sports in human life essay

Essay on Importance of Sports for Students and Children

500+ words essay on importance of sports.

First of all, Sport refers to an activity involving physical activity and skill . Here, two or more parties compete against each other. Sports are an integral part of human life and there is great importance of sports in all spheres of life. Furthermore, Sports help build the character and personality of a person. It certainly is an excellent tool to keep the body physically fit. Most noteworthy, the benefits of Sports are so many that books can be written.  Sports have a massive positive effect on both the mind and body.

Physical Benefits of Sports

First of all, Sports strengthen the heart. Regular Sports certainly make the heart stronger. Hence, Sport is an excellent preventive measure against heart diseases . This certainly increases the life expectancy of individuals. Furthermore, a healthy heart means a healthy blood pressure.

Sports involve physical activity of the body. Due to this physical activity, blood vessels remain clean. Sports reduces the amount of cholesterol and fats in the body. This happens because of the increase of flexibility of the wall of the blood vessels. The flexibility increases due to physical exertion, which is the result of Sports.

Furthermore, the sugar level in blood also gets lower thanks to Sports. The sugar certainly does not accumulate in the blood due to physical activity.

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A person experiences a good quality of breathing because of Sports. Sports strengthen the lungs of the body. Sports certainly escalate the lung capacity and efficiency of the body. Hence, more oxygen enters the blood which is extremely beneficial. Furthermore, there are fewer chances of developing lung diseases due to Sports.

Appropriate body weight is easy to maintain because of sports. A Sports playing person probably does not suffer from obesity or underweight problems. Sports certainly help the body remain fit and slim.

Furthermore, Sports also improves the quality of bones. A person who plays sports will have strong bones even in old age. Several scientific research reports that Sports prevent many diseases. For example, many researchers conclude that Sports prevent the development of cancer.

Other Benefits of Sports

Sport is certainly an excellent tool to build self-confidence . Playing Sports increases confidence to talk properly. A sport certainly improves the skills of communicating with others. Furthermore, the person experiences confidence in sitting, standing, and walking properly. Hence, Sports enriches the social life of an individual.

Sports bring discipline in life. It certainly teaches the values of dedication and patience. Sports also teach people how to handle failure. Furthermore, the importance of following a time schedule is also present in Sports.

Above all, Sports improves the thinking ability of individuals. Sports certainly sharpen the mind. Children who play Sports probably perform better at exams than those who don’t.

Finally, Sports reduces the stress of mind . A Sports playing person would certainly experience less depression. Sports ensure the peace of mind of those playing it. Most noteworthy, Sports brings happiness and joy in the life of individuals.

A sport is an aspect of human life that is of paramount importance. It certainly increases the quality of human life. Sports must be made mandatory in schools. This is because it is as important as education. Everyone must perform at least one Sport activity on a regular basis.

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• Importance of Sports Essay for Students in English

Essay on Importance of Sports

Sports are very essential for every human life which keeps them fit and fine and physical strength. It has great importance in each stage of life. It also improves the personality of people. Sports keep our all organs alert and our hearts become stronger by regularly playing some kind of sports. sports has always given priority from old ages and nowadays it has become more fascinating. Due to the physical activity blood pressure also remains healthy, and blood vessels remain clean. Sugar level also reduces and cholesterol comes down by daily activity. Different people have different interests in sports but the action is the same in all sports. Sports are becoming big channels to make more capital/money day by day and the number of people is also increasing. By playing sports even at a young age you can also be better and free from some diseases. By playing sports lung function also improves and becomes healthy because more oxygen is supplied. Sports also improves bone strength even in old age.

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Significance of Sports in Student’s Life

Just like a diet of healthy nutrients is needed for nourishing the body, playing sports holds a great significance in enhancing our lives, especially for growing children. As a student, one has to face many challenges, and playing sports helps them cope with the exam pressure and prepare them for further challenges by providing them with physical and mental strength. 

Children who are indulged in physical activities sustain good values of mutual respect and cooperation. Playing sports teaches them skills such as accountability, leadership, and learning to work with a sense of responsibility and confidence.

Sports help in maintaining Good Health

In today’s era of excessive competition and changing environment, people barely care about our health and have to face its consequences in the later stages of their life. They easily become prey to many life-threatening health issues. Those who are indulged in regular physical activities can easily defend themselves from such diseases. Therefore, playing sports can resolve this concern.

Playing regular sports can help maintain diabetes, improve heart function, and reduce stress and tension in an individual. 

Get rid of Excess Weight

Most of the world’s population is obese, and as a result, many other health issues also arise. Hence, playing sports is one of the most recreational and helpful ways of burning calories. All you have to do is follow a healthy diet and play your favourite sport. You can be saved from exhausting workout routines in the gym by playing sports. 

Playing your favourite sports and shedding kilos, isn’t it like killing two birds with one stone!

Guard Your Heart

The heart is the most important organ of our body. With changing lifestyles, people are facing heart-related problems these days. The life of heart patients becomes difficult with lots of heavy medications and restrictions. Therefore, people need to indulge in outdoor games. Playing for even 30 minutes a day can do wonders for your life. The heart pumps better, and blood circulation improves whenever we play sports. Heart muscles get stronger, and hence it starts functioning at a better rate. 

Enhance Your Immunity

The immune system is the major player of the body in fighting infections. Those who easily catch infections and fall sick frequently can easily get healthier by working on their immune system. 

It becomes really difficult to live with poor immunity, take heavy medications frequently, and spend most of your time indoors just to prevent yourself from the effects of changing environments. Getting indulged in regular sports activities can help build your immunity greatly, and the most amazing part with it is that you can do it by just playing your favourite sport. 

Impact of Sports on an Individual’s Personality

Playing sports builds your personality and teaches you to live life in a better way. Getting involved in such activities teaches good values, ethics, and skills in your life. The person starts to have a positive outlook towards life and can easily deal with obstacles in their life. Not only this, but it also reduces the stress level in the person as such people start taking challenges with positivity. Their efficiency increases, so they can easily take up challenges confidently.

People can learn lots of important skills through their sports. Every sport teaches us the skills of handling difficult situations, quick- decisions making and problem-solving. By playing sports, one can learn the art of living and managing things and taking leads. 

