They Shoot… They Score!

Written by Lara Kinkartz & Léo Dignard on 07/08/07

For many young Canadians, sports are a favourite pastime. Community rinks and fields are filled with games organized by local sports leagues, and the cheers of players carry far into the distance on most summer nights. Most participants agree that sports are not only fun, they are also a great way to get some exercise and meet new friends. While these positive aspects of sports are widely acknowledged, there are also underlying benefits that are frequently overlooked. Sports have actually been shown to play an important role in both personal and community development.

Personal Development

The skills that young athletes learn on the field also extend into other aspects of their lives. Aldrich, a teenager who has played competitively in both table tennis and soccer, explains that sports provide “a moment away from stressful school situations and an outlet [through] which frustrations can be vented.” By concentrating on the game, players temporarily leave their worries behind, allowing them to feel rejuvenated and less stressed. Many universities have taken this fact into account when creating the schedule for their fitness centres. For example, Duke University keeps its gyms open around the clock during exam period so as to provide stress relief for students. The next time you’re worrying about a big school project, try playing a sport with some friends – you may be surprised at how calm you feel afterwards!

Photo by HavanKevin sur Flickr

In addition to their contribution to stress management, sports also improve concentration. Many athletes actually do better at school in-season than they do off-season, which researchers attribute to the increased concentration that sports can provide (source). Dominic, who played a variety of sports as a teenager, explains that he has been well served by the increased ability to concentrate that he developed through these activities. He says that “in any sport, whether it’s track and field or soccer, losing your concentration when it’s needed most can result in a dropped baton, a scratched jump or a goal for the opposing team. Better concentration, once cultivated, is not easily lost, even outside of sports.” The concentration skills you’ll gain are another great reason to play sports – you can have fun and boost your grades at the same time.

Young athletes also master time management and leadership skills that later help them in both school and their careers. Through the need to balance school, sports and other activities, you develop discipline when sports are a regular part of your life. Aldrich explains that “due to the amount of commitment that is required from both school and sports, it has forced me to sacrifice the amount of time I spend watching television or playing video games.” In addition, studies have shown that youth who participate in sports are less likely to drop out of school or take up drugs (source). Sports have also provided Aldrich with the opportunity to emerge as a young leader in his community. He has coached younger table tennis players, and a few years ago, he organized a week-long table tennis camp for youth. This camp “introduced several children to the sport….[and] some of these children have continued [on] to higher, more competitive levels.” In this way, sports not only help athletes develop personal skills, they also provide a form of mentorship and support for younger players.

Above all, sports help foster self-esteem. Lionel, a teenager who has played hockey throughout most of his youth, explains that hockey has been fundamental to his development: “The [bonds] that I developed in a team playing together for several months, or in some cases years, made me feel supported….Obviously making a big play or scoring a goal gave me a feeling unlike anything else, which also built my self-esteem.” This network can be a valuable support for participants by creating a sense of community. For many young athletes, their sports team is like a second family that provides support and guidance as they hone their skills.

Sports also help to foster lifelong healthy habits. By increasing body awareness, sports reinforce healthy lifestyle choices. Lionel explains that “after playing hockey for so long, now I feel the need to exercise. If I go for too long without any, I don’t feel as calm. By playing hockey when I was younger, I’m more committed to being healthy in the future.” Many athletes agree with Lionel, perhaps because sports can actually change the physiology of participants: exercise increases the level of endorphins, the chemicals that cause feelings of exhilaration. Because of these positive feelings, many young athletes get “hooked” on sports, and the regular physical activity that is entailed actually helps combat depression among youth. In this way, youth who are involved in sports acquire positive habits that they will carry long into the future.

Community Development

In addition to its personal benefits, sports can also play a vital role in community development – an aspect that is often overlooked. Sara Nicholls has worked extensively on community development through sport in her work with the International Affairs/International Sport Division of Canadian Heritage and as a UN Youth Goodwill Ambassador for the Millennium Development Goals. One initiative in which she has taken part is Kicking AIDS Out, an international network of organizations that uses sport to help spread awareness of HIV/AIDS and to help combat the discrimination that is linked to the disease. The network works with young peer educators to initiate various games and discussion groups about sexual health practices and to help youth build life skills. Sara explains that “life skills are an important component of Kicking AIDS Out, as the network believes that by working with young people to develop communication skills and self esteem, youth can create the conditions to protect themselves from the myriad of challenges that make HIV/AIDS such a complicated disease.” In this way, Kicking Aids Out uses sport to mobilize communities and to educate them on an important health topic.

Yet another initiative with which Sara has been involved is the Physically Active Youth (PAY) initiative in Namibia. Namibian students must pass a mandatory exam in grade 10; and if they fail, they are kicked out of school and cannot return. To help youth cope with this stringent requirement, PAY integrates an hour of physical activity and an hour of tutoring after school to help youth gain support and build their skills. Sara has observed that the program has been an “incredible success, as participants pass their exams, continue to graduate from high school and now are even beginning to start classes [at the University of Namibia ] and become PAY tutors.” Further, PAY is actively involved in the community, and organizes an annual condom rally with workshops on condom knowledge. In this way, PAY has harnessed the power of sport to educate the community and to support young Namibian students in their education.

Clearly, sports have many benefits that are often overlooked. Whether it is stress management, improved concentration, time management, leadership skills, self-esteem or other healthy habits, sports bring many important personal benefits. Beyond these benefits, sports can be a powerful initiative for education and community development. The varied and often overlooked benefits of sports are best summarized by Stephen Lewis, the UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa: “Sport is not instinctively seen as a vehicle for social development, but used creatively; it can involve, educate, protect and mobilize the young people who participate.”

Links

Sports Provide Far-Reaching Benefits
The Benefits of Youth Sports: The Young Athlete
The Kicking AIDS Out! network