5 Reasons why sports is important for students

It is a widely known fact that sports are a way to stay healthy and in shape, but their importance goes much further. Playing sports teaches a number of life lessons to students like discipline, responsibility, self-confidence, accountability and team work. A number of studies have shown that playing sports increases blood flow to the brain and helps improve the nervous system, leading to increased concentration, enhanced memory, stimulated creativity and better problem-solving skills. Thus, playing sports is beneficial to brain growth and helps it to function better. Here are the reasons why sports is important for students –

Sports are a way for community representation

There would be many students who would have represented their school or their city in various sports competition. The honour of representing the home team at a higher level and the feeling of being in the community brings joy and prestige in the minds of the students. They feel connected to their Alma mater or their city or their community they are representing and it inspires fraternity among the students.

Sports help students learn about team work and cooperation

Everyone is working towards a common goal in team sports. Like for example in cricket, the players are first and foremost taught to give priority to team requirements rather than their personal ones. Through sports, the students learn about the nitty-gritty of team work and cooperation. They learn the practical ways to be a team player and how to cooperate with other teammates.

Sports promote the development of leadership skills

Valuable leadership skills can be developed by playing team sports. Senior students in the team are required to encourage, give lessons and set an example for the younger team members. Captaincy of a team helps develop a number of leadership skills in any student. It is only through sports, that indispensable lessons regarding leadership can be taught to students.

Sports develop time management skills

Almost all sports have a dimension of time which is crucial for all the students to understand. Like for football the entire team must understand the team’s strategy and learn to deploy the strategy at the right time. Within a certain time-frame, the students are required to accomplish certain tasks in sports. They need to manage their time well to excel and perform better. Thus, sports teach the importance of time management.

Sports instill values of hard work and develop a mindset aiming for success

There are a number of sports like gymnastics, swimming, running, etc., which focus a lot upon hard work. It is only through strict discipline, practice and hard work, that the students are able to gain mastery in such sports. By playing sports, students learn the importance of hard work in life and their mind is focussed towards the achievement of success in life.