Therefore, if you play sports, you are not just enjoying it; you are also learning many significant life lessons.

Nation’s Pride

All the good values and skills one learns by playing sports can prepare them to conquer any battle-fields. Many eminent sports personalities have brought laurels to our country by proving their mettle on different sports grounds. Some of them are; Sachin Tendulkar, Saina Nehwal, Mary Kom, Sardar Singh, Sania Mirza and many more.

These personalities are inspirations for all those who are passionate about playing sports. Hard work and dedication can help them reach their goals and can become inspirations for others one day.

Common Sports

There are varieties of sports activities you can choose from. Some of the most common sports are; Tennis, Badminton, Volleyball, Cricket, and Basketball.

Learning from Sports:

Sports bring discipline in life. It teaches the way of sitting, talking, walking etc. Without sports in human life it seems too boring, sports activate all the cells and keep the body active, fit and slim. Sports improve thinking ability and reduce the stress of the mind. Those people with not so much interest in sports are less active and also have chances of getting a disease in the early stage of life and also show lethargy in work. Sports should be made mandatory in school, so that at an early age they can know the benefits of sports. People also select their favourite sports players on their more interest in which sports, if we take cricket because in our country India cricket is played more and shown interest by many peoples, many players came but still name like Kapil dev, Sachin Tendulkar, M.S.Dhoni, Virat Kohli will be always favourite for their fans. If we take football players like Messi, Ronaldo and many others, they are an idol for many people who have an interest in football. Sports is generally recognized as a system of activities which are based in athletics such as Olympic games. Sports are always played under government rules which helps to serve fair competition, sports having following criteria like, it should be fair competition, giving no harm to any person, and the winner should be nominated by superior or from the best. In sports like chess improves the mind and thinking capacity. Since from the 21st century, there has been increased in a debate that whether transgender should be able to participate in any sports events.

Benefit of Technology in Sports: 

Nowadays technology also plays an important role in sports to judge the fair game for winners. It helps to judge a car racer by seeing properly on the screen, also in cricket like sometimes when it becomes difficult to make the decision again technology is used. In every sport, it has been utilised for fair play and to announce the winners. Research suggests that sports have the capacity to connect youth with positive thinking and provide positive development. For any sportsman, high education is not mandatory but required to be the best sportsman. It is his interest, strength and skills. We have seen in the last two decades women are also showing more interest in sports and for them also proper matches are arranged by the government. Sports give the feeling of living with a positive attitude. sports can be played in both indoor and outdoor, many indoor games like chess, carrom board, helps to improve the thinking power but the sports which are played in outdoor like football, cricket, Rugby, kabaddi etc helps to improve physical strength, thus the person who does more outdoor games should be more fit and slim. 3-4 decades ago the opportunity in sports was not much-showed interest which is shown by the present youth generation. Sports secure life and give a standard lifestyle. The 10 most popular sports played in the World are Soccer, Cricket, Basketball, Hockey, Tennis, Volleyball, Table Tennis and Baseball where Hockey was first played in India and became our national games. There are also some sports which are shown less interest like Kabaddi, Polo, Archery, Weightlifting etc. Swimming is known as the safest sport. So sports should be played by everyone because it helps our body in movement and gives good health. The study has proved that sports have better well controlled many diseases like heart attack, lung function, obesity, and thinking power. Ice hockey, soccer are the games which have the highest paid sportsmen. Also some sports can be played in small places and also some sports require large places. Sports keep us active and energetic, even in some treatment to recover from the disease sports are advised by the doctors. play sports on a regular basis and keep our self-fit, sports should not be neglected but it should be mandatory for everyone.

FAQs on Importance of Sports Essay for Students in English

1. Why Sports are Important?

Any sports makes you physically fit, increase your immune level and even encourage socialism among different people.

2. What are the Common Sports Played in India?

Cricket and Football are major sports played in India.

3. What is the National Sport of India?

Field Hockey has been considered as the national sport of India.Though it has some historical connect as well as popularity too.

 4. Which sports are the best for students to become more active?

Sports that require them to move about, such as Football and Basketball can be beneficial. Apart from them, students can also engage in Tennis and Martial Arts can also be good options.

5. How can students manage their study and sports times effectively?

Even when studies seem the most important, engaging in active sports is necessary to maintain overall health. So, students can set aside a few hours everyday in the evening to engage in the sports of their choice. This can help them take rest from studies and work towards maintaining their physical health as well.

6. Which home exercises are equally as effective?

When students do not have time to spare to play extensive sports, then home training can be a beneficial tool. Home-based exercises, such as skipping, running on the treadmill, yoga and pilates can be good substitutes for active sports.

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How sport can have a positive impact on mental and physical health

It’s not always easy to start a workout, but research shows that sport and exercise are beneficial not only for your physical health, but your mental well-being, too. Let us help!

Health experts and Olympic athletes agree: Your mental and physical health benefit when you get active and participate in sport – whatever that means for you.

From daily exercise to choosing a sport to practice or play, the body and mind are worked in new and different ways each time you move your body.

On June 23rd every year we come together to celebrate that, as part of Olympic Day.

For the 2020 edition, we connected with Olympians around the world for Olympic Day 2020 at-home workouts – and a reminder: We’re stronger together, especially when we stay active!

And those are still available online to help inspire you today.

Sport benefits: Both the physical and mental

While the physical benefits are numerous (more on that below), the UK's National Health Service (NHS) report that people who take part in regular physical activity have up to a 30 percent lower risk of depression.

Additionally, exercise can help lower anxiety, reduce the risk of illness and increase energy levels. Want better sleep? Work up a good sweat!

Exercise can help you fall asleep faster and sleep for longer, research says.

It was in June 2020 that the IOC partnered with the World Health Organization and United Nations to promote the #HEALTHYTogether campaign , which highlights the benefits of physical activity in the face of the pandemic.

Over 50 at-home workouts are searchable across Olympics.com for you, each which help further the idea that moving and challenging the body can only prove beneficial for your physical and mental well-being.

The athletes' perspective: 'I used this strength to survive'

“If I had sat doing nothing, I would have gone crazy,” says Syria's Sanda Aldass , who fled the trauma of civil war in her country, leaving behind her husband and infant child.

