How essential is a good sports curriculum in every school?

By Aditya Shankar, Basketball player and Team Captain, Grade 10, Shiv Nadar School, Noida

As the great Kapil Dev once said, “Apart from education, you need good health, and for that you need sports”. This is one of the very few quotes that I connect with completely. We study to grow in knowledge and give examinations to keep the brain in action, but our mind is not the only thing which needs exercising. Our body deserves equal attention, if not more, and one of the easiest ways to ensure that is sports.

Sports is essential to the curriculum of each school. Many schools in India have sports in their curriculum just for the sake of it and do not properly encourage students to participate. Many parents in India believe that children will only be successful through scoring well or studying and not by sports. Thank god famous cricketers like Dhoni or Sachin didn’t get affected by such notions or else our country wouldn’t have had such a magnificent sportsmen.

A few hand-picked schools, though, do encourage students to excel in sports and have given students opportunities to prove themselves. I don’t believe that P.E. classes should be taken just for the fun of it. They deserve sincerity. If there is celebration when a child scores well, there should be rewards and celebrations when a student does well on the sports field. It is the duty of schools to recognize the importance of sports and develop a good curriculum around it, so that parents may also take interest and encourage their child to become a future cricketer or soccer player.

There are many benefits of regular sports, including positive impact on academics. There are studies that prove that playing a sport can actually help in improving grades as it enhances focus. Also, a fit mind resides in a fit body, which regular time spent in the field ensures. Along with fitness, immunity and mental health improve too. Time spent playing sports boosts confidence, thus decreasing instances of low self-esteem. The soft skills of team-work and collaboration get inculcated in sportspersons, along with the ability of quick thinking and spontaneous decision making.

I take great interest in basketball and have devotedly practiced for it. As a result, not only was I selected to be a part of the school Basketball team, but was also given the honour of being the captain. It is a huge responsibility, but at the same time, a great learning experience. Thus, in addition to the above mentioned skills, sports also led to creation of leadership abilities in me.

It is important that each school create enough interest in sports among its students. In a good sports curriculum, the whole student body is a part of it and not only the chosen few. Health and fitness, after all, are important for each and every student. Every child should learn about physical education the right way. He or she must be given exposure to different sports at an early age, so that interest can be developed. Marks given by sports in charges must hold the same value as other subjects.

No one is denying the importance of academics in the life of a student, but ‘all work and no play’ does really make Jack a dull boy. Whether for life-skills, or recreation, or fitness, a good sports curriculum is of utmost significance in the life of a student.

*This article originally appeared in Indian Express. you can read the original article here –http://indianexpress.com/article/education/students-voice/sports-education-time-to-encourage-in-schools-4623662/