emphasizing the importance of physical education. In fact, the good news is that our traditional as well as online schools are now successful in creating ample opportunities for sports and physical movements.

Do you know that a student is highly active during online classes?

It is hard to believe, but still quite possible. Here’s more about it.

How Do Kids Stay Active During Online Classes?

An accredited online school has a dedicated portion of the curriculum for physical activities. These schools have online sessions for physical education just like traditional ones. In fact, these schools also have ample activities across other subjects to promote movement. Games like random animal walks, Simon says, find an object, etc. are super fun ways of engaging kids with vigorous movements. In fact, online teachers make great use of music and dance. And at times, they manage to keep kids active even more than a traditional school.

Final Thoughts

In this age of digitalized lifestyles, sports benefits extend from health to reducing screen time. All these advantages are highly relevant for our students. Because they need a healthy mind and body to survive in this today’s competitive and fast-paced world.

The good news is that with the efforts of our government and the policymakers, the Indian sports culture is now revived!

Let’s play our part as stakeholders and revive our thinking patterns to consider sports benefits at par with a student’s academic success!

Thanks for Reading!

Frequently Asked Questions

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Physical health
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Importance of sports in student’s life | Essay

September 19, 2023
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Imagine a world where physical fitness is a way of life, where mental well-being is as important as academic success, and where character development is woven into the very fabric of education. Welcome to Sunbeam World School, where we believe that the key to holistic education lies in embracing the world of sports.

What are the Physical Health Benefits of Sports?

In an era marked by the sedentary lifestyle of screens and gadgets, sports are a breath of fresh air, literally! We understand that physical health is the foundation of a successful life, so what would be better than sports? Engaging in sports not only improves physical fitness but also promotes overall well-being. Our students have access to state-of-the-art sports facilities, from well-maintained sports fields to indoor sports arenas, ensuring they can explore a wide range of physical activities.

From football to swimming, athletics to yoga, table tennis to badminton our students are encouraged to participate in sports that resonate with their interests. The benefits are palpable. We witness our students growing stronger, healthier, mentally fit, morally strong, and more energetic day by day . Obesity, a growing concern in today’s society, is kept at bay as our students actively engage in sports, establishing lifelong healthy habits that curb parents’ concerns for a healthy diet, medical emergencies, and more.

The Mental Health Benefits of Sports

The importance of sport is beyond the physical merits, as it offers an invaluable contribution to mental health. At Sunbeam World School, we believe that a healthy body fosters a healthy mind. Engaging in sports activities is an effective stress-buster and mood enhancer. The camaraderie built on the field, the joy of competition, and the satisfaction of personal achievements contribute to our students’ emotional well-being .

We have witnessed remarkable transformations in our students who have battled anxiety and depression by channeling their energy into sports. Sports teach resilience, coping with defeat, and bouncing back stronger. These lessons extend beyond the sports arena, helping students face life’s challenges with a positive mindset whether it’s an exam or a match, accepting the loopholes, and working even harder for the win is our ultimate goal.

How sports learning helps in Academic Performance?

Contrary to the misconception that sports distract from academics, we believe they complement each other perfectly. Engaging in sports helps students manage their time efficiently, teaching them the art of balance by prioritizing what needs to be completed and when to fulfill their goals for both sports and studies is phenomenal. Studies show a positive correlation between sports participation and academic success, and we have seen this correlation firsthand at Sunbeam World School .

Our students consistently excel both in the classroom and on the field. The discipline and time management skills they acquire through sports translate into better study habits and improved concentration as sports make them learn the importance of passing each minute and how they need to focus on maximizing their efforts to score the desired result. This holistic approach to education sets our students on a path to becoming well-rounded individuals where they ace time.

Sports as a Vehicle for Character Development

Teamwork makes the dream work” is more than a catchphrase at Sunbeam World School; it’s a way of life. Our sports programs instill essential life skills such as teamwork, discipline, perseverance, communication, and sportsmanship. Students learn that success is not only about individual achievement but also about supporting and lifting each other.

Through sports, our students develop a strong sense of responsibility and accountability for themselves and their team like studies. They are responsible for their grades. They learn to set goals, identify their strength, work tirelessly on mistakes, and adapt to changing circumstances to achieve their respective goals. The values imbibed on the field become an integral part of their character, guiding them toward becoming responsible and compassionate individuals in any field they aspire to lead. A great moral sense makes a student able to judge between right and wrong in their career and that’s the importance sports creates.

Sports and Social Responsibility

We believe in the power of sports to make a positive impact on society along with a sustainable development . Our students are encouraged to use their sports platform for social causes and community development. Whether it’s organizing charity runs, conducting sports camps for underprivileged children, raising awareness about important social issues, organizing free workshops on sports development, or initiating charity events to fund NGOs, our students are actively involved in giving back to the community.

At Sunbeam World School, we ingrain the idea that success in sports should be coupled with a sense of social responsibility. Our students understand that they can be role models and inspire positive change through their actions both on and off the field.

Sunbeam World School’s Approach to Sports Education

Our dedication to sports education is resolute, recognizing that it’s not merely an extracurricular pursuit but an integral facet of a student’s holistic development. Our unique approach seamlessly integrates sports into the curriculum, affording every student the chance to explore their athletic potential at their own pace. Our experienced coaches, beyond imparting technical skills, serve as mentors and role models, instilling essential values such as sportsmanship, integrity, and determination. Our state-of-the-art sports facilities encompass well-maintained grounds, a fully-equipped gymnasium, and a devoted sports staff. Moreover, our sports events and competitions serve as platforms for students to exhibit their talents on a global scale, bolstering their self-esteem and confidence.

The Future of Sports Education

As the world of education evolves, so does sports education. We are constantly exploring innovative approaches to our virtual education , sports and training. Technology plays a significant role in enhancing the learning experience of our students. From using virtual reality for training simulations to data analytics to optimize performance, we are at the forefront of sports education.

Our commitment to staying updated with the latest advancements ensures that our students receive a world-class sports education that prepares them for the challenges of the future without any discomfort so that they can learn from anywhere.

To wrap up, the importance of sports in education cannot be overstated. At Sunbeam World School, we are passionate about nurturing not just the minds but also the bodies and characters of our students through sports. Our education curriculum upgrades and evolves to embrace student ideology and approach to education, physical fitness, mental well-being, and character development. We invite parents and students to join us on this journey toward a brighter and healthier future.

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The Importance of Sports for Students

Categories: Physical Education Student

About this sample

Words: 346 |

Published: Apr 11, 2019

Words: 346 | Page: 1 | 2 min read

Works Cited

Balla, S. (2018). Importance of Sports in Our Life. https://www.indianetzone.com/9/importance_sports_our_life.htm
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019). Physical Activity and Health. https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/pa-health/index.htm
Chekroud, S. R., Gueorguieva, R., Zheutlin, A. B., Paulus, M., Krumholz, H. M., Krystal, J. H., & Chekroud, A. M. (2018). Association between physical exercise and mental health in 1· 2 million individuals in the USA between 2011 and 2015: a cross-sectional study. The Lancet Psychiatry, 5(9), 739-746.
Darnell, S. C. (2018). Youth Sport: Positive and Negative Impact on Young Athletes. https://clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/14896-youth-sport-positive-and-negative-impact-on-young-athletes
Eime, R. M., Young, J. A., Harvey, J. T., Charity, M. J., & Payne, W. R. (2013). A systematic review of the psychological and social benefits of participation in sport for children and adolescents: informing development of a conceptual model of health through sport. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 10(1), 98.
Fransen, K., Boen, F., & Vansteenkiste, M. (2017). Minding the motivational gap: The relative roles of psychological need satisfaction, exercise regulations, and motives in predicting physical activity. European Journal of Social Psychology, 47(2), 267-278.
Gravelle, J. (2021). What are the benefits of sports?
Leaguenetwork. (2017, August 02). Importance of Playing Sports.
Penedo, F. J., & Dahn, J. R. (2005). Exercise and well-being: a review of mental and physical health benefits associated with physical activity. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 18(2), 189-193.
Warburton, D. E., Nicol, C. W., & Bredin, S. S. (2006). Health benefits of physical activity: the evidence. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 174(6), 801-809.

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Movement, Play, and Games—An Essay about Youth Sports and Its Benefits for Human Development

Miguel nery.

1 Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Tecnologia, Universidade Europeia, 1500-210 Lisboa, Portugal

Isabel Sequeira

2 Self-Psicologia e Psicoterapia, 1150-278 Lisboa, Portugal

Carlos Neto

3 Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-004 Lisboa, Portugal

António Rosado

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The acknowledgment of the qualities and features of the world is made through the body, movement, and imagination. During their development, children learn new skills, complexify their thoughts, and become more autonomous. The progressive increase in motor repertoire in children reflects a more unified and solid self. Nowadays, there is a generalized restriction of the movement of children. It starts at home when parents establish rigid and/or phobic attachments with their children; it can be also observed at school which is more and more based on rigid learning rhythms and obsessive ideas about students’ performance, and finally in urban areas where free and outdoor play has considerably decreased during recent decades. The current lifestyles in Western societies resulted in a decrease in play among children. The culture influences the dominant types of psychopathology and, during childhood, mental suffering is often expressed with the increase (turmoil) or decrease (inhibition) of the body movement. Sports are underpinned by movement and play; they are a powerful tool in health promotion and an excellent way to assign meaning to movement. This work is an essay about the importance of play and youth sports in child development.

1. Introduction

This essay article addresses the importance of play and youth sports in child development. We focus mostly on early stages of sport engagement, when play should be the core activity of childhood. Different theoretical approaches are considered, including child motor behavior, sports sciences, psychology, and psychoanalysis. The manuscript is divided into three parts, and each one of them is divided into its main topics and sub-topics.

PART I is dedicated to child development, and aims to provide a general framework for the upcoming sections. We start with a brief review of early phases of child development (psychomotor development), before moving forward until the beginning of more structured sport practice. A special attention is provided to the body as a means of self-expression and communication with others, and to different types of play (and its development) during childhood. It includes topics such as body, attachment, motor behavior, and play.