Instead, she had judo - and has been selected for the IOC Refugee Olympic Team Tokyo 2020 for the Games in 2021.

“Running around and doing some exercises filled up my time and also kept me in good mental health,” Sanda said of the impact of sport on her life during nine months spent in a refugee camp in the Netherlands in 2015.

The same power of sport goes for Iranian taekwondo athlete Ali Noghandoost.

"When I had to leave my family and my home in Iran, the first things I packed in my bag were my belt, my dobok, my shoes and my mitt for taekwondo," Noghandoost said . "I took some documents that said I was a champion in Iran and in a national team, so I could prove I was a fighter and continue to train in any city I went to."

"Taekwondo did not only help me physically; mentally, it stopped me from thinking about giving up and that we wouldn’t make it. I used this strength to survive," he added.

Noghandoost has worked as a coach for refugees in Croatia, where he has tried to pass the power of sport on to the next generation.

"When you’re living in a refugee camp, it’s a really hard situation, but when you play sport, you can release any negative energy and feel free. It’s a space – a paradise – for them to be themselves."

A member of the IOC Refugee Olympic Team Rio 2016, Yiech Pur Biel says that the team provided a message of hope for those watching around the world.

"We were ambassadors for a message of hope, that anything is possible," Biel said . "A good thing had come out of our situations. The world understood. I am called a refugee, but you never know when someone else might become a refugee, through war or persecution. We wanted to show that we responded positively. So that made me very happy. Through sport, we can unite and make the world better."

Sport as a tool for much - including mental health

Sport is a powerful tool no matter from what angle you look at it, including mental health. The Olympic Refugee Foundation (ORF) has recently launched two different programs that are aimed at helping young refugees dream of a brighter future - through sport.

One of those programs, Game Connect, is a three-year initiative that was launched in August 2020 and aims to "improve the mental health and psychosocial wellbeing of young refugees by improving their access to safe sport," as explained on Olympics.com last year.

We are "embarking on a three-year project to improve the psychosocial wellbeing and mental health of young refugees, working together with well-trained community-based coaches to deliver a Sport for Protection program and activities," explained Karen Mukiibi of Youth Sport Uganda, which has partnered with the ORF.

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• Essay On Importance Of Sports

Essay on Sports

500+ word essay on the importance of sports.

Sports keep us healthy and active. We can have a healthy mind only when we have a healthy body. We can achieve anything in our lives if we have a healthy body and a peaceful mind. Physical and mental well-being comes naturally when we involve ourselves in sports activities. Sports help in improving our overall personality and make us more active and attentive. Here, students can find a 500+ Words Essay on the Importance of Sports where we will be discussing how important a role sports plays in our life.

Essay on the Importance of Sports

The topic of sports is very broad. It can serve as a form of therapy and a tool in different aspects of life, which can help change the world. Through sports, children develop physical skills, exercise, be team players, and improve their self-esteem. Sports play a significant role in advancing education and in enhancing knowledge.

Playing sports means regular exercising, jogging, going to the fitness centres or playing any game. There are different types of games involved in sports activities. Each game has its own specific rules. These sports activities are done either by individuals or teams for leisure, and entertainment as well as to compete against one another. Playing sports improves the physiological functions of the body organs and improves the functionality of the entire body system. Through sports, we learn different skills like leadership, patience, coordination, motivation, and team effort.

Sport has great importance in building personality, too. For some people, it is not only the body movement or playing strategy, but it’s a life philosophy. In the modern world, a positive attitude to sports is becoming a trend and style. Young people try to look sporty, fit and full of energy. A sports career in India was considered less lucrative in the past. However, now it has become one of the gainful professional options for students. Sometimes students take an interest in sports merely for adventure and a tension-free life. Now, sports games are gaining popularity. Various sports competitions are played at the international level, such as the Olympics. Apart from it, multiple matches and inter-city competitions are organised to promote the field of sports.

Benefits of Sports and Games

Nowadays, we can see problems related to unhealthy lifestyles. We sit more and more on the couch, surrounded by modern technologies. We don’t realise the importance and benefits of sports and physical activities. The lack of physical activity in our body leads to obesity and many other health problems such as heart disease and so. It has become a necessity of today’s world that all of us do daily physical activities or play any sports for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Regular physical activity benefits health in many ways. It helps build and maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints, controls weight, reduces fat, and prevents high blood pressure. Children who participate in physical activities such as sports, experience positive health benefits. These health benefits include a decreased risk of high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Also, these children are less likely to smoke or use drugs and alcohol than children who don’t participate in sports.

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Frequently asked Questions on the Importance of Sports Essay

Why is playing sports important for us.

Playing sports not only helps in the active functioning of our body but also helps in flexibility and reduces the chances of falling sick.

Which was the first sport to be played in the world?

Wrestling is said to have been the first sport played in the world, depictions of the same can be found in the caves of France.

Which is the most famous sport in the world?

Football is ranked as the top sport with 3.5 billion followers, seconded by Cricket.

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Home — Essay Samples — Nursing & Health — Physical Exercise — The Importance of Sports in Life

The Importance of Sports in Life

• Categories: Physical Exercise

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Words: 700 |

Published: Apr 11, 2019

Words: 700 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

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How to Write a Non-Cliche College Essay About Sports + Examples

What’s covered:, what makes a sports essay cliche.

• How To Make Your Sports Essay Unique

Great Examples of College Essays About Sports

Where to get your college essay edited for free, or by an expert.

You’ve been brainstorming essay topics for your college applications, and you think you’ve finally found the right one: an extended metaphor likening your experience on the field with overcoming personal struggles. The problem: many other students have this same thought. 

The purpose of a college essay is to make yourself stand out as a unique individual, but when students write about sports, they often blend in. Because of that, students are usually advised to pick a different topic.

That being said, it is possible to write a non-cliche college essay about sports if you put in a little extra effort. Read along to learn how to make your sports essay different from all the other sports essays.

Sports essays are cliche when they follow a standard trajectory. Some of these trajectories include writing a story about:

• An agonizing defeat
• Forging bonds with teammates
• Overcoming adversity
• Overcoming an injury
• Refusing to quit
• Victory during a big game

Because sports essays have very similar themes and “lessons learned,” it can be difficult to make your story stand out. These trajectories also often focus too much on the sport or storyline, and not enough on the writer’s reflections and personality.

