The importance of regular physical activity is a well-known fact in a person’s life that not only helps in staying healthy but also improves emotional fitness. Including such activities right from a young age is a good idea as it helps individuals to make it a part of their routine with ease. That is why having sports in the college curriculum is considered a good idea.
Making sports an indispensable element of college life comes with a lot of other benefits than you think. So, many engineering colleges in UP like ABES are making arrangements to focus on the same.
In this article, we will talk about 13 of the most important benefits that make sports a significant part of the college curriculum.
- Balancing fitness levels: Being involved in sports activities help students to avoid formation of excess fat deposits and thus stay fit and slim while they study hard. The sports training activities develop a good posture which is an important way of keeping fit. The interest in outdoor sports also avoids or minimizes their sedentary activities like playing video games and watching TV.
- Improving self confidence & self esteem: Several research studies have noted that playing sports can enhance a person’s self-confidence. Little actions like a handshake from the coach, a pat on the back from a team mate, a high-five from an opponent or appreciation from parents & friends can boost self-esteem.
- Enhancing leadership skills: Sports activities not only demand the role of a team player but a leader at times. Knowing how to lead a team at a young age will boost up their leadership quality which enables them to be good decision makers. It also promotes them to manage team emotions and boost discipline.
- Improving emotional fitness: The physical stimulation through sports improves the feeling of well being and creates happiness in youngsters. The release of happiness hormones checks mental depression and makes them emotionally sound and cheerful.
- Being more social: Being a part of a sports team helps us to interact well with people of all age and gender, etc. Befriending people and respecting differences/diversities with a more open heart and mind becomes simple. Mingling sessions with coaches & seniors gives them broad exposure to life events.
- Enhancing discipline: Being a sportsperson teaches us important qualities of discipline which can act as a self-boost in many aspects of life. Being involved in a sports activity teaches mental, physical as well as tactical discipline, inculcated by following rules, practicing restraint, obeying the coach and respecting decisions.
- Performing better in studies: Studies have shown a positive connection between sports activities and improved memory & cognitive functions of the brain. Meaning, students perform better at academics if sports become a part of their routine.
- Improving teamwork and cooperation: Sports competitions and matches need very good coordination, teamwork and cooperation. Such skills help students when they become tomorrow’s professionals. Apart from participating in individual sports, team sports also enhance their role as a team player which really helps them in group projects in their future careers.
- Promoting efficient time management: On-the-clock discipline is very crucial for any sport. And this factor is an asset for students for life time. Youngsters’ passion for sports helps them to balance their available time between games, training and their academics efficiently.
- Having a success-oriented mindset: Being into sports activities enables students to grow up with a success mindset which is extremely advantageous. With strong development of focus and concentration, they learn when to take better risks. They develop interpersonal skills for pressure management and are dedicated to finding creative ways to improve themselves and achieve success.
- Developing patience and perseverance: Students gain these two elements because of their involvement in sports- Patience & Perseverance. Sportspersons and athletes easily learn to be patient and keep practicing unless results are attained. And perseverance helps them to tackle bad times and become more resilient.
- Improving sleep: Recent stats have deduced a positive connection between a better sleep and involvement in sports activities. Getting your body properly rested just like a relaxing mind helps students focus better, avoid illness and stay agile.
- Developing good lifelong habits: College days are the critical days when students tend to develop bad habits and start being in wrong relationships. But, keeping themselves busy with sports and academics cuts their free time to walk the disruptive path. Their love and passion for sports also help students to develop good food habits and make exercise a part of their routine to stay fit and keep them away from bad influences in life.
Final Words
When you talk about including sports in college curriculum, it need not necessarily be a supervised and well guided one always. Better to form a team of students with shared passion for particular sports skills and guide them to become good athletics leaders. However, every single student may not like the pressure of being involved in the same in their leisure time. So, having a selective approach is a must. Authorities of engineering colleges in UP are, thus, planning extracurricular activities that can evoke healthy competitions among every student to evaluate where they stand and give away prizes for their achievements to keep them interested as well as motivated. With such thoughtful education governing bodies in the state, let’s hope for a better and fitter world for the generations to come.