PART II—entitled Actual Constraints on Child Development—focuses on recent issues that constrain child (natural) movement, and have negative impact on their development. Despite the impressive economic development in the last half century in Western societies, with considerable positive impact on child health and education, modern lifestyles face new obstacles. Among these is a severe decrease in physical activity and play among youngsters. We describe how child movement and (free unstructured) play have become less accepted in settings such as home, school, and street. Later, we focus on the analysis of problems that result from it. We do not intend to make an in-depth analysis of child psychopathology; the focus is on the difficulties mostly expressed through the body (although related to overall development). We divided such problems into opposite poles related to a lack or excess of movement.

Finally, in PART III, we focus on the role of sports in child development. Here, we analyze the symbolic meaning of sports, and how it may contribute to fostering healthy development. This final section aims to provide a reflection about the use of sports as a tool to tackle issues. To do so, we start with a brief description of three models that emphasize the role of sports in child development. Although being generally perceived as a social good, engagement in sports is not always positive, and can also become a source of suffering due to different types of abuse existent in this context. We briefly address some types of violence and abuse that may be found in sports, and the increasing importance of safeguarding. We finish with a reflection about the potential of sports as a tool to promote healthy development (when properly conducted).

2. PART I. Child Development. Play and Motor Behavior

Play is a key element in child development. The body, movement, and the imagination are very important means for children to explore and progressively understand their environment. The body includes both “somatic” and “relational” parts, and these are interconnected. The somatic part of the body relates to the maturation process, musculoskeletal system, and physiology, and it is mainly approached by scientific areas such as biology, chemistry, and some disciplines of medicine such as neurology and pediatrics, among others. On the other hand, the relational part of the body relates to attachment (affect, emotions, and feelings) between the child and his/her significant others and environment, and it is mostly approached by scientific areas such as psychology, psychoanalysis, and social sciences.

The body must be understood based on an integrative perspective that considers both somatic and relational parts, their interconnection, and mutual influence. We consider the tangible part of the body, but with extensions that go beyond its physical limits, through the attachment and connections established during the personal history of the individual, and the development of his/her autobiographical memory [ 1 ].

The development of neurosciences shed some light on these topics; it is now widely accepted and more deeply understood that the mind is underpinned by a biological structure that cannot be ignored [ 2 , 3 ]. Considering that both attachment and physical maturation contribute to the development of the individual—and both play an important role in healthy development—we briefly summarize some ideas that underpin the forthcoming reflection.

2.2. Attachment

There is considerable evidence of the influence of attachment on child development, including the styles of attachment and personality development [ 4 ], the negative outcomes of deprivation [ 5 ], healthy and psychopathological development [ 6 ], and mentalization and development of self [ 7 ].

Humans have a long childhood period, and babies are born incredibly dependent on their caregivers (contrary to other species, including several mammals). The British pediatrician and psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott—who dedicated most of his clinical activity to children—once stated that “there is no such thing as the baby”, along with “a baby alone doesn’t exist. What exists is always a nursing couple” [ 8 ]. This iconic sentence of the psychoanalytic field relates to the total dependence of the baby, and alerts us to the need to think about the baby within this relation/attachment (mother–baby dyad). We are born with a considerable potential, but we take much time to become autonomous. The developmental endeavor of becoming autonomous (and the degree of its success) greatly depends on the type (and quality) of the attachment created between the baby and its caregivers.

A mother and child-centered framework is established through the process of the development of the self. The emotional, neurological, and structural puzzle that provides the infant for his future connections is constructed from this plan. Therefore, each person’s attachment style will be determined by the responsiveness, contingency, and persistence of their mother’s replies to their bond requests.

Humans are born with a bonding mechanism that allows them to connect with a caregiver and, from this relationship, develop a connection with the rest of the world. Therefore, the body is the locus of secure bonding expression, the safe place. When a baby feels cherished, he perceives his body as a secure haven. Secure attachment bonds offer emotional support, safety, and availability throughout a human’s developmental history, particularly during trying times and significant moments of change. Infants who are securely attached can anticipate their caregivers’ availability, comprehension, and responsiveness thanks to attachment events. They will consequently feel secure and confident.

According to attachment theory, the stable nature of the attachment bond serves as a vital “emotional buffer” and is essential for completing developmental tasks in adolescence, such as adjusting to bodily changes, developing one’s own identity, or making goals for the future. The baby or toddler can begin to act in ways that involve exploring his environment by feeling secure and confident thanks to the safe bonding response. Initially, the main caregiver figures, followed by additional characters, the world space, and so forth.

The body serves as both the place and the agent of discovery and exploration. The physical body, with its limitations and potential, is a place and agent of pleasure and pain. Bowlby’s initial choice of protection as a “principal” biological function is no longer necessary, as noted in Bowlby’s final collection of lectures from 1988. Instead, the multiple advantages of attachment—such as feeding, learning about the environment, self-regulation, and social interaction—all contribute to its conveying an evolutionary advantage. According to this theory, attachment is not seen as a symptom of immaturity that needs to be overcome, but rather as a normal and healthy trait of individuals throughout the lifespan.

The Attachment Behavioral System

An “attachment behavioral system” is hypothesized to contain attachment behaviors. To characterize a species-specific system of behaviors that result in certain predictable consequences, at least one of which contributes to survival and reproductive fitness, Bowlby [ 9 ] borrowed the behavioral system notion from ethology. Inherent motivation is a part of the behavioral systems idea.

Children are believed to form attachments to others regardless of whether their physiological demands are satisfied, so there is no need to see attachment as the result of any more fundamental processes or “drive”. Evidence demonstrating that attachment is not caused by links with food, as suggested by secondary drive theories (e.g., [ 10 ]), supports this theory, as was already indicated [ 11 , 12 ]. The infant chooses the actions that are most appropriate for that situation and with that caregiver. As they grow, children have access to a wider range of approaches to proximity and learn which ones work best under what conditions. In fact, as Sroufe and Waters [ 13 ] noted, this organizational perspective aids in explaining stability in the face of both developmental and environmental changes.

Murray [ 14 ] established the concept of “affiliation”, according to Bowlby [ 9 ], p. 229: “Under this heading are classified all indications of friendliness and kindness, of the desire to accomplish things in partnership with others”. As a result, it encompasses a far wider range of behaviors than attachment and is not meant to include conduct that is focused on one or a small number of specific figures, which is the characteristic of attachment behavior. Thus, the organization of the biologically driven, survival-promoting desire to be sociable with others is referred to as the social system . The likelihood that people will spend at least some of their time with others is a significant expected result of activating this system.

Whenever it comes to what initiates behavior, what stops behavior, and how behaviors are organized, studies of both humans and other primates clearly demonstrate distinctions between the attachment and sociability systems [ 15 , 16 ].

When a child is secure, they want to play and engage socially, so, when a youngster is happy and certain of his or her attachment-whereabouts, they search for a playmate. Additionally, once they find the playmate, they want to interact with them in a playful manner. So, as a conclusion, a secure attachment allows the toddler to feel secure and to explore and places the body as central. Through the lifespan, it will allow engagement in play and sports. The usage of the body replays the early playful moments with primary caregivers.

2.3. Motor Behavior

The development of motor behavior heavily depends on maturation. The exploration of the surrounding environment by children requires movement, which is a key element in child development. Babies develop within their mother´s uterus for as long as possible; however, when they are born, despite their innate skills, they are still very “incomplete” and totally dependent on external support. From the rudimentary movements and basic skills of the baby, to the possibility to execute more complex and intentional movements (with higher capacity to act on the surrounding environment), children progressively develop (with more or less harmony) their motor skills, cognition, and language. During the early stages, children considerably increase their motor abilities; in a short period of approximately two years, they learn how to reach and grasp, to sit, to stand and walk, and to chew and talk [ 17 ]. Here, the action/movement of the body should be understood as a way of expression (speech), in which an increased physical coordination and motor competency/domain reflect a more unified self.

Through movement, children progress from the total dependency of early childhood to a more active functioning of exploration of the environment. To crawl and, later, to walk are examples of remarkable conquests made by toddlers and allow the first movements away from the secure base (mother). These movements symbolically relate to the earlier essays of autonomy [ 18 ]. The motor development allows new opportunities for children to learn about the surrounding world, and the flourishing motor skills instigate developmental changes in perceptual, cognitive, and social domains [ 19 ].

As described, during the early stages of their lives, children progressively increase their motor repertoire because of both maturational and interactional processes with their environment. The acquisition of these motor skills, along with cognitive development and construction of psychic apparatus, occurs through play activity [ 20 ], which is internally motivated and has a symbolic feature that promotes wellbeing and pleasure.

There are several types of play; these develop and evolve during childhood. The different types of play are not mutually exclusive; actually, they frequently overlap, but one of them tends to be more active/present during a certain period of child development, based on his/her degree of psychic structure. So, different types of play are related to different types of internal functioning. This is the reason why children with different ages tend to choose different types of play which are more in line with their stage of development. During childhood, new types of play overcome the preceding ones, which requires new skills. There are several taxonomies of play; these vary based on different scientific approaches and disciplines. This is a possible definition from developmental psychology:

Play is often defined as activity done for its own sake, characterized by means rather than ends (the process is more important than any end point or goal), flexibility (objects are put in new combinations or roles are acted out in new ways), and positive affect (children often smile, laugh, and say they enjoy it). These criteria contrast play with exploration (focused investigation as a child gets more familiar with a new toy or environment, that may then lead into play), work (which has a definite goal), and games (more organized activities in which there is some goal, typically winning the game). Developmentally, games with rules tend to be common after about 6 years of age, whereas play is very frequent for 2- to 6-year-olds [ 21 ].

According to Pellegrini [ 22 ], play has four domains: social, locomotor, object-directed, and pretend. Games come later and are more demanding from a social point of view.

Play is very important during child and self-development; there is solid scientific evidence corroborating this [ 23 ].