As you write your essay, try to think about what your experience says about you rather than what you learned from your experience. You are more than just one lesson you learned!

(Keep in mind that the sports essay is not the only college essay cliche. Learn about other essay cliches and how to fix them in our complete guide).

How to Make Your Sports Essay Unique

1. focus on a specific moment or reflection..

The college essay is a way for students to humanize themselves to admissions officers. You do not feel human if you are describing yourself as just another player on the field!

One important way to make your essay about you (not just about sports) is by focusing on a specific moment in time and inviting the reader to join you in that moment. Explain to the reader what it would be like to be sitting in that locker room as you questioned the values of the other players on your team. Ask your reader to sit with you on the cot in the trainer’s room as your identity was stripped away from you when they said “your body can’t take this anymore.” Bring your reader to the dinner table and involve them in your family’s conversation about how sports were affecting your mental health and your treatment of those around you.

Intense descriptions of a specific experience will evoke emotions in your reader and allow them to connect with you and feel for you.

When in doubt, avoid anything that can be covered by ESPN. On ESPN, we see the games, we see the benches, we even see the locker rooms and training rooms. Take your reader somewhere different and show them something unique.

2. Use sports to point out broader themes in your life.

The main risk when writing about sports is neglecting to write about yourself. Before you get started, think about the main values that you want to express in your sports essay. Sports are simply your avenue for telling the reader what makes you unique. 

As a test, imagine if you were a pianist. Would you be able to talk about these same values? What if you were a writer? Or a chemist? Articulating your values is the end, and sports should simply be your means.

Some values that you might want to focus on:

• Autonomy (you want to be able to set your mind to anything and achieve it on your own)
• Growth (you seek improvement constantly)
• Curiosity (you are willing to try anything once)
• Vulnerability (you aren’t afraid to fail, as long as you give it your all)
• Community (you value the feedback of others and need camaraderie to succeed)
• Craft (you think that with deliberate care, anything can be perfected)
• Responsibility (you believe that you owe something to those around you and perhaps they also owe something to you)

You can use the ESPN check again to make sure that you are using sports as an avenue to show your depth.

Things ESPN covers: how a player reacts to defeat, how injuries affect a player’s gameplay/attitude, how players who don’t normally work well together are working together on their new team.

Things ESPN doesn’t cover: the conversation that a player had with their mother about fear of death before going into a big surgery (value: family and connection), the ways that the intense pressure to succeed consumed a player to the point they couldn’t be there for the people in their life (value: supporting others and community), the body image issues that weigh on a player’s mind when playing their sport and how they overcame those (value: health and growth).

3. Turn a cliche storyline on its head.

There’s no getting around the fact that sports essays are often cliche. But there is a way to confront the cliche head-on. For example, lots of people write essays about the lessons they learned from an injury, victory, and so on, but fewer students explain how they are embracing those lessons. 

Perhaps you learned that competition is overwhelming for you and you prefer teamwork, so you switched from playing basketball to playing Dungeons & Dragons. Maybe, when your softball career ended abruptly, you had to find a new identity and that’s when you became obsessed with your flower garden and decided to pursue botany. Or maybe, you have stuck with football through it all, but your junior-year mental health struggle showed you that football should be fun and you have since started a nonprofit for local children to healthily engage with sports.

If your story itself is more cliche, try bringing readers to the present moment with you and show why the cliche matters and what it did for you. This requires a fair amount of creativity. Ensure you’re not parroting a frequently used topic by really thinking deeply to find your own unique spin.

Night had robbed the academy of its daytime colors, yet there was comfort in the dim lights that cast shadows of our advances against the bare studio walls. Silhouettes of roundhouse kicks, spin crescent kicks, uppercuts and the occasional butterfly kick danced while we sparred. She approached me, eyes narrowed with the trace of a smirk challenging me. “Ready spar!” Her arm began an upward trajectory targeting my shoulder, a common first move. I sidestepped — only to almost collide with another flying fist. Pivoting my right foot, I snapped my left leg, aiming my heel at her midsection. The center judge raised one finger. 

There was no time to celebrate, not in the traditional sense at least. Master Pollard gave a brief command greeted with a unanimous “Yes, sir” and the thud of 20 hands dropping-down-and-giving-him-30, while the “winners” celebrated their victory with laps as usual. 

Three years ago, seven-thirty in the evening meant I was a warrior. It meant standing up straighter, pushing a little harder, “Yes, sir” and “Yes, ma’am”, celebrating birthdays by breaking boards, never pointing your toes, and familiarity. Three years later, seven-thirty in the morning meant I was nervous. 

The room is uncomfortably large. The sprung floor soaks up the checkerboard of sunlight piercing through the colonial windows. The mirrored walls further illuminate the studio and I feel the light scrutinizing my sorry attempts at a pas de bourrée, while capturing the organic fluidity of the dancers around me. “Chassé en croix, grand battement, pique, pirouette.” I follow the graceful limbs of the woman in front of me, her legs floating ribbons, as she executes what seems to be a perfect ronds de jambes. Each movement remains a negotiation. With admirable patience, Ms. Tan casts me a sympathetic glance.   

There is no time to wallow in the misery that is my right foot. Taekwondo calls for dorsiflexion; pointed toes are synonymous with broken toes. My thoughts drag me into a flashback of the usual response to this painful mistake: “You might as well grab a tutu and head to the ballet studio next door.” Well, here I am Master Pollard, unfortunately still following your orders to never point my toes, but no longer feeling the satisfaction that comes with being a third degree black belt with 5 years of experience quite literally under her belt. It’s like being a white belt again — just in a leotard and ballet slippers. 

But the appetite for new beginnings that brought me here doesn’t falter. It is only reinforced by the classical rendition of “Dancing Queen” that floods the room and the ghost of familiarity that reassures me that this new beginning does not and will not erase the past. After years spent at the top, it’s hard to start over. But surrendering what you are only leads you to what you may become. In Taekwondo, we started each class reciting the tenets: honor, courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, courage, humility, and knowledge, and I have never felt that I embodied those traits more so than when I started ballet. 

