Value of Competitive Sports For A Child

I read this recently in a social media post, "When you play sports, you enter a different world. For a little while, you forget the stress, the noise, and all your worries. All that matters is the game. You focus. You give it your all. You smile when you get it right. You stay strong when you make a mistake. You feel proud when you win - and even when you don’t, you know you tried your best. After the game, you feel lighter, stronger, and ready to face life again. Sports don’t just help your body - they heal your mind. They give you energy, confidence, and peace. Not everyone sees it, but sports can truly save your mental health. So, keep playing. Keep showing up. Because every time you do, you become a better, stronger version of yourself." (Source: Unknown)

There is a general acceptance that there are health benefits that come from competitive sports. The vast majority of us know that the physical benefits of sport builds stamina, builds muscle mass and keeps our bones strong. Playing sports also enhances coordination, endurance and strength. Other health benefits, published in a 2020 U.S. paper Benefits of Youth Sports included improved weight status, improved cardiovascular fitness, decreased body fat percentage for girls and increased overall quality of life.

Basketball game with support teams watching and cheering players on.

From a social health perspective, just from seeing my grandsons play competitive basketball, I can see the value of sports for children. The social benefits include improved levels of cooperation between team members and support personnel, greater teamwork among players, and active listening by each child, for example to coaches on game strategies and to teammates' call during a game. Participating in sports can also help provide children with a sense of belonging to a [sports] community. Seeing them cheer for their teams from the sidelines is a joy to watch. The one other important skill that comes from competitive sports, which is applicable to life in general is learning the art of losing which can be a challenge for a child. It teaches a child resilience and to develop the attitude of never giving up but always seeking to improve.

In the same 2020 U.S paper, it referenced a research article Harnessing Sports to Build Healthier, More Equitable Communities which identified the mental health benefits sports. They included:

• lower rates of anxiety and depression

• lower amounts of stress

• higher self-esteem and confidence

• reduced risk of suicide

• less substance abuse and fewer risky behaviours

• increased cognitive performance

• increased creativity

• improved psychological and emotional wellbeing for individuals with disabilities

• improved emotional resilience

• increased life satisfaction.

School's sports in the 1960s. That's me in the middle of picture running bare foot.

While the physical benefits were generally known by parents and educators when I was schooling in the 1960s and 1970s, I don’t believe they realized the social benefits, and the mental benefits of competitive sports.

Okay let me qualify the last point about mental benefits.

When I was attending primary school in my birth country of Singapore students who were sporty and were good at running, jumping, playing football and doing physical exercises like burpees, push-ups and sit-ups, were often generally considered as having less academic prowess. In the school I attended every student, at the end of each term was graded and ranked based on their academic results. Many parents and even teachers would encourage students to be more focused on their academic studies and achievements. There was little encouragement for the student to commit lots of time to physical exercise or team sports, except perhaps our sports teachers and those who saw its merits.

From speaking to friends from countries like China, Malaysia, and India they also experienced this when they went to school. It probably could be said of many Asian countries during the 1960s, 70s and 80s. I would not be surprised if this is still the current thinking in some Asian countries today.

When viewed from the other end of the ranking scale those who were considered "smart" and who often ranked in the top percentile of the class were stereotypically considered "poor" at sports. When looking back at my primary school days these students were often last to be picked when student peers came to selecting teams for an informal school yard game of football, rounders or local games like hoop wheeling, dodge ball or tunnel ball.

I was an average student both academically and in sports, so I fitted in when it came to team selection. I can't say I was always picked first, but I wasn't the last one to be selected.

We know these days that there is no correlation that leads us to suggest that sporting prowess is the inverse of poor academic competency or vice versa. In fact, the opposite is true at least from a health and mental wellbeing point of view.

In the paper The Relationship between School Sports Participation and Academic Performance a Comprehensive Review, published in 2024, researchers reported that the relationship between sports participation and academic achievement is complex. They suggested that while sports offer additional cognitive benefits compared to general physical activity, excessive focus on sports may compromise academic performance, particularly among high-level athletes. The report said that the demands associated with competitive sports may detract from academic tasks, leading to negative consequences in learning outcomes. Therefore, the authors concluded that while sports participation can contribute to holistic development and mental health capital, it is essential to strike a balance between athletic endeavours and academic goals to optimize overall student success and wellbeing.

I suppose like all things in life - balance is the key. The challenge for educators, teachers and parents is to understand the nuances between the importance of comprehensive support systems for the student and the adoption of time management strategies to ensure that students derive maximum benefits from both sports participation and academic pursuits. Attaining high levels of success academically and in sports is not mutually exclusive. With the right structure, both pursuits can be achieved. There are many examples of these among elite sports people and even school aged athletics who have excelled academically.

I came across an example of where the concurrent pursuit of sports and academic studies can work after viewing a TV program recently. Australian Olympic racewalker Jemima Montag started winning races at the age of 15 years and since then had won a bronze and two gold medals at the 2023 World Athletics Championships and in the 2018 and 2022 Commonwealth Games respectively. In the 2024 Paris Olympic, Montag won bronze medals in the 20 km walk and the Marathon Walk relay. While training for the Olympics she was also studying a postgraduate medical degree and a Master of Public Health at medical school at the University of Melbourne (Reference: Wikipedia).

When considering balance, the interesting thing about Montag's training regime was her incorporation of her training into her daily routine of study and relaxation. For example, instead of catching public transport, she would racewalk to the university from her home and change and refresh herself before attending her classes. This is a perfect demonstration of the value that can be achieved when a comprehensive support system and time management strategies are implemented.

In a longitudinal study, published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health (February 2024), researchers followed the sports participation of over 4,000 Australian children from age 4 to 13 years. They then matched this with academic trajectory up to 21 years of age.

Allowing children to play the way they want to will help their interest in sports when they are older.

The study found that continued sports participation during school years was linked to lower absenteeism, better attention and memory, higher NAPLAN (Australia's National Assessment Program for literacy and numeracy test) results and end-of-school scores. It also showed students having a greater likelihood of going on to university. The report however showed that there was a decline in sports participation during adolescence. Lead author Dr Katherine Owen from the University of Sydney's Charles Perkins Centre and School of Public Health said many factors influenced the decline, but this study also showed the importance of finding ways to keep young people active and engaged in sports participation. Dr Owen said, “We know all too well the link between educational attainment and improved health status. This study suggests that making sports more of a priority in school could be one way to influence this decline in adolescence participation. To achieve this, we also need to see sports adapt and become more flexible and inclusive to allow more children to play the way that they want to, whether it's just for fun or for social reasons.”

The results of these and other studies have shed light on the topic of sports when incorporated in the teaching of children at school. The stigma that sports has little or nothing to do in stimulating a child's academic development has come a long way since my school days in the 1960s and 1970s. While back then the simplistic view was that exercise and competitive sports was positive to the physical wellbeing of the student, and might I add to the school's kudos when beating other schools at sporting carnivals, today’s view on sports is different. Sports scientists and health practitioners have established that competitive sports and general exercise is a significant contributor to positive health outcomes. Children’s diets improve resulting in a reduction in childhood obesity, their mental health is strengthened, and they become more resilient through the ups and downs of their school life. The future looks bright if our children improve in all these areas of growth through exercise and sports. Not only is this good and beneficial for them as they grow older, but it can be a positive factor in reducing the health costs of our national health budgets in the future.