2.4.1. Social Play

Social play is part of the interaction between children and adults (typically parents), and between children and other children. Peek-a-boo play is one of earliest forms of play, in which babies and their parents engage in interactions characterized by some of the hallmarks of play, such as unpredictability, vocalizations, expectations, and positive affect. The quality of the social interaction between children and their parents strongly influences the competence of the children in future interactions with peers and others, due to the social learning and nature of the attachment between parents and children [ 22 ].

From a psychoanalytical standpoint, peek-a-boo is based on presence/absence, and relates to the need to be sought and found, as well as the role of being seen in the development of the self. By playing this, children progressively try to elaborate and symbolize the absence, which is a fundamental acquisition for their future social and academic endeavors [ 24 ]. Toddlers are thrilled when their parents hide behind a sweatshirt and ask aloud where the baby is, and then they put down the sweatshirt and show their happy face for “having found” him/her. Fragments of this type of play remain during childhood, although it may appear in different manners such as turning lights on and off, or later in the hide and seek game.

2.4.2. Locomotor Play

Locomotor play comes later, and the child’s body is more actively involved; it includes a dimension of physical vigor, and consists in exaggerated and non-functional behaviors and behavioral sequences. According to Pellegrini [ 22 ], there are three sub-types of locomotor play, with different age peaks: (1) rhythmic stereotypies (infancy), (2) exercise play (preschool years), and (3) rough-and-tumble play (middle childhood). Locomotor play has physical, cognitive, and social benefits, and there are some gender differences, with boys being more prone to engage in this type of play, especially exercise play and rough-and-tumble play. Although rough-and-tumble play is a sub-type of locomotor play, due to its importance in future sport activities, we describe it with more detail. Rough-and-tumble play is frequent among juvenile mammals (mostly among males), and has an important impact on physical and psychological development. It consists in play fighting (very different from real fighting). Children wrestle, climb over each other, and roll around, among other similar behaviors. Besides developing strength and physical skills, it also allows participants to assess other´s skills and physical strength [ 22 , 25 ]. Rough-and-tumble play fosters both psychological development and social skills; more specifically, it helps children to learn the limits of their strength, to find out what other children will and will not let them do, to develop social relationships due to the change in roles and sort out personal boundaries, and, also importantly, burn off energy and decrease tension.

2.4.3. Object-Directed Play

In object-directed play, children use objects (extensions of their bodies) when playing; they discover novel uses for objects, and these can be used in exploration, in play (with objects), in construction, and in tool use [ 26 ]. The use of objects is connected with social network and group structure.

2.4.4. Pretend Play

Pretend play—also called imaginative play or dramatic play—happens when children use their imagination to enact scenarios (experienced, seen, and/or fantasized). It may progress from solitary to social pretending with others, and according to Pellegrini [ 22 ] there are four components of pretending: (1) decontextualized behavior, (2) self–other relations, (3) sequential combinations, and (4) object substitution.

Pretend play is rooted in early interactions with adults, especially the child’s mother (attachment), and may be exclusive to humans. It becomes more intense with the rise of the Oedipal complex. This type of play allows the possibility of movements towards identifications, the deeper acknowledgement of sexual differences between boys and girls, and other important aspects of construction of the identity [ 24 ]. Here, children enact different roles (e.g., super-hero, princess) within an interpersonal scenario with peers and other important figures. This type of pretend play allows children to dramatize his/her inner world, speaking about him/herself through others. Some gender differences should be noticed; boys and girls tend to choose different characters, which becomes more pronounced at this stage.

The definitions of play and games differ; the latter develop later in childhood, are governed by specific rules based on deduction [ 27 ], and the aim is usually to win. During childhood, children tend to have an idealized idea of their parents, and perceive them as omnipotent entities who know everything, and are able to solve any problem. This (normal) idealization is rooted in the need to feel safe in the face of anxieties (and vulnerability). In healthy development, the idealization (and illusion) progressively decreases, allowing children to abandon their omnipotence (self-centered interpretation of the world) and to incorporate social norms and rules, provided by social order; as a result, children can then access more abstract thinking. In this phase, the game emerges; it reflects a higher differentiation between psychic structures (id, ego, superego), and is underpinned by both competition and measurement of skills between the participants (peers function as a mirror).

Play (and later, games) have an important role in child development. Play allows—among other things—the expression of internal conflicts (some of them normal, others more prone to become psychopathology), and children change from passivity to activity, allowing them to act upon their surrounding reality. The later engagement in games is more demanding; due to their standardized characteristics, to properly engage in games, children must submit to social rules and norms. We consider that the earlier forms of play and games—along with specialization of basic motor skills—underpin sport activities. More on this topic will be discussed later.

2.4.5. Importance of Play in Natural Environments

Despite its benefits for child development, the amount of time spent by children on outdoor free play (unstructured activities) has considerably decreased in current societies [ 28 , 29 ], contributing to more sedentary lifestyles, disconnected from the natural world [ 30 ].

Unstructured outdoor play has several benefits in child development, health, and wellbeing, including physical development, self-regulation and attention, communication and social development, cognitive development and creativity [ 29 ], and imagination and reasoning abilities [ 31 ]. Outdoor play also contributes to fostering physical exercise (and energy bust), to improve social and emotional development [ 18 ] and may contribute to establishing rapport between parents and their children [ 31 ]. Due to its benefits, outdoor play has been considered in educational approaches [ 28 , 32 ].

3. PART II. Actual Constraints on Child Development

3.1. settings.

Nowadays, mostly in Western societies, child movement is frequently (and early) not accepted and contained. The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to the decrease in child movement due to lockdown and other preventive measures that resulted in a decrease in outdoor areas to play, and increased the physical distance between people [ 33 ]. In their review article, Kourti et. al. [ 34 ] suggest that play habits changed during the COVID-19 pandemic (and teachers were concerned about it); the authors analyzed 17 articles from Europe and North America, and concluded that outdoor play decreased during the pandemic, while indoor play and videogames/screen use increased. However, even before the pandemic, some contexts were identified in which child movement was already being felt as unacceptable. Here, we highlight three of them.

3.1.1. Home

At home, within the family environment, when parenting styles lead to insecure attachment styles, the natural movement of infants—which is associated with (normal) aggressiveness, dirtiness, excitement, and noise—is perceived as uncomfortable to some parents [ 24 ]. The normal movement of children is poorly understood and contained by an external environment that aims to impose excessive order and tidiness, going in the opposite direction of children’s needs. When this happens, as submission is gradually imposed, children (especially male) are pushed to become “good”: quiet, clean and “well-behaved”. Here, when children behave accordingly, their submission tends to be reinforced by parents (and, as a result, the opposite behavior is rejected). For girls, it is expected, even in an unconscious way, that they behave, stay quiet, and play with dolls or house tools.

The increased (and often excessive) use of electronic devices among children also contributes to the decrease in play. These devices keep children quiet in front of a screen; it becomes very useful when parents wish for their children to demand less attention from them. The high number of children who cannot be seated at the dinner table with their parents (and perhaps siblings) without having an electronic device to play is impressive. Despite the positive aspects of technology, the excessive use of electronic devices by children is a red flag regarding their healthy development. The stimulus of electronic devices is excessive. This aspect leads to a growing necessity of fast pleasure and immediate reward. In an older child, the world is “expected” to be pleasurable and satisfying. So, frustration and need for continuous reward are a predicable factor of anxiety and aggressiveness among older children.

According to Desmurget [ 35 ], the excessive use of electronic devices by children may result in negative outcomes regarding their physical health (obesity, heart diseases, lower average life expectancy), behavior (aggressiveness, depression, anxiety), and intellectual skills (language, concentration, and memory). Some major international organizations have also focused their attention on the impact of excessive use of electronic devices by youngsters [ 36 , 37 ].

3.1.2. School

The first major separation of children from their nuclear families and homes occurs when they go to school. Even those children who have been in kindergarten before going to school now have to face a more structured and demanding environment. Children face challenges such as the need to develop their skills, to learn school material (within a specific time), to make friends, and to progressively become less dependent of adults—to grow. Obviously, attachment issues have a strong influence on their success in these demanding tasks.

School is a very important context and allows children to grow and develop their skills. However, their natural movement is also often poorly understood and tolerated. Children are often asked to keep quiet, and to listen to a teacher for long periods of time, in an environment often marked by an obsessive analysis of school performance (grades) and accumulation of material rather than fostering understanding [ 18 , 38 ]. Education has become more technical and “pseudo-cumulative”, with emphasis being placed on “skill acquisition” rather than fundamental knowledge and fostering the development of the capacity of children to think about themselves and how the world works.

Today´s school asks children to carefully listen to what their teacher tells them; however, children are being raised in a world where the value of words has decreased considerably over time, and children are constantly a target of visual, immediate, and short-term stimuli (electronic devices, social media, and others). As a result, the opportunities to appreciate silence, to contemplate, to feel, to listen and be listened to, and to have relationships with an adult caregiver that foster thinking about how the world works and thinking about themselves (which is time consuming), have decreased [ 24 ].

3.1.3. Outdoor (Street)

The lack of play in cities and streets is also a constraint. During recent decades, outdoor (street) free play has been gradually replaced by standardized and artificial activities [ 39 ], in which children are oriented by adults in predefined and goal-oriented activities. Free time has become a paradox; children are often asked to do something in time periods that are supposed to be free (and include the possibility not to do anything). Laziness among children is often necessary and important; when children feel bored, they tend to use creative solutions to amuse themselves. This often allows games and play to arise. In urban areas (where most families live), the presence of children playing on the street has significantly decreased. They mostly live locked at home and are transported by adults from point A to point B all the time. Today, the street, perceived as a place to play with other children, practically does not exist.

Parents, schools, and urban areas often have difficulties to contain and to provide meaning to child movement. The natural benefits of play are being replaced by artificial programs (often seen at school) to “teach empathy”, to “develop social skills”, and/or to “learn about emotions”.

