How sports play a huge role in education curriculum for youth? -

By Karan Bhalla, Co-Founder, Sports Maidan

With Sporting Activities and Life-style being affected during the Lockdown period, following impact has been noticed:

Mental Health on being indoors:

The prolonged lockdown restricted Physical Movement and Social Distancing. This made a big impact on billions with a sudden change in their daily routine all over the globe. With closed offices, educational institutions and social outlets remaining closed the impact was on human beings. This resulted in metabolic changes and inconsistence body parameters.
With supports staff like domestic helps – cooks and maids, maintenance staff, gardeners, guards at premises and all helps with vendors in the market sitting at home, jobless, had experienced a frustrating period due to lack of money to meet their daily needs. This impacted them psychologically.
Hospitals and Health Service Providers were busy attending on Corona infected populations and there was a fear in society regarding sick and elderly population that needed medical attention constantly. This was again a cause of concern to people.
The anticipatory stress affected mental health and quality of lifestyle leading to disruption of routine eating, digestion and sleep disorders. Many families also experienced undesired conflicts as well.

Impact on Educational System:

School Administration, Sports Academies, State Governments and other authorities could not help during the lockdown period owing to advisories from the Government. Wish there was some space available for the students who desired more physically active days.

Within the scenario and anticipating such situations in future, suitable curricula may be determined at the institution level and align with District/State/National policies on development of sports with following guidelines:

Curriculum models can cover instruction, fitness education and sport education.
The approach must be shifted from inner attitude to a focus on the function and application of each movement.
The intent of movement education must be based on movement concepts in three domains of learning i.e., cognitive, psychomotor and affective.
The standards may be set for children to know basic movement concepts and be able to perform basic patterns.
It is essential to have knowledge on motor body movements to provide a basic skill of specifics sports that build movement in students and allow them to engage in various forms of games, sports and other physical activities.
To educate students to be players in the fullest sense and help development into their being competent, literate and enthusiastic sportspersons.
To evolve as a pattern for children to play multiple roles as a player, captain/leader, coach, referee and a statistician.
Children must be taught the science behind the need to be physically active in their lives around the health-related components of cardio respiratory fitness, muscular strengthening, flexibility, agility, endurance and how to control excess calories with activities and in their diet.
Regular seminars and talks may be held with experts, professionals and celebrities in their respective sports.
Theory and Practical may be introduced under Home Science for minimum education to come good in situations of medical attention covering paramedical training.

How sports are also mandatory in education and can be a profession:

Initial advantages of Sports:

Sports are a very important part of our life. It is in fact the most technical part in giving us our identity.
With initial interest in sports, a person gains in Shaping and toning body muscles and keeping strong bones.
Staying active physically with better reflexes and being swift. It also reduces chances of being obese thereby avoiding undesired ailments.
Reducing levels of stress and anxiety and adding mental toughness.

Progress with active Sports

Once these basic thoughts are engraved in mind, following results start flowing in: