Sports in the Upbringing of Children - Research Paper Example

Lori A Wilson ENG 112 Mr. Ryan Johnson May 3, How Participation in Sports Contribute to a Well-Rounded child A well rounded child is that child who has been brought up in a good environment that fully allows free development as the child grows through participating in sports. A fully developed child possess ethical values together with creative skills and has the ability to identify and explore his or her talents and use them effectively for his or her own good. However, it is important to note children in their early stages of development are normally very active and energetic. The energy possessed by children needs to be fully utilized in co-curricular activities such as sports. Therefore, a well-rounded child can be viewed as that child, who has totally developed physically, socially and mentally thru playing sports from early childhood (Humphrey). Having children participate in sporting activities has over time led to controversies in opinions and as such a bond of contention between educational institutions and other stake holders. Some scholars hold contrary opinions on whether or not children should participate in sports. “Critics have condemned sport for fostering excessive violence, an overemphasis on competition and winning, and the exploitation of individuals. Sport proponents have extolled the value of sport as a contributor to health, personal fulfillment, and community integration.” (School sports, Encyclopedia of Education). It is vital to have a glance at how sport produces positive results in the education sector and other settings for young children. Among the reasons behind these controversies is the notion that if the sports are not well organized can pose a number of dangers notably; cognitive and psychological. Kirk Ericson in his article titled, “The Negative Effects of Youth Sports” asserts thus “competitive sports may be too stressful for children; therefore a need to control what sport children play otherwise sports can be injurious. Among the effects cited in the article include; physical injuries on the bones, sprains and strains on the muscles and tendons, injuries inflicted on growth plates and heat related ailments. The other effect justifying by Shields and Gilbert is why kids should not participate in sport activities is because of early burnouts, as a result of stress reaction caused by overstraining and too much play that can dehydrate the child’s body. The article further advocates for a creation of an environment where children will be able to participate and view sport as a source of fun and enjoyment. The other factor against sport activities by children is that in the event of competition and play kids use large amounts of energy and therefore the planners of children sport need to engage the services of the diet and nutrition specialists to help guard against inadequate nutrition otherwise sports for children will generate more harm than good. In the contrary opinion scholars and physical education specialists cite enormous benefits gained by children in sports. As stated in one of the articles, “Numerous studies by Shields and Gilbert support the positive relationship that exists between psychological well-being and regular involvement in physical activity, especially in the areas of reduction of anxiety and depression.” Physically, sport helps children develop a well-built structure of their bodies, for example, the muscles and bones. As Brewer, asserts child development demonstrates that children develop through shared activities such as sports. “Children grow in and through connections with others” supports the fundamental importance of warm, trusting, supportive and close interpersonal sport relationships to overall well-being (Brewer). Sports therefore play a major role in the social development of a child; it is through play that virtues such as cooperation, team work, discipline, trust, just play and game skills are developed. Intellectual development of a child is also boosted in sport in that during competitions or team practice confidence is built and with time develops and becomes part of the child’s daily life. “It is through hard work and determination that success in a competition is achieved. It is through games and sport activities that children learn this virtue in practice”. (Shields & Gilbert) Finally, development of skill is a benefit of great value in sport because of the impact it normally has in the general lifestyle developed from childhood. It is vital to note that sport objectives need to be set and a plan drawn up to ensure successful realization of these developments for instance; positive approaches need to be used through encouragement and praise, motivation and correction. It is also paramount to ensure that in the event of play there needs to be a fair play at all times to avoid humiliation and build-up of negative attitudes among children. To develop a well-rounded child there must be the mentors or good role models that can direct them to be a well-rounded child .This includes; parents, teachers, coaches and peers. Children often look upon them for guidance and direction on whatever they do, but there is one important mentor in a child’s life; the coach in sport, has great impact on the developmental aspects of sport. The manner in which the coach handles children sport determines the child’s future attitude in sport. In planning and executing sports for kids, people and coaches concerned must bear in mind that the main goal for any sport or competition is to foster the child’s inherent motivation for sport. Sports in a child’s life instill various vital skills necessary not only in school but also when they grow into adulthood. For instance, sports enable children to rise above their lifestyles and develop their own identity. Benefits of sports range from giving children emotional benefits, social and physical fitness. Sport further helps children to develop psychomotor skills and discipline through exercise programs. The exercises involved in sport activity offer the needed physical exercise to a child’s whole body for example the heart, bones and muscles and further give the child a firm and fit posture (Sullivan). Furthermore, games and sport provide a source of recreational activities full of amusements, joys and other mixed reactions. Therefore, through sport children derive pleasure, share experiences and forget their fears or worries in their lives. Moreover, competitions in sport compel children to work hard as a team by combining forces for the benefit and success of the entire team members. “The values and ethics instilled in children contribute to the success of the competing team, these values are essential for the all-round development of a child” (Sullivan). It is undisputable fact that games and sport instill the spirit of sportsmanship in children no matter the result of the game they participated. The spirit of appreciation of play amongst the participating teams is key aspect in a child’s development; this is because in the course of play, children normally engage in friendly interactions with the opponents and after losing or winning the competing teams normally appreciate each other. Sport is a vital ingredient in a child’s developmental stages as it helps them become healthier, cheerful and all rounded adults. Sports help young kids face challenges in their daily life. It is worthwhile noting that, Sports help children in; Health improvement and weight reduction. This is because the vigorous activities conducted while playing in sports grounds helps children cut weight to healthy levels and therefore help reduce