3.2. Psychopathology

The verbal skills and the capacity of children to access symbolic thought, when compared to adults, are, obviously, lower (and still under development). When play decreases among children, psychopathology tends to arise [ 39 , 40 ]. Clinicians who work with children often observe infants’ difficulties being expressed through their bodies. We do not intend to cover child psychopathology in detail; for the purpose of this article, we divided the problem into two groups: children whose (normal) aggressiveness becomes inhibited (lack of movement) and, at the opposite pole, those whose who are characterized by excess of movement (due to the lack of containment).

3.2.1. Lack of Movement: Inhibition of Aggressiveness

Inhibited children tend to be more submissive, formal, and “hyper-mature” (behaviors often reinforced by their parents and teachers), kinds of mini-adults who lack spontaneity and have difficulties with imagination and fantasy. These children are usually perceived as well-behaved and a role model at school but have difficulties in making friends and in free spontaneous play.

Inhibited children are much less often signaled at school (where many cases of primary diagnosis are spotted) because they do not disturb adults. The preoccupations around these children are often connected with their difficulties with peers (e.g., bullying victimization), a sudden (and not expected) break in their academic performance, or abrupt change in behavior. The expression of normal aggressiveness often fails in submissive children, not allowing them to be properly assertive. The parents of inhibited children (especially boys) often seek sports activity for their children, expecting them to learn there how to defend themselves (e.g., fighting sports), or to make friends to compensate for the loneliness felt at school due to peer rejection.

3.2.2. Excess of Movement: ADHD and Related Issues

The opposite pole to inhibited children are those children who cannot calm down and are constantly excited and hyperkinetic. In these cases, the movement is disorganized and expresses internal conflict and/or nameless threats. The excess of excitement (that should not be confused with normal motor activity) often reflects a poorly harmonious evolution in child development. Inhibited children often have problems with expressing normal aggressiveness; on the other hand, hyperkinetic children (mostly boys) often have problems related to lack of containment. These children are often labeled as suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Interestingly, these children tend to behave differently if they are alone, with parents, in school, or with someone who they do not know. Their behavior also differs considerably when they are with peers (more agitated) or in a one-on-one situation with an adult (they tend to regulate more easily), especially a male figure. Finally, very stimulating environments and situations in which children are freer to control their learning rhythms, and situations in which they are being paid to do tasks, also contribute to the ability of ADHD children to regulate themselves [ 24 ]. These variables allow us to think about the role of internal working models in ADHD, as well as the importance sports may have in the regulation of these children; those (especially boys) who have difficulties in impulse control and affect regulation often find sports a positive environment, and may strongly benefit from such activities.

The benefits of sports for children at both poles will be described in more detail later in this essay.

4. PART III. Role of Sports in Child Development

4.1. how sports foster healthy development.

Sport participation fosters overall wellbeing of children [ 41 ]. Efforts have been made to develop models to describe how sports foster human development. Here, we briefly describe three proposals, based on different approaches, and considering different variables.

4.1.1. Developmental Model of Sport Participation

The Developmental Model of Sport Participation (DMSP) is based on theoretical and empirical data, and aims to describe the processes, pathways, and outcomes related to the participation of children and adolescents in sports [ 42 ]. The DMSP considers the importance of appropriate training considering the age of the participants and their physical and psycho-social development. It identifies three trajectories towards grassroots and elite performance: (1) sampling years (age 6–12), (2) specializing years (age 13–15), and (3) investment years (age 16+). The DMSP considers early diversification (taking part in different sports) to foster the development of general motor skills. It also calls attention to the benefits of a high amount of deliberate play, and a low amount of deliberate practice, during sampling years.

4.1.2. Personal Assets Framework

The Personal Assets Framework [ 43 ] aims to describe the mechanisms of positive youth development in sports. This model considers that sport experiences should be analyzed based on three dynamic elements: (1) type of activities (What?), (2) quality of relationships (Who?), and (3) setting (Where?).

According to Côté, Murata, and Martin [ 41 ], the type of activity emphasizes the need to tackle early specialization due to its negative impacts on children (see [ 44 ]), and to foster play during childhood while progressively increasing practice as youngsters grow older and approach adolescence. The quality of the relationships includes interpersonal relationships, team dynamics, and the broader social environment; different types of relations (attachments), such as adult–child, child–child (peers), child–club, individual, and group relations, should be considered. Finally, the settings include structures that provide physical support for the sport activities.

4.1.3. Long-Term Athlete Development

Long-term athlete development is a developmental model underpinning a considerable amount of research, that aims to foster participation in sports and physical activity throughout life, by describing what people should be doing at certain ages, in sports. The idea of doing the right things at the right time, in sports participation, is described in nine stages, from childhood to adulthood, divided by gender. The stages consider the physical, intellectual, cognitive, and moral development of the individuals within each category, and are divided into: (1) Active Start (age 0–6), FUNdamentals (age 6–9), Learning to Train (age 9–12), Training to Train (age 12–16), Learning to Compete (age 16–18), Training to Compete (age 18–21), Learning to Win (age 20–23), Winning for a Living (age 24+), and finally Active for Life (any age). The first three stages are mostly focused on physical literacy and development of basic motor skills through play; these underpin further endeavor in sports, from being active in life to competition [ 45 ].

Despite their differences, all three models overlap regarding the need to foster free play during the early stages of athlete development, and describe its benefits for motor, social, and psychological development. Children (especially boys) easily engage in sport activities, and these can play an important role in child development.

4.2. Maltreatment and Abuse in Sports

Sports are generally perceived as positive, and their potential benefits for children are well known; as a result, parents, teachers, and physicians, among others, often foster the engagement of children in sport activities. However, participation in sports may also result in negative outcomes; despite the potential to foster human development, several types of abuse may occur during sport activities. Abuse in sports settings has been studied—especially in the last couple of decades—including research on bullying [ 46 ], coach emotional abuse [ 47 ], early specialization [ 44 ], sexual abuse and harassment [ 48 ], and different types of interpersonal violence [ 49 ], among others. The results of the studies, as well as the public knowledge of some major scandals, called attention to the need to protect young athletes from abuse. Safeguarding in sports has progressively become a growing concern.

When parents leave their kids in sport clubs, they expect them to be in a safe environment, and engaged in a positive activity with peers, regulated by a responsible adult. However, as stated before, different types of abuse may occur. Some children may be (re)victimized in sports, rather than finding a healthy environment that helps them to grow and overcome their difficulties. We can then ask, are sports positive for children?

4.3. Does the Engagement in Sports Foster Child Development?

The right answer to this question is probably that sports are a very powerful tool to foster human development, and children may find many positive opportunities to develop physical and emotional skills, and to improve themselves constantly. However—and despite their potential—the quality of the engagement in sports greatly relies on the quality of the relationships (attachments) established with significant others within this setting (and with sport itself). We can conclude that merely practicing sports cannot ensure positive outcomes, but if sports activities are properly conducted and adapted to children’s developmental stages, then sports can be an outstanding tool to foster positive development of children and youth.

Being a competent child´s sport coach is high skilled and demanding activity. These coaches must have knowledge about sports training, but also about child development. To become a role model, these coaches must understand the children´s needs, and always focus their attention on their best interests.

4.4. Understanding Sports

Those who are/were athletes, and even those who do not practice sports and prefer to merely watch, are often excited by the accomplishments of athletes, or become profoundly sad and disappointed when their admired athlete or team loses a match/game. People often celebrate a point/goal/win in enthusiastic ways, rarely seen in other areas of their lives. Sports promote fights and disputes, but also companionship between people. The passion is often used as an explanation to explain such apparently weird behaviors. Besides that, sport activities are universal, which calls attention to their importance. Actually, sports are an ancestral activity, deeply rooted in all cultures, underpinned by play, and include corporeality and intra- and interpersonal relationships within a competition setting. Sports have been studied by several scientific areas, with different aims and methods. Historical analyses of paintings on the walls of caves, artifacts, and manuscripts, among other records and sources of information, describe how sport activities have always been spread all over the world, and have always had an important social role [ 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 ]. There seems to be a common base for most sports; modern sports are underpinned by the ancient ones and—despite some differences due to geographical, cultural, and chronological variables—there is a considerable overlap between them.

Sport sciences have focused their attention on improving the performance of athletes (including many efforts of sport psychology). However, other approaches focused mostly on understanding sports, by analyzing their social and symbolic aspects; among these are included sociology, anthropology, and social psychology. Regarding psychoanalysis—perhaps surprisingly—there is a lack of research on sports [ 54 , 55 ]. The involvement and participation in sports are not purely rational; unconscious drives and life and death instincts play an important role that helps to understand why humans become involved in sports, and the reason for the great amount of pleasure from such activity [ 56 ]. To better understand sports and their “passion”, we must look at the symbolic meanings of sports activity. The psychoanalysis approach to sports considers topics such as aggressiveness, narcissism [ 54 , 57 ], sexuality, and attachment themes throughout the human life cycle [ 57 ], among others.

Basic Elements of Sports

Sports are not easy to define and include under the same concept. Several operational definitions and taxonomies have been proposed, and none of them is totally satisfying. We do not intend to develop such a conceptual discussion. For the purpose of this article, we will adopt a definition that—despite its limitations—has received a large consensus. The European Sports Charter ([ 58 ] https://rm.coe.int/16804c9dbb (accessed on 1 January 2023), in Article 2, defines sport as: “all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim at expressing or improving physical fitness and mental well-being, forming social relationships or obtaining results in competition at all levels”.

Despite the differences between different sports (and sports definitions), they are all underpinned by three basic elements: (body) movement, play, and competition (games).

(a) Movement

Sports result from the specialization of basic movements such as walking, running, jumping, kicking, grabbing/throwing, diving, climbing, etc. As a result, the body plays a major role in sports activities. Extension materials should also be considered (these are often used in child play); here, the body receives a “new part”, an extension, perceived as a continuity of the body itself (hockey or tennis are good examples).

