Sports Promote Students' Well-being

One of the ways I was able to experience self-growth was through playing sports and, more generally, being physically active. I have played sports my whole life and even currently ski, run,  and play pickleball and men's league soccer. Being involved in sports from elementary through high school helped me develop not only physically, but also mentally and emotionally. Before becoming active in sports, I struggled significantly more with my own body image and dexterity. I was a very early grower, going from 5'5" in grade 5 to 6' in grade 7. I would put on a lot of weight before a rapid growth spurt, leaving me uncoordinated at best. By playing sports, I became better at adapting to my body as it forced me to learn how it worked. I could not maintain my weight, although looking back, gaining it was important for my physical growth. I felt I was still physically fit, which gave me some semblance of confidence that I usually lacked.

 In addition to adapting to my physical growth, sports also helped with my mental growth. In adolescence, I had a very negative body image. Being a heavier guy who struggled significantly with acne, I would have described myself as overweight and unappealing. I didn't stand out academically either. Playing sports, in my case, playing goalkeeper in soccer, allowed me to gain confidence. I felt like there was a place for me to stand out and excel. Even if I still struggled with my body at times, it felt good knowing I could excel at something, which motivated me to do my best and enjoy showing up day in and day out.

Sports taught me more than just becoming comfortable with my physical appearance; it also taught me important skills that are encouraged in classroom settings, such as teamwork, perseverance, communication, commitment, accountability, and pride in one's work. Many of these skills are simply explained to students but playing in a physical and competitive atmosphere with others who relied on me gave me a deeper understanding of these skills compared to my peers.

Seeing the presentations this week about interests and development for students inspired me to write this blog post about sports. Sports have been an interest of mine long before I can remember and are an integral part of who I am today, and so I reflected on how integral they were to my development and ability to find my own identity that I could be happy and confident with.

https://www.muhealth.org/conditions-treatments/pediatrics/adolescent-medicine/benefits-of-sports

https://odphp.health.gov/sites/default/files/2020-09/YSS_Report_OnePager_2020-08-31_web.pdf

https://projectplay.org/youth-sports/facts/benefits

I have provided three links which provide information from other, more credible resources explaining similar ideas relating to the importance of sports for youth and adolescents. These articles explore the physical, academic, and mental benefits for students.: how sports and physical education can help reduce growing childhood obesity rates, improve academic test scores and knowledge retention, and help  students bond socially with others. The last link concurs with many of my statements and beliefs, but also offers some differing opinions on certain subjects, such as how sports can increase the risk of injury and risk-taking behaviors; I want to introduce some different views and opinions to open up the discussion on the impact of sports on students.

BrianM@OTU