The thing about change is that it eventually stops making things so different. After nine different schools, four different countries, three different continents, fluency in Tamil, Norwegian, and English, there are more blurred lines than there are clear fragments. My life has not been a tactfully executed, gold medal-worthy Taekwondo form with each movement defined, nor has it been a series of frappés performed by a prima ballerina with each extension identical and precise, but thankfully it has been like the dynamics of a spinning back kick, fluid, and like my chances of landing a pirouette, unpredictable. 

Why it works:

What’s especially powerful about this essay is that the author uses detailed imagery to convey a picture of what they’re experiencing, so much so that the reader is along for the ride. This works as a sports essay not only because of the language and sensory details, but also because the writer focuses on a specific moment in time, while at the same time exploring why Taekwondo is such an important part of their life.

After the emotional image is created, the student finishes their essay with valuable reflection. With the reflection, they show admissions officers that they are mature and self-aware. Self-awareness comes through with statements like “surrendering what you are only leads you to what you may become” and maturity can be seen through the student’s discussion of values “honor, courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, courage, humility, and knowledge, and I have never felt that I embodied those traits more so than when I started ballet.” These are the kinds of comments that should find their way into a sports essay!

“Advanced females ages 13 to 14 please proceed to staging with your coaches at this time.” Skittering around the room, eyes wide and pleading, I frantically explained my situation to nearby coaches. The seconds ticked away in my head; every polite refusal increased my desperation.

Despair weighed me down. I sank to my knees as a stream of competitors, coaches, and officials flowed around me. My dojang had no coach, and the tournament rules prohibited me from competing without one.

Although I wanted to remain strong, doubts began to cloud my mind. I could not help wondering: what was the point of perfecting my skills if I would never even compete? The other members of my team, who had found coaches minutes earlier, attempted to comfort me, but I barely heard their words. They couldn’t understand my despair at being left on the outside, and I never wanted them to understand.

Since my first lesson 12 years ago, the members of my dojang have become family. I have watched them grow up, finding my own happiness in theirs. Together, we have honed our kicks, blocks, and strikes. We have pushed one another to aim higher and become better martial artists. Although my dojang had searched for a reliable coach for years, we had not found one. When we attended competitions in the past, my teammates and I had always gotten lucky and found a sympathetic coach. Now, I knew this practice was unsustainable. It would devastate me to see the other members of my dojang in my situation, unable to compete and losing hope as a result. My dojang needed a coach, and I decided it was up to me to find one. 

I first approached the adults in the dojang – both instructors and members’ parents. However, these attempts only reacquainted me with polite refusals. Everyone I asked told me they couldn’t devote multiple weekends per year to competitions. I soon realized that I would have become the coach myself.

At first, the inner workings of tournaments were a mystery to me. To prepare myself for success as a coach, I spent the next year as an official and took coaching classes on the side. I learned everything from motivational strategies to technical, behind-the-scenes components of Taekwondo competitions. Though I emerged with new knowledge and confidence in my capabilities, others did not share this faith.

Parents threw me disbelieving looks when they learned that their children’s coach was only a child herself. My self-confidence was my armor, deflecting their surly glances. Every armor is penetrable, however, and as the relentless barrage of doubts pounded my resilience, it began to wear down. I grew unsure of my own abilities.

Despite the attack, I refused to give up. When I saw the shining eyes of the youngest students preparing for their first competition, I knew I couldn’t let them down. To quit would be to set them up to be barred from competing like I was. The knowledge that I could solve my dojang’s longtime problem motivated me to overcome my apprehension.

Now that my dojang flourishes at competitions, the attacks on me have weakened, but not ended. I may never win the approval of every parent; at times, I am still tormented by doubts, but I find solace in the fact that members of my dojang now only worry about competing to the best of their abilities.

Now, as I arrive at a tournament with my students, I close my eyes and remember the past. I visualize the frantic search for a coach and the chaos amongst my teammates as we compete with one another to find coaches before the staging calls for our respective divisions. I open my eyes to the exact opposite scene. Lacking a coach hurt my ability to compete, but I am proud to know that no member of my dojang will have to face that problem again.

In the beginning, you might think this is another cliche sports essay about overcoming adversity. But instead, it becomes a unique statement and coming-of-age tale that reads as a suspenseful narrative. 

The author connects their experience with martial arts to larger themes in their life but manages to do so without riffing off of tried-and-true themes. Through statements like “I knew I couldn’t let them down. To quit would be to set them up to be barred from competing like I was” we learn about the students values and their desire to be there for those who depend on them. 

The student also brings it full circle, demonstrating their true transformation. By using the “Same, but Different” ending technique , the student places themself in the same environment that we saw in the intro, but experiences it differently due to their actions throughout the narrative. This is very compelling!

“1…2…3…4 pirouettes! New record!” My friends cheered as I landed my turns. Pleased with my progress, I gazed down at my worn-out pointe shoes. The sweltering blisters, numbing ice-baths, and draining late-night practices did not seem so bad after all. Next goal: five turns.

For as long as I can remember, ballet, in all its finesse and glamor, had kept me driven day to day. As a child, the lithe ballerinas, donning ethereal costumes as they floated across the stage, were my motivation. While others admired Messi and Adele, I idolized Carlos Acosta, principal dancer of the Royal Ballet. 

As I devoted more time and energy towards my craft, I became obsessed with improving my technique. I would stretch for hours after class, forcing my leg one inch higher in an effort to mirror the Dance Magazine cover girls. I injured my feet and ruined pair after pair of pointe shoes, turning on wood, cement, and even grass to improve my balance as I spun. At competitions, the dancers with the 180-degree leg extensions, endless turns, and soaring leaps—the ones who received “Bravos!” from the roaring audience—further pushed me to refine my skills and perfect my form. I believed that, with enough determination, I would one day attain their level of perfection. Reaching the quadruple-pirouette milestone only intensified my desire to accomplish even more. 

My efforts seemed to have come to fruition two summers ago when I was accepted to dance with Moscow’s Bolshoi Ballet at their renowned New York City summer intensive. I walked into my first session eager to learn from distinguished ballet masters and worldly dancers, already anticipating my improvement. Yet, as I danced alongside the accomplished ballerinas, I felt out of place. Despite their clean technique and professional training, they did not aim for glorious leg extensions or prodigious leaps. When they performed their turn combinations, most of them only executed two turns as I attempted four. 