The observation and analysis of the movement should not be based exclusively on sports techniques based on a musculoskeletal approach; it should also include the imprints from the psyche. The way children move and perceive their body is strongly related to their psychological development and attachment issues. Sports should therefore be perceived as an important area to provide meaning to movement, through a relation with another (bond). This is particularly important for youth sports training and young children who might suffer from inhibition of aggressiveness, ADHD, and other related issues.

Sports occur in a context of play with rules (games). They are underpinned by competition, and include ludic, symbolic, and pleasurable aspects. The understanding of the symbolic features of sports (and their potential to transform), as well as the working models of children, allows is to use sports in the service of child development. Sports allow the sublimation of aggressiveness in adequate ways, as well as impulses and unconscious desires.

Competition is inherent to sports, and the engagement in these activities allows children to express normal aggressiveness. By playing sports, passiveness is turned into activeness, and children may symbolically domain others, and simulate their destruction (fantasy). The unconscious elements involved in sports may be expressed in adequate and progressively integrated ways (rather than being projected and acted out).

The binomials inside/outside, activity/passivity, and attack/defense interconnect and mutually influence each other. Many sports symbolically relate to attack and defense, to kill or die. The notions of space, territory, and target (own and opponents) should also be considered when analyzing sports. Besides motor skills, cognitive and spontaneous domains also play an important role and should not be ignored. The cognitive domain relates to planning and discipline; the representation (thinking and imagining) of an action before acting and the discipline to execute an action plan are always present in sports and extend to other areas of children’s lives (such as school). The spontaneous domain relates to freedom, to a creative flow, complementary to the cognitive domain.

4.5. Positive Outcomes

Here, we aim to analyze the use of sports as a tool to foster child healthy development. To do so, we divided the positive outcomes of sports into three major categories: (1) assigning meaning to body movement, (2) corporeality, fantasy, and play, and (3) ethics: positive identifications and sense of belonging. These areas are discussed and analyzed in the following.

4.5.1. Assigning Meaning to Body Movement

The brain has seven primary process emotional systems: SEEKING, SADNESS, FEAR, LUST, CARE, ANGER and PLAY; these are strongly linked to psychiatric disorders. The PLAY/JOY system stimulates young animals to engage in physical activities such as those described in rough-and-tumble play (wrestling, running, chasing each other), which helps young mammals to learn social limits and develop impulse control. If children do not play (or play less than needed), the development of their brain may be impaired, resulting in consequences in their maturation [ 3 , 59 ]. According to Panksepp [ 40 ], the increasing prevalence of ADHD among children may be related to the decreased opportunities for preschool children to engage more often in natural self-generated social play, because this type of play facilitates behavioral inhibition, while psychostimulants reduce playfulness.

When children are medicated for ADHD, many decrease their motor activity, but tend to feel apathy [ 24 ].

Rough-and-tumble play is also very common in childhood, especially among males; it contributes, among other aspects, to the development of social skills and capacity to increase concentration [ 60 ]. Both types of play described here underpin sports. Considering the actual decrease in play and generalized restrictions to movement among children, sports clubs became even more important to allow children to play (and move). If training is properly managed, and playfulness overcomes the development of specific motor skills, sports clubs can play a major role in assigning meaning to movement. The developmental models of young athletes overlap in the need to emphasize play and unstructured activities in early phases (see the section How Sports Foster Healthy Development). Unfortunately, many coaches of young athletes overemphasize the need to win in the short term, rather than focusing on the playfulness of sports, and on the development of children’s motor repertoire during their early training phases. Panksepp [ 40 ] proposes that play “sanctuaries” for children who suffer from ADHD should be established as an alternative for psychostimulants that reduce play. The author considers that this action would foster frontal lobe maturation and promote the healthy development of pro-social minds.

However, it is not only children who are hyperkinetic who benefit from sports. Those children who have difficulties in expressing normal aggressiveness and become too submissive may also find in sports an important setting to tackle their difficulties. Aggressiveness is natural and important; children should learn how to use and integrate it in proper ways (e.g., assertiveness). When aggressiveness is not integrated, and is turned towards the self, difficulties can arise. These children may become too mechanical, functional, and (pathologically) normative [ 61 ]. Children who suffer from obesity, dyspraxia, impairments in lateralization, and tics may also benefit from their engagement in sport activities, because they enhance body scheme and spatial–temporal representation, improve physical skills, and allow them to express aggressiveness in adequate ways.

Many difficulties of children are expressed through the body, and modern lifestyles contribute to the decrease in free play and constraint of movement. Sports can play an important role in stimulating play and movement of young children, fostering their motor, social, and psychological development. To do so, training practices should consider age appropriate activities, including free play and unstructured activities in early stages. The specialization of motor skills should be gradual, with training focused on enhancing performance, and coaches should be (more) aware of the needs of the children. In those cases of children who are inhibited or hyperkinetic, it is important understand their movement as a reflection of their internal world (and conflicts).

4.5.2. Corporeality, Fantasy, and Play

Advances in technology have brought major developments and improved the quality of lives worldwide. However, the virtual experience has also supplanted a large amount of embodied experience, which makes involvement in sports (playing) an important way to stay connected with a deep and ancestral part of human life [ 62 ].

Sports have a connection with psychoanalysis due to both considering interrelationships among intrapsychic, interpersonal, and social realms [ 57 ]. Involvement in sport activities includes the use of body expression (motor skills), within a ritual that considers both internal and external rules to regulate it (Freudian id, ego, and superego). According to Free [ 56 ], the overall system of allowances and prohibitions in sport activities may be perceived as an analogy to the Oedipal complex; most sports allow the symbolic physical expression of unconscious desires for maternal possession (which can be seen in the efforts to conquer territory, to score goals, to penetrate lines), but also require internalized discipline associated with parental authority (super ego). The pre-Oedipal functioning relates to indulgence, libido, and aggressive instincts, while the post-Oedipal regards aspects such as maturity, discipline, submission to social reality, and norms.

The internal working models of children influence how they perceive sports, and how they engage in such activities. The questions about “what” and “how” children play should be considered.

What a child plays is related to the sport chosen by him/her. What does the child try to symbolically express by playing that sport? How a child plays is related to the type of attachments he/she establishes with sports, peers, coaches, and competition. Some children do not allow themselves to win (due to the unconscious fantasy of destroying the other by doing so), while others cannot stand to lose (felt like a dangerous attack to their self-esteem). Learning how to “play the game” is very important for youngsters who engage in sports. By playing the game, we refer to learning how to relate to others in a positive way. More on this is developed in the next section.

4.5.3. Ethics: Positive Identifications and Sense of Belonging

According to Bonovitz [ 63 ], sports play an important role in the need for adolescents to search for idealization and idealized objects, for example, sport stars, allowing them to identify with these heroes, and foster their efforts for further separation from their parental figures. This positive idealization and identification reinforce the sense of identity of youngsters, within a social environment outside their families, and not directly linked with them.

By identifying with their sport heroes, youngsters may seek self-improvement and personal transcendence. In a broader sense, this is an ethical perspective of the utility of sports, that may work as a significant means to foster the identification with a competent, strong, fair, and resilient person, who works hard on a daily basis to overcome obstacles and become a successful hero. This perspective overlaps with the idea of the Jungian archetype of the hero [ 64 ].

Sports activity relies mostly on self-improvement and self-monitoring. There is the underpinning idea of competition: the best win and become champions— Citius, Altius, Fortius — Communis (Olympic Motto—Communis em 2021 [ 65 ]). The pursuit of things of value within a social setting (that include cooperation, rivalry, and competition) is important, and relates to the idea of a hierarchy. Hierarchies between people foster people to improve themselves so they can reach their goals and achievements. The idea of the champion is based on someone who is able to achieve something special; to do so, those who want to become champions must adopt the carpe diem ideal of using every day to improve him/herself (following a plan, with predefined goals). Although winning a game/competition is important, and athletes should focus their attention on it, and give their best to be successful, that game/competition is “just” one part of a much wider endeavor, that inevitably includes victories and losses, glory and frustration. This is a metaphor for life, and that is why winning each game is important but, at the same time, it is not. In the end, what might be important to teach children through sports is that the whole process, the whole sport life, is the most important, and to enhance the chances of being successful, one must learn how the world works, and how to play well with others.

Hierarchies result from the need to create a social organization, based on perceived value of their elements, that organize social relations. Hierarchies and power are frequently (and wrongly) associated with coercion and abuse. It is the misuse of power (abuse) that makes hierarchies non-functional: when elements arise from another factor rather than competence, then the hierarchy becomes tyrannical. The ideal of sports is to promote the best, based on their skills and competence, regardless their background, country, or any other factor that is not competence. Poor coaching perceives hierarchies wrongly, and tends to organize youth sport activities around two opposite poles: (1) flat hierarchies, and (2) win-at-all-costs mentality. Both approaches have flaws.

Flat hierarchies, considering that everyone wins despite their performance, are usually justified as a way to avoid negative feelings of frustration among youngsters, resulting from not being the best/champion. This approach is frequently fostered by those who consider competition a negative thing. We will try to explain why this approach is wrong.

First of all, if there is no competition, then we are not talking about sports. Competition is part of sports (and life in general). Avoiding competition is not a good strategy (especially in a long-term perspective) because it does not push children forward in order to pursue their goals. When this approach is undertaken, children see themselves as the Dodo Bird in Alice in Wonderland: despite their performance, everyone wins, and everyone has presents. When adults tell children that they win, no matter what they do (and their result), and that everything they do is always fantastic, children perceive their accomplishments as fake, and the judgement of adults as not reliable. This continued approach may contribute to the poor development of narcissism of narcissism, and the consequent feeling of not having real value. In these situations, children tend to remain in a pre-Oedipal state, not facing the social rules and personal limitations, and not being encouraged to expand their skills. The idea of keeping children in a non-confrontational ideal world does not allow them to grow up and accept their own (and others’) flaws and limitations. Here, it is important to have the role of the masculine, that helps to separate children from their protective mothers, and foster their endeavor to conquer unexplored territories.

