Playing sport at school, it appears, is a privilege only granted to a few when it should actually be a right. Many parents, accustomed to no sport themselves, may wonder why it should be forced on their child.
They might see sport as an optional extra to the real business of academic work but not for everyone, especially if the child is ‘not sporty’. [Who says they are not sporty, if they have never tried or never got fit?] Are we being deliberately nasty?
We need to understand that sport plays a vital, central, integral role in the education of every child as we seek to develop a balanced, principled youngster.
It is not a win-win situation for all concerned – actually it is a win-win-win-win-win-win-win situation! There are seven ways we win through sport.
Sport brings people together from all walks of life – in that way we can win friendships. Within school we will play sport with other pupils with whom we do not mix in class.
Outside of school we can play fixtures against other schools and mix with the opposition, get to know them, see how others live.
Sport is a level playing field (excuse the pun!) for people from all different walks of life.
Sport provides enormous pleasure – in that way we win joy (not that we only find joy if we win). Life, all of life, is to be lived, loved, learnt, enjoyed and sport can bring great pleasure and satisfaction. We are not made up of minds alone but have bodies – our development is to be mental and physical, and sport helps us to develop.
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Not only that, we teach sport so that our youngsters can continue to enjoy sport throughout life – whether it is in a club’s fourth team or an elite team.
Sport leads to greater fitness – in that way we can win health. Today’s society wants things on a plate (preferably food!) but it is a fundamental truth which we do ill (literally) to ignore.
Physical health leads to mental fitness – the fitter we are physically the stronger we are mentally. We think people are crazy practising and playing sport when exams are around but they are the sane ones, being fresher mentally!
Sport teaches important lessons - we can win life experiences. Sport teaches us massive life lessons that no amount of academic work can teach us.
If we miss out on sport we are depriving our child of crucial lessons. By playing sport we understand Teamwork which will prove vital in all areas of life; we can learn valuable lessons about Tactics through doing things differently in different situations; about Timing, Training, Trials, Tempo, Determination, Perseverance, Awareness of space and more.
Sport develops character through values – in that way we can win respect. The saddest thing about modern sport is that we have become so consumed by that illusory thing called ‘success’ that we think sport is just about skills yet we have forgotten how important values are in sport and life.
Where is integrity, sportsmanship and humility in sport?
Players who cheat, abuse and protest in their desperate pursuit of winning win nothing other than a piece of silver. Character is developed positively and powerfully through maintaining values in sport. We must ensure that happens.
Sport offers career opportunities in a worldwide industry – in that way we can win employment.
There is no denying that sport is now a major international career opportunity, not just for the few elite who make it to the top but for all-comers.
The leisure industry is the biggest area of career opportunity in the world. We can provide youngsters with the training for that.
Sport produces vital healthy competition – in that way we can win progress. Sport is, by very nature, competitive and we live in a competitive world.
What better way to prepare our youngsters for this competitive world than by providing them with testing competition?
By not preparing youngsters for competition they are going to be even more hurt in years to come when they cannot compete with determination and dignity.
We might feel sport is inconvenient, pitching up on Saturday mornings at unearthly hours, keeping our child at school in the afternoons.
We might feel sport is too demanding. In truth, we are actually helping our child by educating and developing our whole child. Sport is educational, essential and, whisper it softly, even enjoyable.
The child is the winner for doing sport – is that not what we want?