“Dancers, double-pirouettes only.” 

Taken aback and confused, I wondered why our teacher expected so little from us. The other ballerinas seemed content, gracing the studio with their simple movements. 

As I grew closer with my Moscow roommates, I gradually learned that their training emphasized the history of the art form instead of stylistic tricks. Rather than show off their physical ability, their performances aimed to convey a story, one that embodied the rich culture of ballet and captured both the legacy of the dancers before them and their own artistry. As I observed my friends more intently in repertoire class, I felt the pain of the grief-stricken white swan from Swan Lake, the sass of the flirtatious Kitri from Don Quijote, and I gradually saw what I had overlooked before. My definition of talent had been molded by crowd-pleasing elements—whirring pirouettes, gravity-defying leaps, and mind-blowing leg extensions. This mindset slowly stripped me from the roots of my passion and my personal connection with ballet. 

With the Bolshoi, I learned to step back and explore the meaning behind each step and the people behind the scenes. Ballet carries history in its movements, from the societal values of the era to each choreographer’s unique flair. As I uncovered the messages behind each pirouette, kick, and jump, my appreciation for ballet grew beyond my obsession with raw athleticism and developed into a love for the art form’s emotive abilities in bridging the dancers with the audience. My journey as an artist has allowed me to see how technical execution is only the means to a greater understanding between dancer and spectator, between storyteller and listener. The elegance and complexity of ballet does not revolve around astonishing stunts but rather the evocative strength and artistry manifested in the dancer, in me. It is the combination of sentiments, history, tradition, and passion that has allowed ballet and its lessons of human connection to become my lifestyle both on and off stage.

This essay is about lessons. While the author is a dancer, this narrative isn’t really about ballet, per se — it’s about the author’s personal growth. It is purposefully reflective as the student shows a nice character arc that begins with an eager young ballerina and ends with a reflection on their past. The primary strength of this essay is the honesty and authenticity that the student approaches it with.

In the end, the student turns a cliche on its head as they embrace the idea of overcoming adversity and demonstrate how the adversity, in this case, was their own stereotypes about their art. It’s beautiful!

“Getting beat is one thing – it’s part of competing – but I want no part in losing.” Coach Rob Stark’s motto never fails to remind me of his encouragement on early-morning bus rides to track meets around the state. I’ve always appreciated the phrase, but an experience last June helped me understand its more profound, universal meaning.

Stark, as we affectionately call him, has coached track at my high school for 25 years. His care, dedication, and emphasis on developing good character has left an enduring impact on me and hundreds of other students. Not only did he help me discover my talent and love for running, but he also taught me the importance of commitment and discipline and to approach every endeavor with the passion and intensity that I bring to running. When I learned a neighboring high school had dedicated their track to a longtime coach, I felt that Stark deserved similar honors.

Our school district’s board of education indicated they would only dedicate our track to Stark if I could demonstrate that he was extraordinary. I took charge and mobilized my teammates to distribute petitions, reach out to alumni, and compile statistics on the many team and individual champions Stark had coached over the years. We received astounding support, collecting almost 3,000 signatures and pages of endorsements from across the community. With help from my teammates, I presented this evidence to the board.

They didn’t bite. 

Most members argued that dedicating the track was a low priority. Knowing that we had to act quickly to convince them of its importance, I called a team meeting where we drafted a rebuttal for the next board meeting. To my surprise, they chose me to deliver it. I was far from the best public speaker in the group, and I felt nervous about going before the unsympathetic board again. However, at that second meeting, I discovered that I enjoy articulating and arguing for something that I’m passionate about.

Public speaking resembles a cross country race. Walking to the starting line, you have to trust your training and quell your last minute doubts. When the gun fires, you can’t think too hard about anything; your performance has to be instinctual, natural, even relaxed. At the next board meeting, the podium was my starting line. As I walked up to it, familiar butterflies fluttered in my stomach. Instead of the track stretching out in front of me, I faced the vast audience of teachers, board members, and my teammates. I felt my adrenaline build, and reassured myself: I’ve put in the work, my argument is powerful and sound. As the board president told me to introduce myself, I heard, “runners set” in the back of my mind. She finished speaking, and Bang! The brief silence was the gunshot for me to begin. 

The next few minutes blurred together, but when the dust settled, I knew from the board members’ expressions and the audience’s thunderous approval that I had run quite a race. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough; the board voted down our proposal. I was disappointed, but proud of myself, my team, and our collaboration off the track. We stood up for a cause we believed in, and I overcame my worries about being a leader. Although I discovered that changing the status quo through an elected body can be a painstakingly difficult process and requires perseverance, I learned that I enjoy the challenges this effort offers. Last month, one of the school board members joked that I had become a “regular” – I now often show up to meetings to advocate for a variety of causes, including better environmental practices in cafeterias and safer equipment for athletes.

Just as Stark taught me, I worked passionately to achieve my goal. I may have been beaten when I appealed to the board, but I certainly didn’t lose, and that would have made Stark proud.

This essay uses the idea of sports to explore a more profound topic—growing through relationships. They really embrace using sports as an avenue to tell the reader about a specific experience that changed the way they approach the world. 

The emphasis on relationships is why this essay works well and doesn’t fall into a cliche. The narrator grows not because of their experience with track but because of their relationship with their coach, who inspired them to evolve and become a leader.

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Argumentative Essay: The Importance of Sports

Participation in sports is extremely important, and should be encouraged much more. Children and young people in particular need to do sport so that they develop good habits that they can continue into adulthood. The main benefits of sport are improved health and fitness, and the development of social and communication skills.

With more than a third of adults in the USA being classed as obese, and many more being overweight, it has never been more important to participate in sports. People that do sport on a regular basis are burning more calories than those that don’t, and are therefore less likely to end up overweight. Being a healthy weight means that you will be less likely to die young and suffer from heart disease, strokes, high blood pressure, diabetes and a range of other conditions, and if you already eat well, it can give you an extra calorie allowance so you can treat yourself without feeling guilty about it.

