Khrielievi-o Yhor
Sports Psychologist, Scouter & Coach
A healthy and spirited life through physical activity is essential for the holistic development of children, nurturing their physical, psychological and mental development while building valuable social connection.
An example is Football/Hockey and Child development
• Team sports such as football
• Have a positive influence on all facets of a child’s growth.
• To better prepare children to successfully cope with challenges and adversities of life.
• Encourage children to take leadership roles within society.
• Help children grow into well-rounded, confident individuals.
• Are a fun way for children to learn values and lessons of life.
• Have shown to improve the learning performance of children, encouraging school attendance and a desire to succeed academically.
The engagement with any kind of sport is one of the best ways to develop life skills in children. There are three basic life lessons which are endemic to participation in sports: Participation, Contribution and Competition.
Why sport and play
UNICEF recognizes the critical role of sport and physical play in children’s lives.
At the most fundamental level, sport and play are a child’s right, as detailed in article 31 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child: States shall “recognize the right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts."
Added to this is the broad consensus that regular physical activity is essential for the physical, mental, psychological and social development of children and adolescents. Involvement in sport can boost children’s health, improve academic performance and help reduce crime.
Sport can be an effective programmatic tool to help achieve goals in health, education, gender equality, HIV/AIDS, child protection and child development. That is the concept of sport for development – that sport is not just an end in itself, but also an effective tool to help improve the lives of children, families and communities.
The many benefits of sport:
Sport, recreation and play are a fun way to learn values and lessons that will last a life time. They promote friendship and fair play. They teach team work, discipline, respect, and the coping skills necessary to ensure that children develop into caring individuals. They help prepare young people to meet the challenges they will face and to take leadership roles within their communities.
Often sport festivals and games are platforms to educate families about health issues, including the need for vaccination and HIV/AIDS prevention. Sports has the power to reach children and adolescents who are often excluded and discriminated against, including orphans, children with disabilities, former child soldiers, refugee and displaced children, sexually exploited children and children from indigenous communities.
Sport and recreation programs are creating environments that are safe and promote stable relationships between children and adults, and among children themselves. They are providing children of all ages with opportunities to express themselves, to contribute their voice, opinions and ideas, and to become agents for change. They are helping to build communities and are contributing to a more just and peaceful society.