Avoiding competition is a poor approach; however, the opposite pole of winning at all costs may not be the best option either. When adults teach children that winning at all costs is the thing to pursue, they are missing the point of the utility of sports. It is important to explain to children that the most important thing is to learn how to play the game. This does not mean that winning the game is not important, but it is more important to learn how to develop cooperation and to compete in the long term. The most important thing is to pursue this long-term goal (and sometimes to sacrifice short-term goals of winning the game) because the present competition is just a piece (and the beginning) of something bigger, longer, and more important.

Children should be trained not to necessarily win isolated games, but to improve their performance and become better, game after game (like in life). This idea is underpinned by the Olympic Motto and relates to the development of character or an attitude towards life, based on pursuing valuable things and playing well with others (in sports and life), which will increase the possibility of having success in life. To do so, sometimes one needs to sacrifice present satisfaction (winning now), and to progressively learn how to delay pleasure and build solid endeavors. By success, here, we refer to the improvement of relationships with others, by learning to metaphorically “play the game”, which will result in more positive relationships with peers, adults, and the whole community. To be successful is to learn to develop strategies to go well in life in the long term; to do so, children must identify themselves with role models not solely based on their skills, but mostly on their attitude towards sports and others.

Besides fostering active engagement over passivity, intense involvement in sports also provides a feeling of community and sense of identification [ 66 ]. According to Free [ 56 ], formally organized games and sports are reality-adapted play (post-Oedipal) that foster mutual identification between athletes, and observing rules is more significant than the victory itself. Peer relations become more and more important as children grow, peaking in adolescence, and engagement in sports can also play an important role here.

5. Conclusions

Sport activities include topics such as motor behavior (movement), unconscious motivation, conflict, and fantasy. In sports, youngsters find a way to express themselves; they allow them to confront their limitations while, at the same time, they have a huge potential for transcendence and improving resilience.

Considering the decrease in free and outdoor play in Western societies, sports become more and more important to provide meaning to child movement expressed through their bodies. Sports can be a powerful tool to foster human development. To do so, it is important to understand the relational dynamics of children, the quality of their attachments, and to know how to interpret the symbolic meaning of their behaviors. This humanistic approach to sports is the opposite of a considerable part of modern youth sports training, focused exclusively (and obsessively) on sports performance and competition. The obsession with sports performance among youngsters (as often happens at school) contributes for poor sport practices, and makes sports less fun for the athletes.

Despite the enormous potential of sports to foster child development, the quality of sport experience depends largely on the type of attachments and relationships established between the youngsters and other stakeholders in their sports environment: coach, peers, parents, club, and community. The active and continued engagement in sports fosters motor, social, and (healthier) psychological development, and should therefore be considered in youth education.

Funding Statement

This research received no external funding.

Author Contributions

Investigation, I.S.; data caution, C.N.; conception, M.N.; methods, A.R. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Data availability statement, conflicts of interest.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Importance of Sports Essay

Sport is a physical activity that tests our athletic abilities. It’s kind of a physical exercise in which we compete with the opponent/s solely for the purpose of entertainment. Basket ball, foot ball, cricket, volley ball, hockey are some of the most well known sports. Sports have many physical and psychological advantages on the participants as well as the viewers. They result in a better physical stamina and improved reflexes along with other advantages.

Long and Short Essay on Importance of Sports in English

Importance of Sports Essay 1 (100 words)

Importance of Sports Essay 2 (150 words)

Being involved in sports activities benefits a person in many ways. It does not provide only physical strength however it increases mental power too. Outdoor sports such as football, cricket, volleyball, hockey, running, etc helps in improving physical health and mental fitness. However, some indoor games and sports like brain games, chess, Sudoku, etc improves mental power and concentration level.

Importance of Sports Essay 3 (200 words)

Importance of Sports

Importance of Sports Essay 4 (250 words)

Values of Sports and Games

Sports are nice physical activities that provide freedom from the stress and worries. It has nice scope and professional career for the sports persons. It has ability to give sportspersons their required name, fame and money. So, we can say that, sports can be played for personal benefits as well as professional benefits. In both ways, it benefits our body, mind and soul. Some people play it daily for their body and mind fitness, enjoyment, etc however some play it to get valuable status in their life. No one can ignore its values in the personal and professional life. First Olympic Games were held in 1896 in Athens which is now held continuously after every four years in different countries. It involves both, outdoor and indoor games in which sportsperson of many countries takes part.

Some of the outdoor sports and games are like football, hockey, volleyball, baseball, cricket, tennis, kho-kho, kabaddi, etc which require a playground to be played. Indoor games are like carom, cards, chess, table tennis, puzzle, indoor basketball, etc can be played at home without any playground. Some sports and games like badminton and table tennis can be enjoyed both as indoor and outdoor.

Advantages of Sports and Games

Importance of Sports Essay 5 (300 words)

Introduction

Sports are generally liked by everyone especially kids however it may harm them in many ways. Kids can be easily injured and deviated from their study. However, kids love to go outside and play sports or games with their friends. If we have a look on the history, we see that sports are given much importance from the ancient time. In the modern time, growing popularity of other entertainment things like video games, television, etc are decreasing the demand of sports and games in the life. However, it is also true that sports and games are treated by the many countries as cultural activities, so we can say that the trend of games and sports can never finish in the future.

Physical coordination and strength

Character and Health Building

Sportsperson becomes more punctual and disciplined thus, we can say that sports give various strong and well-built individuals to the society and nation.

Importance of Sports Essay 6 (400 words)

Role of Sports in Building Health, Money and Nation

Role of Eminent Sports Personalities

Long Essay on Importance of Sports – 7 (800 words)

Sports also play a vital role in developing values and mutual trust. They help us to take instant decision and also enhance our thought process. The sportsmanship or the sportsman spirit which develops during sports, teaches us to accept victory or defeat in a graceful manner with being respectful to others. Sport also prepares us to face the challenges of life in a very positive and calm way. Sports like Kho-Kho, Kabbadi, Football etc helps to develop the physical fitness in an individual by strengthening their muscles and bones.

Importance of Sports for Health

Importance of Sports for Personality Development

Importance of Sports in Nation Development

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5 Life Skills Students Can Learn From Sports

By Rishabh Chauhan

Sports offer valuable opportunities to develop life skills that can be applied beyond the playing field. Here are some life skills that can be cultivated through participation in sports.

The "never-die" spirit, also known as resilience or perseverance, is a valuable quality that can be cultivated through sports.

1. Never Die Spirit

Mostly of the sports require teamwork to sustain, it fosters numerous valuable skills and qualities that extend beyond the field or court.

2. Teamwork

In sports and life, accountability means owning our actions and recognising their impact on others. It's about taking responsibility, learning from mistakes, and striving for improvement.

3. Accountability

Sports teach students to be fair and respectful towards your opponent. On many occasions you will not remain victorious, at that moment showing respect becomes more important.

4. Sportsmanship

Through sports, students learn acceptance of unfavorable situations and the spirit of fighting back the adverse situations.

5. Acceptance

Community Spotlight: Read By 4th nonprofit focuses on helping Philly students become strong readers

“Community Spotlight” with PHL17’s Jennifer Lewis-Hall highlights the work that nonprofits and community organizations are doing in the Delaware Valley.

This week’s Community Spotlight segment features a nonprofit that utilizes families and community leaders to develop strong reading skills for children in Philadelphia. The organization’s leaders highlight the importance of literacy and reading in academics and everyday life. According to Read By 4th “two-thirds of Philly’s children aren’t reading at grade level.”

Jenny Bogoni, Read by 4th’s Executive Director says, “If you can’t read, you can’t access other content in school and you fall further and further behind.” Carolotta Stafford is a Read by 4th Reading Captain. Stafford says, “when I was a kid, it was really important to watch Sesame Street, and there was a song there saying, ‘these are the people in your neighborhood,’ and it always resonated with me because the people in my neighborhood are the people that I see most frequently, those are the people that I trust, the people that I care about.”

Among the nonprofit’s initiatives are: Philly ABCs, Reading Promise and ParentPowered.

Check out “Community Spotlight” airing Wednesdays on PHL17 Morning News. It’s Good News!

Tell us about nonprofits and community organizations in your area, HERE .

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PHL17.com.

Community Spotlight: Read By 4th nonprofit focuses on helping Philly students become strong readers

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Open Access

Peer-reviewed

Research Article

Development of a curricular thread to foster medical students’ critical reflection and promote action on climate change, health, and equity

Roles Conceptualization, Data curation, Investigation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing

Affiliation Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States of America

Roles Data curation, Visualization, Writing – review & editing

Roles Conceptualization, Investigation, Methodology

Affiliation Program in Medical Humanities, Trent Center for Bioethics, Humanities & History of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States of America

Roles Conceptualization

Affiliation Interprofessional Education Program, Western University of Health Sciences, Lebanon, OR, United States of America

Roles Investigation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing

Roles Methodology, Project administration, Writing – original draft

Affiliation Duke University Medical Center Library & Archives, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States of America

Affiliation Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States of America

Affiliation Practice of Medical Education, Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States of America

Roles Conceptualization, Investigation

Affiliation Trent Center for Bioethics, Humanities & History of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States of America

Roles Investigation, Methodology, Supervision, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing

* E-mail: [email protected]

Affiliation Practice of Medical Education, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States of America

Trisha Dalapati,
Emily J. Alway,
Sneha Mantri,
Phillip Mitchell,
Ian A. George,
Samantha Kaplan,
Kathryn M. Andolsek,
J. Matthew Velkey,
Jennifer Lawson,
Andrew J. Muzyk

Published: May 30, 2024
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0303615
Peer Review
Reader Comments

Introduction

Due to the health consequences arising from climate change, medical students will inevitably interact with affected patients during their training and careers. Accordingly, medical schools must incorporate education on the impacts of climate change on health and equity into their curricula. We created a curricular thread called “Climate Change, Health, and Equity” in the first-year preclinical medical program to teach foundational concepts and foster self-reflection and critical consciousness.