chances of suffering from weight related diseases in their adulthood. Furthermore, sports foster self-esteem since it involves healthy exchange of encouragement this exchange help fosters positive self-realization (Humphrey). Values of good sportsmanship are inculcated in children through sport. “It is purely true that participation in sports competitions involves winning and losing, hard work, team work and commitment; these are the possible outcomes for any sport and normally generate mixed reaction and emotions immediately after a competition. These mixed emotions can have damaging effects if not controlled wisely” (Birrer et al). Therefore, children learn how to manage emotions through sports and hence positive values of sportsmanship is instilled. In addition, children through sports derive pleasure in competing; this translates to class work and goes a long way in improving performance in school. This is evident as research studies have clearly shown that active children are more likely to score good grades than dormant children. In addition, they have more chances of completing high school, college and university education as compared to those who do not participate in sports. Moreover, some academic institutions have put up specific requirement for children wishing to participate in competitions, for example an average grade of a C and above. This has indirectly compelled pupils to become responsible and endeavor in academic success. Because of this fact, sport promotes in children the spirit of solidarity and teamwork both in the field and in their academics. It is undisputable reality that sports offer a safe ground for releasing stress, it also offers an enabling environment for socialization with friends and peers thus making kids busy and further enhances the release of stress. “Sporting activities enables a child to builds self confidence in him” (Humphrey). This applies in all concepts of life including academics and co curriculum activities; for instance, public speaking skills. The writer of the article; “Why Is Physical Education Important, asserts thus, “kids learn healthy habits and stay off drugs, physical education can also increase learning by getting the blood flowing and increasing oxygen levels, which promote concentration”(Your Dictionary, Why Is Physical Education Important) This shows that sports enhance the brain’s ability to remember details of content; for example, when a child is training to recite a poem, sports enable him or her to increase the grasping ability. In religious matters sports develops an interest in the child’s desire to learn more about religious teachings (Sullivan). Furthermore, sports help in enhancing problem solving skills, for example persuasive conversations. Children through sporting activities learn how to plan and execute sporting attacks on opponents. These skills are essential for survival, and hence help them to realize several other skills that can aid in solving life’s problems. Short term problems which involve matters such as attitude towards their teammates’ attendance, time management, and dress standards, playing standards, personal values and discipline are all problems that get control within the group. The skills developed in solving such problems help them in all aspects of life. Sports helps in decision making; for instance, within the contemporary scope of sports there are situations that call for decision making which calls for action from the coaches and even players. Sports involve multiple choices to be made; a good demonstration is in the sport of tennis whereby an opponent serves the ball and prepares to return it. This rule of decision making in sports, Walker stated that will enable the child to make effective and wise decisions in their lifestyle as trained by sport. Sports enhance good leadership qualities as portrayed by Sullivan. This is because participants develop good communication skills and team building. This skill enables children to be effective leaders. It is through coaching that competitors learn to respect the decisions made by those in authority. It is also through sports that children are able to discover their strengths and weaknesses that consequently aid in building success strategies and time management skills. “Participation in sports helps children to develop self-confidence” (Walker). This is true owing to the fact that they are involved in making decisions necessary for their success in sport. Through competitions a child is made to understand the importance of setting goals anchored in performance and get to know that it is how well they play rather than the overall result of the play that matters. Children will therefore learn that success is not just being a victor but a measure of endeavor, progress and doing the best possible to achieve good results. Finally, sports train children to be more responsible of them and with every chore assigned to them. As stated by one of the articles, “Children who take Physical Education classes at school may also become interested in joining a team sport”. Earle studies have shown that children who participate in team sport are less likely to be involved in drugs. Sport therefore increases health awareness and the need to maintain a healthy body. This is a virtue that needs to be instilled in children as their health is of paramount importance for success in life. Although sport activities in children carry immense benefits such as development and build-up of talents, child discipline among others, there are a number of barriers that make it hard to fully develop. These impediments include among others social and cultural factors, limitations in terms of facilities, finances and equipment, interpersonal barriers for example a belief by leaders and parents that sport is less important, time related barriers, psychological impediments just to mention a few. But amid these barriers, Humphrey emphasized that sport continues to offer vital benefits to the child’s life and in the general contribution to developmental stages of the young people. Education stakeholders and parents should therefore enhance and motivate children to value sports because sports mentors and develops whole rounded children. Therefore learning sporting skills in educational process is a vital endeavor as it promotes a better understanding of the child’s developmental aspects (Kirk). Works cited: Brewer, B. Sport Psychology, Olympic Handbook of Sports Medicine. Medical Commission of the International Olympic Committee publishers, Blackwell, 2009. Web. 20th April 2012 Earle, Chris. How to Coach Children in Sport, Leeds, UK: Coachwise, 2011. Web. 19th April 2012 Ericson Kirk. The Negative Effects of Youth Sports. Steve Silverman, May 3, 2011. Web. 23 April 2012 Humphrey, James. Child Development through Sports.4 April 2010.New York, NY: Routledge. Web.17 April 2012 "School Sports: Role in Student's Social and Emotional Development."Encyclopedia of Education. The Gale Group, Inc, 2002. Answers.com 21 Apr. 2012. Sharon shields & Elizabeth Gilbert, 2002School Sports: Role in Student's Social and Emotional Development." Encyclopedia of Education. The Gale Group, Inc, 2002. Answers.com 21 Apr. 2012. Sullivan, Connor R. "How to Have Well-Rounded and Cultured Kids." How to Have Well-Rounded and Cultured Kids. 25 Aug. 2010 EzineArticles.com.Web. 16 April 2012. Walker Stephen. Parenting Competitive Kids, May 8, 2008. http://www.podiumsportsjournal.com/parenting-competitive-kids Why Are Sports Important in High School?" YourDictionary. LoveToKnow, n.d. Web. 6 April 2012. Why Is Physical Education Important?"YourDictionary. LoveToKnow, n.d. Web. 20 April 2012. . Read More