Sport for Mental Wellbeing

Mental wellbeing of students is a big issue that haunts our society today. This challenge cuts across countries and social economic strata and is a universal epidemic today. The society looks up to homes and schools to create environments that are conducive to the development of mentally sound and emotionally balanced individuals. The average parent today is not equipped to deal with this pandemic, owing to this the responsibility is much larger on schools to address this issue.

At times when we are faced with very large issues we tend to look for big solutions often ignoring the simple remedies that lie within reach. One such antidote to the growing menace of mental wellbeing and social emotional issues of children is sport. Play, sport, physical activities and games can have a magical impact on the wellbeing of students. There are multiple reasons why this is so.

• Body Magic: Physical activity releases endorphins that is a natural stress regulator, improves mood and reduces anxiety. It helps in better sleep which is the magic potion to reduce stress.

• The Power of Failure: Playgrounds are the best place for children to learn to accept failure in their stride, setbacks and losses. Learning to cope with failure and setbacks goes a long way in improving wellbeing.

• Interpersonal Skill Masterclass: All team sports are effectively focussed masterclasses in teamwork, cooperation and social bonding. The ability to work together in groups for a common goal teaches children to share failure and success, to work on challenges and seek solutions as a collective. When you are part of a team you are not alone, and you can always seek help.

• Self Esteem Booster: Learning to master the skill of any sport boosts confidence in students. The achievements in the field go a long way in building self-esteem. Confidence gained at sport has a rub off effect in all aspects of life.

• Managing Academic Stress: In a competitive schooling environment even if the teachers and parents don’t pressurise the student, media and peer pressure are enough to contribute to stress. Sports or games are a great way to relieve this stress by taking breaks at regular intervals of study. 

• Develops Leadership: Success in sport comes from understanding the strength of the individuals, planning and effective management of the team. These are basic building blocks of leadership, the more students play sports the more they learn to be leaders.

• Mindfulness & Focus Builder: The connected screen generation of today is facing an epidemic of distraction. Sports and games are extremely helpful in keeping children away from gadgets and screens. Besides, success in the field requires a lot of focus, and to be aware of both opportunities and challenges on the field. Players are often more agile, alert and mindful then most other students. 

• Habit of Health and Fitness: Remaining fit is a lifetime benefit that children can learn by being active in sport. Most sports naturally require the players to be fit physically and regular sport instils a habit of being healthy and physically fit.

Sport should not be relegated to being an extra activity in school, it should form the core of any learning environment. A sure shot way for schools to nurture a generation of healthy and emotionally regulated students is by giving maximum impetus to sport.