The authors developed a continuum of practice including administrators, educators and faculty members, students, and community partners to plan and design curricular activities. First-year medical students at Duke University School of Medicine participated in seven mandatory foundational lectures and two experiential learning opportunities in the local community. Following completion of activities, students wrote a critical reflection essay and completed a self-directed learning exercise. Essays were evaluated using the REFLECT rubric to assess if students achieved critical reflection and for thematic analysis by Bloom’s Taxonomy.

All students (118) submitted essays. A random sample of 30 (25%) essays underwent analysis. Evaluation by the REFLECT rubric underscored that all students were reflecting or critically reflecting on thread content. Thematic analysis highlighted that all students (30/30, 100%) were adept at identifying new areas of medical knowledge and connecting concepts to individual experiences, institutional practices, and public health and policy. Most students (27/30; 90%) used emotionally laden words, expressing negative feelings like frustration and fear but also positive sentiments of solidarity and hope regarding climate change and effects on health. Many students (24/30; 80%) expressed actionable items at every level including continuing self-directed learning and conversing with patients, minimizing healthcare waste, and advocating for climate-friendly policies.

After participating in the curricular thread, most medical students reflected on cognitive, affective, and actionable aspects relating to climate change, health, and equity.

Citation: Dalapati T, Alway EJ, Mantri S, Mitchell P, George IA, Kaplan S, et al. (2024) Development of a curricular thread to foster medical students’ critical reflection and promote action on climate change, health, and equity. PLoS ONE 19(5): e0303615. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0303615

Editor: Frederick Grinnell, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, UNITED STATES

Received: October 2, 2023; Accepted: April 26, 2024; Published: May 30, 2024

Copyright: © 2024 Dalapati et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Data Availability: All relevant data are within the manuscript.

Funding: The author(s) received no specific funding for this work.

Competing interests: No authors have competing interests

Beyond learning about the conditions of the human body, diagnostics, and treatment modalities, medical students are well-positioned to examine how patients’ health is affected by the surrounding environment, including the climate, geography, and healthcare inequities in the community. With the inevitable health consequences arising from climate change, medical students will interact with affected patients during their training and careers. Students are increasingly aware that the very healthcare systems they are members of contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions underlying anthropogenic climate change [ 1 , 2 ]. Moreover, while all individuals may be affected, communities that are historically marginalized, medically underserved, and older are at higher risk of experiencing the health impacts of climate change due to structural inequities [ 3 , 4 ]. At present, medical schools have both an opportunity and a responsibility to promote action-oriented learning in undergraduate medical education (UME) at the intersection of climate change and health.

In 2015, over one hundred health professional schools signed the Health Educator’s Climate Commitment, an international pledge to train the next generation of health professionals to care for patients impacted by climate change [ 5 ]. Medical schools are responding by incorporating climate change topics into UME. From 2019 to 2022, the Liaison Committee on Medical Education reported that the percentage of medical schools providing climate change instruction more than doubled from 27% to 55% [ 6 ]. In addition to learning the facts and diagnoses related to climate change, medical students are uniquely situated to be “agents of change” by identifying, researching, and advocating for climate resilience, environmental justice, and health equity [ 7 , 8 ]. Education on climate change’s effects on health has the potential to be transformative, allowing students and educators to synthesize factual information, reflect on content beyond the classroom, and evoke commitment to personal and professional behavior change.

However, UME faces challenges with incorporating climate concepts into curricula. Recurring barriers include competition for time, space, and faculty in the existing curriculum [ 9 , 10 ]. Climate change and its health impacts are also new topics for medical educators. Building teaching capacity, assessing resources, and integrating new material into existing content necessitate time and associated administrative and financial support [ 9 – 12 ]. Finally, there is a dearth of robust assessments to evaluate student learning. Assessments are critical as they signal learning priorities to students, confirm knowledge acquisition and behavior change, and facilitate sharing of successful interventions across programs and institutions [ 10 , 11 , 13 , 14 ]. Thought leaders have recommended learning objectives for climate change and health education, and suggested when and how to deliver content and assessments within existing educational frameworks [ 13 – 18 ].

In fall 2022, faculty members and trainees met to address the lack of UME at our institution, Duke University School of Medicine (DUSOM), focused on climate change and its health impacts. Subsequently, we created a community of practice (CoP) of educators and students. The CoP’s purpose was to identify areas within the first-year medical curriculum where topics of climate change could be integrated and to then develop a curricular thread in the first-year medical program with clear objectives and measurable outcomes. The resulting curricular thread was named Climate Change, Health, and Equity.

The goal of the Climate Change, Health, and Equity thread was to develop medical students’ critical consciousness–an awareness of the impact climate change has on health that overcomes preexisting biases and is liberated from others’ beliefs [ 19 ]. In addition to foundational lectures, we intended to foster the growth of medical students’ critical consciousness using facilitated discussions, self-reflection and writing exercises, and experiential learning activities focused on informed advocacy, personal accountability, and environmental health justice.

Needs assessment and creation of the community of practice

In fall 2022, faculty members and students of the DUSOM met to identify opportunities to integrate climate change and its health impacts within the UME. The meeting resulted in the creation of an interdisciplinary CoP of medical administrators, educators, students; faculty from the Nicholas School of the Environment, Schools of Nursing and Medicine, Center for Bioethics, Humanities, and History of Medicine, and Medical Center Library; community educators from the Museum of Life and Science, the Nasher Museum of Art, and Moms Clean Air Force. Importantly, the CoP’s medical educators included course directors of the first-year curriculum and medical students of all years, including student-leaders of the DUSOM Sustainability Committee and Environmental Justice and Health Equity Student Group. The CoP was tasked to develop and pilot a curricular thread, named Climate Change, Healthy and Equity, in the first-year Doctor of Medicine (MD) program by spring 2023.

Kern’s six step approach to curriculum development was used to establish a needs assessment and a framework [ 20 ]. Key papers in the medical education literature were appraised for current practices, gaps, and future directions [ 21 – 23 ]. Educational theories of transformative learning by Mezirow and Freire [ 19 , 24 , 25 ], and CoP by Lave and Wenger were used to design, execute, and assess the thread [ 26 ]. Learning objectives were mapped to cognitive, affective, and psychomotor learning domains.

The curricular thread lectures were designed to provide an overview of climate change and health for all medical students. Students in the CoP also voiced the need for self-reflection activities and experiential learning opportunities that would highlight the pressing nature of climate change on the surrounding community’s health and serve as tangible reasons to continue self-directed learning and informed advocacy beyond the curricular thread.

The main goals of Climate Change, Health, and Equity thread became to have medical students (1) understand the basic concepts of the planetary health framework [ 27 ]; (2) identify effects of climate change on physical and mental health; (3) describe climate change as a social driver of health in the local community; (4) recognize examples of how climate policy disproportionately affects the health and equity of communities of color and of lower socioeconomic status; (5) recognize the importance of and learn from the lived experiences of communities disproportionately affected by climate change; (6) identify opportunities to advocate and partner with patients, community members, and policymakers to promote health equity and climate resilience; and (7) establish personal and professional accountability for continued self-directed learning.

Thread development

After assessing the current first-year curriculum, the Climate Change, Health, and Equity thread was embedded into the required 21-week Foundations of Patient Care 2 (FPC2) course in the spring 2023 semester. Study authors AM and JV are co-directors of FPC2 and rearranged and revised content to accommodate the addition of this thread into the course.

All thread content was developed by the CoP. The thread consisted of seven lectures, including a session on critical analysis of primary literature; facilitated discussion following each lecture; two experiential learning activities in the community; and optional extracurricular opportunities ( Table 1 ). Faculty and community experts were invited to create and deliver lectures. Each lecture contained three parts: 1) foundational knowledge, 2) the connection between climate change and health, and 3) opportunities for personal and professional advocacy and community partnership.

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https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0303615.t001

The lecture on critical analysis of primary literature was led by study author SK, a Research and Education Liaison Librarian at DUSOM. The objective of the session was to teach students how to effectively search interdisciplinary and subject-specific databases to identify literature on climate change and its health impacts and locate clinical decision-making tools. Following completion of the session, students were tasked with completing a self-directed learning activity in which they independently accessed, selected, and critically analyzed a primary literature source examining a lived experience related to climate. This activity aligned with LCME standard 6.3 for Self-Directed and Lifelong Learning [ 28 ], and the findings will be reported in a separate paper.

For the two experiential learning activities in the community, members of the CoP organized guided tours and presentations at the Museum of Life and Science and Nasher Museum of Art. Students were guided through special exhibits on the climate crisis. The goal of the tour was to stimulate perspective-taking by considering the diverse lived experiences within local, national, and global communities and imagining the impact of climate change on the health of subjects within art pieces and installations. Opportunities for extracurricular involvement were advertised in-class and by email, and included symposiums hosted by national and local organizations and volunteer events with the Environmental Justice and Health Equity Student Group.

At the conclusion of the thread, students were given two prompts designed by the CoP and intended to probe changes in preexisting beliefs and attitudes, motivation to continue learning about climate change as a social driver of health, and likelihood of participating in advocacy and community engagement. All students were required to submit a 500-word critical reflection essay. Study author SK discussed the Reflection, Evaluation for Learners’ Enhanced Competencies Tool (REFLECT) rubric with students prior to the essay assignment and shared examples modeling reflective writing [ 29 ].

Prompt 1 was “Many individuals already recognize the importance of advocating for environmental justice and can intellectualize the collective responsibility needed to create change. However, “ advocating ” can be a challenging and nebulous endeavor. Please share how and if this course motivates you to act in your clinical profession and in your daily civic life.” Prompt 2 was “There are communities who are disproportionately affected or will be disproportionately affected by climate change. To gain meaningful context, it is essential to learn about the lived experiences of these community members and partner with community advocates. Please share how you plan to continue engaging and learning with these individuals.”

