Many of you will be watching the World Cup at the moment, cheering on your favorite teams and players and enjoying what is still the most prestigious and biggest event in the football calendar. It might even be regarded as an escape for some, acting as downtime from intensive learning and education.
We obviously think that games are a vitally important part of education, learning, and development, so we understand that there is also the opportunity to learn from sports. Children, in particular, can take in a lot from playing and even just watching sports, which will help them develop into rounded adults in the future.
With that in mind, we thought it would be a good time to explain how sports can be crucial to a child’s development. The World Cup might give us an opportunity to watch some of the best footballers in the world, and maybe even check the online Bovada sportsbook to back them to win. But it can also inspire us all to see sports as a force for good in a whole host of different ways.
Different Ways of Learning
Here at Blooket, we understand that different people have different ways of learning. For some, the more traditional academic systems are fine and provide everything they need. But many more have been left behind by those methods in the past, and that is why we have developed games and other ways of learning.
Just like our games, sports is a great example of a non-traditional method of teaching. Children, in particular, can feel excluded if they do not work within the traditional models of education, so discovering another way of getting information across that will help with their development is crucial.
Keeping Fit and Healthy
With children spending more and more time in front of screens and devices, there is an obvious argument for promoting sports as simply a way of keeping them fit and healthy. With childhood obesity levels higher than they have ever been before, it is obvious that something needs to be done.
The simple fact is that young people are not engaging with sports enough. Added to that is the problem of making sports so competitive that it puts them off wanting to take part or carry on physical activity outside of structured settings. Sports should be encouraged in a way that makes it inclusive and something to build on for the future.
Emotional Learning
The benefits of children engaging in sports are virtually endless. There are so many ways that individual and team play can help with learning and development. Although the competition element should not be pushed too hard, sports provides an excellent way of dealing with and coping with adversity.
A major part of development is learning how to cope with the good times and the bad. Sports offer this lesson in a very obvious way, without making it feel as though the child is being told what to do. Accepting the positives and negatives in the same graceful manner is important for dealing with life in general.
Social Skills
All kinds of sports are important for development, but it is perhaps within a team sports setting that children can learn the most. The social skills that can be picked up from being part of a sports team are invaluable. Children need to learn social skills to get on in life, and sports can provide the tools to understand them.
Team sports give children a chance to learn roles within a team and discover their own strengths and weaknesses. Leadership techniques can be developed at the same time as learning how working as part of a team can be the best way for everyone to act. This notion of respect for others can also be conveyed in a safe way.
Mind Strength
The physical benefits of playing all kinds of sports might seem to be very obvious. But there have been numerous studies carried out that specifically point to the cognitive benefits, too. This is crucial to development and learning, so knowing that sports can provide this “all-round” service is important.
While the body is benefiting from the physical activity carried out, blood flow to the brain is increased, and that releases endorphins. These endorphins can aid concentration and memory, tools that will help children develop and learn in a very positive way. The more children partake in sports, the stronger their brains are getting.
How to Use Sports as a Developmental Tool
Knowing that sports can help young people develop and learn in a whole host of ways is important. But anyone in a position of authority needs to know how to use sports in the best way possible to ensure that the children in their care are benefiting. There are a number of ways sports can be integrated into daily routines.
The idea of not being overly competitive is vital here. Making mistakes is a part of sport, as it is in life, so they should be accepted as part of the process. Acknowledging motivations and personal goals is also an incredibly important transferable skill that can be best taught on the sports field. Ultimately, sports should be fun, so children will reap the benefits even though they may not realize they are learning.
Figure 2 Traditional methods of learning are still just as important – Source: Unsplash
Sports as Part of the Overall Plan
Just as some children may find conventional educational methods challenging, there will be others who experience sports in the same way. It is important to stress that we are not saying that sports are the best way for children to learn and develop. It can just be part of a bigger package.
Non-sports learning will work for some, and that has to be respected. But there is no doubt that sports can be used to boost development and teach children in a different and sometimes more acceptable way. Enjoying the World Cup suddenly seems like a much more important way to spend our time!