As well as improving cardiovascular health and fitness, exercising is also good for the musculoskeletal system, making muscles more supple and toned, and improving the strength of bones and joints. People who do sports will be stronger and more able to lift and carry heavy things, which is also always useful, and they are less likely to become really weak and frail as they get older because their bodies are strong. Furthermore, doing sports can improve mental health as well as physical health, with exercise being helpful for people with depression and a range of other mental health issues, because it releases good chemicals into our brains. It also makes people feel better about their bodies, which can make them happier, and reduces the risk of eating disorders and crash dieting, as people make more sensible, healthy changes to their lifestyle.

Sports also allow people to develop personally. Social and communication skills can be learned and developed through sport. Teamwork, for example, is naturally learned through participating in team sports and games. Communication skills can really be honed, as they are at the center of any team’s success, and a lack of them leads to failure. Many people will also develop leadership skills through sport, often discovering abilities that they never knew they even had.

Many people’s self-esteem improves through sport as they discover things that they are good at and improve their body. Participating in any competitive sport also improves our ability to handle pressure and still perform well, as well as teaching us how to win and lose graciously. All in all, the fact that playing sport is good for us is completely undeniable, because it helps our minds and bodies, and ultimately means that we will be living longer, happier lives.

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The Effects of Sports on Life Research Paper

Introduction, health benefits of sports, social benefits of sports, economic benefits of sports, education benefits of sports, negative effects of sports.

In today’s world, sports form an integral part of the society’s culture. Participating in sports is an important aspect of child development that has many benefits. Sports improve the health status of participants and foster the development of fundamental skills that are important in facing challenges in life (Ahmadi, 2010, p.43). Other benefits of sports include fostering social co-existence and peace, encouraging community development, financial gains and foster international unity.

Sports have made significant contributions in enhancing the implementation of certain policies that are important and that affect the welfare of the society. Healthy human development is a requisite for sustained societal development. Without a healthy population, it is impossible to achieve the goals and objectives that stimulate growth and development.

Therefore, it is necessary to maintain good health in individuals in order to enable them to use their potential to stimulate growth and personal development (Ahmadi, 2010, p.45). Sport is an important tool that has the ability to motivate and empower individuals to achieve their health, economic and social goals.

Sports are important in the society because they improve the overall quality life, foster social inclusion and help to eradicate anti-social behaviors in young people. In addition, they improve the health status of individuals and their self-esteem and confidence (Ahmadi, 2010, p.49).

Research has shown that physical activity contributes in improving the health of individuals who participate in sport activities. Sports help to improve cardiovascular fitness, hence vital in management of body weight. Sports serve several functions that make them beneficial and important to individuals and the society.

Sports activities help reduce body fat and build muscles, slow down the aging process, improve body balance and coordination, and minimize risks of injury (Sharkey and Gaskil, 2007, p.27). Sport is an effective tool that can be used to pull resources together to fight diseases. Research by the World Health Organization has shown that regular physical activity affords people numerous physical, social, economic and mental health benefits.

Sport activities augment strategies that improve diet and counter the widespread use of drugs, alcohol and tobacco (Sharkey and Gaskil, 2007, p.29). These drugs have adverse effects on the health of users.

People experience the benefits of sport in two main ways. First, through direct participation and secondly, through indirect participation as spectators. Sport initiatives that are designed to improve health are beneficial and have an impact at both levels. People who directly participate in sport activities benefit more that those who participate indirectly.

Sports play a vital role in averting the adverse effects of chronic diseases on the society (Sharkey and Gaskil, 2007, p.31). Research has revealed that the effect of chronic diseases is augmented by physical inactivity and poor eating habits. Participation in sports is one of the ways through which people become active. It is an effective method of staying active because it is enjoyable and individuals benefit greatly.

Apart from improving the physical fitness of individuals, sports help to reduce the impact of risk factors that expose individuals to illnesses (Sharkey and Gaskil, 2007, p.36). Sports help reduce potential risks of high blood pressure, stress, high cholesterol levels in the body and use of drugs and other harmful substances. In general, participating in sports helps improve general body fitness, helps individuals relax, helps in management of body weight, and improves body coordination and posture (Sharkey and Gaskil, 2007, p.41).

Research has shown that sport activities enhance healthy growth and development in children and helps strengthen the heart. A strong, healthy heart reduces the risk of individuals succumbing to heart failure or stroke. In today’s society, the effects of inactivity are evident from the large number of children who are succumbing to obesity (Sharkey and Gaskil, 2007, p.42). Children spend a lot of time watching television, playing video games and surfing the internet.

This encourages inactive lifestyles that have adverse health consequences. Health practitioners are very concerned and troubled by this modern trend because obese children grow into obese adults. Obese adults are at an increased risk of diabetes, heart diseases and many other chronic diseases that affect people with inadequate immunity against diseases (Sharkey and Gaskil, 2007, p.43).

The United States Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS) maintains that engaging in sport activities helps develop active lifestyles that help reduce risks of disease infection. A report by USDHHS in association with the European Heart Network revealed that active individuals are at low risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, colon cancer and hemorrhagic strokes.

Sports provide individuals with opportunities to integrate into the society and the surroundings in the community. In children, sports provide an opportunity to meet new people, make new friends and improve social skills (Woods, 2011, p.34). Children are thus able to develop self-esteem, confidence and sense of belonging through social interactions.

In addition, sports promote healthy growth and development in children because they help them develop relationships that are vital in their development process. Through participation in sports, children acquire important skills of teamwork and leadership that are vital in their development and success in life (Woods, 2011, p.38). Sports inculcate values such as hard work, perseverance and discipline.

The benefits of participating in sports go beyond the individual level into the community level. Young people interact extensively with other people in their community through participating in sport activities. This not only improves the social disposition of individuals, but also improves the socioeconomic status of the community (Woods, 2011, p.41). Therefore, the participation of young people in sports has both individual and communal benefits.

Drug use and abuse is a problem that has affected young people for many years. It is a common occurrence among young people in the modern society. Participation in sport activities helps reduce involvement of young people in anti-social behaviors such as drug use and violence (Woods, 2011, p.42). Young people engage in unethical behaviors because of peer pressure and idleness.