We used a sample of 30 essays, approximately 25% of the total submissions, with the expectation that this sample size would be sufficient to reach saturation, or identification of most unique themes [ 30 – 32 ]. Submitted essays were deidentified and assigned a number. A random number generator identified 30 numbers, and the corresponding essays were used in the analysis. Study authors TD and EA graded the selected essays according to the REFLECT rubric. As a standard setting practice, TD and EA reviewed four essays blindly and then together. The remaining essays were reviewed and graded independently; scores for each criterion were then averaged. Similarly, study authors SM and PM, who are trained in narrative medicine, performed the thematic analysis of the selected essays. Study author SM is a faculty member at DUSOM but not directly involved in this thread, and PM is a faculty member at an external United States health sciences university. SM and PM reviewed five essays together to develop a codebook. The remaining essays were reviewed and coded independently. Themes were organized according to Bloom’s Taxonomy into cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains and further classified according to the socio-ecological model for health promotion into individual, institutional, societal/community, and policy factors [ 33 , 34 ].

Study approval

The Duke University Institutional Review Board determined data collected for the Climate Change, Health, and Equity curricular thread was exempted educational research. All students participating in the curricular thread were informed of the educational research. Students were required to complete the critical reflection essay for the FPC2 course. However, they could opt out of having their essay included in this analysis by contacting an assigned individual at DUSOM, who was not involved with the thread; if the students did not contact the assigned individual, consent to have their essay analyzed was assumed. We adhered to the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research [ 35 ].

One hundred percent of the 118 first-year medical students who participated in the thread submitted an essay, and none opted out of inclusion in the analysis. Thirty of the 118 submitted essays (25% of the total sample) were randomly chosen for assessment by the REFLECT rubric and for the thematic analysis by Bloom’s Taxonomy. Average scores from the REFLECT rubric highlighted that most students were reflecting or critically reflecting on thread material. None of the essays showed “nonreflective" elements ( Fig 1 ). Major themes and supporting quotes from these essays are listed in Tables 2 to 4.

A sample of thirty essays was reviewed for elements of 1) Analysis and meaning making, 2) Attending to emotions, 3) Description of conflict, 4) Presence, 5) Writing spectrum. Criterion from each essay was scored as nonreflective (1 point), introspection (2 points), reflection (3 points), or critical reflection (4 points). Aggregate scores from all essays were averaged. For each criterion, it was found that students were either reflecting or critically reflecting. No essay was found to have non-reflective elements.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0303615.g001

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0303615.t002

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0303615.t003

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0303615.t004

Cognitive domain

Every student (30/30; 100%) addressed the cognitive domain ( Table 2 ). At the individual level, students commented on newly gained vocabulary, knowledge about pathology related to heat, air quality, and infectious diseases, and perspectives on the effects of climate change on individual-level disparities. At the institutional level, students discussed how the medical field’s carbon footprint contributes to climate change and how spikes in emergency visits tend to correlate with heat exposure. Students reflected on the importance of understanding the effects of climate change on the communities they are members of. Many also described how community-level health disparities they knew about previously (e.g. redlining, mental health) were linked to climate change, effectively appraising and re-evaluating their prior assumptions. Students recognized that inaction at the policy-level would contribute to widespread problems despite changes at the individual, institutional, and societal levels. They offered solutions based on their synthesized knowledge such as posing fiscal penalties on companies creating environmental hazards and taking measures for resilience and adaptation.

Affective domain

Nearly all students (27/30; 90%) addressed the affective domain in their essays ( Table 3 ). At the individual level, students recalled experiencing or noticing the consequences of climate change both personally and professionally in clinical settings. Students used emotionally laden words when describing their feelings on climate change mitigation efforts, including “dismay”, “insurmountable”, “paralyzed by fear”, and “powerlessness,” and directed negative emotions towards the healthcare system. Students voiced critiques of this curricular thread and areas for improvement but also expressed a sense of solidarity after participating in the curricular thread alongside peers and the CoP. From the museum exhibits, students reflected on the affective importance of including perspectives that are often excluded from conversations centered around the environment, including Indigenous peoples, urban residents, and rural farmworkers. Finally, concern and anxiety regarding the lack of policy addressing climate change and its downstream effects on human health were frequently discussed.

Psychomotor (action) domain

Nearly every essay (24/30; 80%) included statements expressing the need for action ( Table 4 ) at the individual level (e.g. using reusable grocery bags, volunteering for creek clean-ups, talking to patients about climate change during interviews) and/or the institutional level (e.g. using light-emitting diode (LED) rather than incandescent lights, promoting sustainable transport services). Several students indicated a desire to continue learning about climate change and planetary health, through local grassroots organizations and patient-centric tools such as the Durham Neighborhood Compass, a local database that maps demographic, environmental, and health statistics according to zip code. The students conveyed that utilizing these tools could allow them to ask patients relevant questions and offer appropriate resources. Lastly, students acknowledged the power of collective influence and the sense of responsibility they felt following participation in the curricular thread to advocate for climate change policy and to vote for policies that mitigate harm to human health.

The Climate Change, Health, and Equity curricular thread united educators, students, and relevant community members to address the challenges of time and space in the UME in delivering content on climate change and its health impacts. Through dynamic conversations centered on the current and future impacts of climate change on health, we created foundational lectures, guided discussions, organized experiences in the community, and facilitated self-reflection on learner’s attitudes and beliefs. This multi-pronged approach ultimately led students to express both the need for action and their desire to further learn from the lived experiences of patients affected by climate change in their self-reflection essays. Uniquely, we included self-reflection and experiential learning activities after students in the CoP voiced that seeing tangible effects of climate change on the health of communities may invoke desires to continue learning and advocating beyond the curricular thread.

We drew on Mezirow’s transformative learning theory by establishing a learning environment that exposed students to dilemmas posed by climate change, examined preexisting belief systems, cultivated learning and perspectives, shared sentiments through discussion and critical reflection, and explored skills needed for successful reintegration in a transformed reality [ 24 ]. We applied Freire’s educational learning theory to develop students’ critical consciousness through creation of a communal learning environment where the teacher and learner become equals who learn from one another and the world around them [ 19 , 25 ]. Utilizing a learning approach that incorporated engagement with the community brought forth the first-hand perspectives of individuals facing social, political, and economic realities of climate change. In doing so, we adhered to an essential component of Freire’s theory of connecting the learners to the “others” about whom they are learning. By taking students outside of the classroom, we challenged students to disentangle biases derived from traditional narratives learned secondhand and to reframe their views based on primary accounts.

Assessments were an essential component of our thread and served two purposes. First, our evaluation tools addressed the general challenge in medical education that new innovations often lack systematic assessment. Second, our evaluation helped us determine if students were exploring their critical consciousness. The reflection essays revealed that content delivery was effective as students reported an increased cognitive understanding of the climate’s impact on health. This was further contextualized by affective growth wherein students were able to connect new knowledge with existing frameworks and emotional responses. Although developing critical consciousness is a continuous process, the nearly unanimous reflections in the affective and psychomotor domains focused on responsibility and action highlight the impact our thread had on promoting introspection.

For future directions, we plan to measure the long-term impact of the thread on knowledge and action. Longitudinal follow-up is especially critical as our school’s curriculum consists of only a single pre-clerkship year. Our cohort was limited to these first-year students, and we did not have a control group of students to compare reflection outcomes to. After completing future clerkships, the first-year students who participated in this thread may rethink what they have learned about climate change and health and reconsider the practicality of the behaviors and actions described in their reflections. For example, several students wanted to incorporate climate counseling into patient encounters. Follow-up after completion of the clerkships will elucidate whether counseling was feasible, and if not, what were the encountered challenges that could be addressed.

Experts have highlighted that sustainability and climate awareness are core values akin to professionalism and ethics that should be incorporated throughout training using a variety of teaching modalities as a theme rather than as standalone topics [ 10 , 13 ]. To this end, we are considering how to expand the Climate Change, Health, and Equity thread to weave throughout years of the UME. We plan to track how climate impacts on health are taught intentionally or encountered as part of the hidden UME curriculum.

Several students wanted even more diverse perspectives and a greater understanding of the impact that institutional, state, and federal policies have had on environmental justice locally. We will incorporate this feedback in future thread iterations, especially as planetary health and environmental justice encompasses efforts of all allied health professionals. Accordingly, we recommend that institutions with multiple professional schools should work towards an interprofessional framework.

Although our study was conducted at a single institution during a single year, we developed our thread such that it could be readily adapted at other health professional programs. We recognize that the impacts of climate change and resulting inequities have regional differences, such as distribution of infectious disease, and community-specific variation based on pre-existing conditions of the local population, the nearby environment, and risk exposure [ 13 ]. Other health professional programs can adapt the didactic materials and the experiential community-based activities to provide meaningful learning opportunities that can be tailored locally [ 36 , 37 ]. For example, the Museum of Life and Science and Nasher Museum of Art tours that were organized for this thread could be exchanged for immersive, creative experiences at neighborhood community centers disproportionately affected by climate change, local farms and food distribution and recovery programs, waste and treatment facilities, and fieldwork sites to appreciate how environmental health is surveilled. These experiences would provide health professional students opportunities to learn about local planetary health priorities and to reflect critically on practices back in traditional training spaces.

We view the education provided by the Climate Change, Health, and Equity thread as imperative to medical students’ education, personal growth, and professional responsibility to their patients. We will continue developing our first-year thread by incorporating insights gained from this cohort, extending educational activities into subsequent years of UME, and partnering with allied health professional programs and institutions.

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19. Freire P. Pedagogy of the Oppressed. London, England: Penguin Modern Classics; 2017.
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28. Education LCoM. Functions and Structure of a Medical School. Standard 6: Competencies, Curricular Objectives, and Curricular Design. Washington, D.C.: Association of American Medical Colleges and American Medical Association; 2021.
33. Bloom BS, Engelhart MD, Furst EJ, Hill WH, Krathwohl DR. Taxonomy of educational objectives. New York, NY: David McKay Co., Inc.; 1956.

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Positive Impact of Sports on Mental Health and Stress Reduction

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