Sports help eradicate idleness and involvement in unethical activities because it gives young people a chance to be active and constructive. In addition, it gives them an opportunity to learn important values such as discipline and responsibility that help reduce unethical behaviors (Holt, 2008, p.41).

Sports contribute significantly in helping people learn how to interact effectively in social situations. They foster social inclusion by bringing people together and helping them establish strong and effective social networks that cultivate a strong sense of belonging (Delaney and Madigan, 2009, p.62). The quality of social relationships determines the health status of individuals to a certain degree. Therefore, it is important for people to participate in sports because physical activity encourages healthy lifestyles.

Sports have been used in many communities to eradicate social stigma and segregation that is experienced by minority groups (Holt, 2008, p.46). For example, in most societies, people with disabilities are marginalized because of their physical conditions. Through sports, other community members are able to accept these individuals.

They cone to earn that the disability of these people does not translate to inability because they can engage in physical activities too (Delaney and Madigan, 2009, p.66). Sports create an environment that contributes significantly in eradication of negative perceptions and attitudes against certain races, ethnicities or groups of people. Sports enable people to focus on common experiences and traits, and help them ignore the differences that exist between them (Coakley, 2004, p.35).

This is an important aspect of helping people in minority groups improve their sense of belonging and self-esteem. Sports programs that involve participation of people from all social classes foster and develop the concept of belonging. By participating in common sport activities, people break down the socioeconomic barriers that exist among them.

Sports serve as an effective tool for communication and social mobilization (Delaney and Madigan, 2009, p.72). The great attraction of sports entertainment has made it an influential tool for communication.

Large organizations and companies use professional athletes to convince young people to change their lifestyles in order for them to experience the benefits of being active (Coakley, 2004, p.41). In addition, not-for-profit organizations use professional athletes and sport organizations to gather resources to sponsor health programs such as obesity awareness campaigns.

In local communities, sport gatherings give health care practitioners opportunities to educate people on critical health matters. People receive information on the importance of vaccination and the different ways to control and prevent diseases in their community (Coakley, 2004, p.44).

Sports have numerous economic benefits both to individuals and to the government. Professional athletes earn a living from sports and are able to support their families. Sports such as basketball, football, tennis and athletics are very lucrative and form a core part of the economy. Sports contribute to the economy significantly. First, they create jobs for people who have interest in the physical education field (Theokas, 2009, p.84). Jobs in the sports sector include coaching, medical therapy, team doctors and instructors.

Secondly, when countries host sport functions such as the World Cup or the Olympics, they benefit financially. These events generate income and market the host country internationally (Theokas, 2009, p.84). Thirdly, the government benefits from the taxes paid by professional athletes. Since they earn a lot of money, they pay high taxes, which are used to develop the economy.

The cost of treating illness that are caused by inactivity is very high. For example, obesity predisposes people to stroke, diabetes and heart failure, which are very expensive to manage. However, by being active through participation in sports, these conditions and illnesses are avoidable.

Sports are effective in reducing these costs because they act as a health promotion tool that helps people live healthy lifestyles (Theokas, 2009, p.85). Consumer expenditure on sport-related merchandise such as clothing and footwear, satellite TV subscriptions, participation in sport clubs through subscriptions and purchase of sport equipment generate income for individuals and organizations.

Sports have several benefits that lead to improved academic performance. Sports improve performance in school because individuals have high energy levels, improved cognitive functioning and positive values such as discipline and hard work.

In addition, people who engage in sports have high self-esteem and confidence, which enable them handle academic work confidently (Shulman and Bowen, 2011, p.92). A research study conducted by Hastie (1998) revealed that students who participate in sports are more skilled and possess strong interpersonal behaviors.

These attributes arise from exposure to challenging environments that encourage responsibility and accountability (Hastie, 1998, p.24). In addition, the study found out that students who participate in sports make better and more rational decisions than students who do not participate in sports. Sports give students a chance to make personal decisions without the influence or interference of instructors. This develops the values of accountability and responsibility.

Through sports, students are able to develop organizational skills that are useful both in the field and in the classroom (Shulman and Bowen, 2011, p.95). Sports inculcate skills such as concentration, hard work, planning and creativity. High self-esteem and confidence is one of the educational benefits of participating in sports.

Self-esteem is defined as the quality of a person’s self worth and personal appraisal that is governed and determined by how they view themselves. Self-esteem is an important factor in education that motivates young people to work hard by believing in their ability and potential.

Sports help improve self-esteem and confidence because they give individuals opportunities to acquire vital life skills that improve the quality of their lives. In addition, sports help young people to value teamwork (Hastie, 1998, p.26). Improved self-esteem helps students change their way of thinking and as such, face challenges and difficulties confidently.

Despite their numerous benefits, sports have negative effects too. Negative effects of sports include injuries and poor coaching (France, 2008, p.84). In all sport activities, measures are put in place to avoid injuries. However, risks involved in sports are many and even with safety measures in place, injuries happen. In sports that involve physical contact between players such as football, basketball and rugby, injuries are inevitable.

Types of injuries include groin strain, hamstring strain, nose injuries, ankle sprain, concussion and dental damage (France, 2008, p.86). Sports injuries have adverse effects on the athlete, the athlete’s family and the spectators. Some injuries such as concussions and dental damage can cause severe and long-lasting damage to the life of the athlete.

Poor coaching can have adverse effects on the behavior, attitudes and motivation of young people. Some coaches and instructors are aggressive, abusive and argumentative. A coach who possesses these qualities instills them in players who express them in their behaviors (France, 2008, p.86).

They become rude and aggressive because when treated with aggression or rudeness by their coach, they respond in a similar manner. These behaviors affect other areas of life such as social interaction and education. Young people become impatient and rude, and it becomes hard for them to establish and maintain relationship.

In today’s world, sports form an integral part of the society’s culture. Participating in sports is an important aspect of child development and has many benefits. Sports improve the health status of participants and foster the development of fundamental skills that are important in facing different challenges in life. Other benefits of sports include fostering social co-existence and peace, encouraging community development, financial gains and fostering international unity.

Sports activities help reduce body fat and help build body mass, slow down the aging process, improve body balance and coordination, and minimize risks of injury. Sport is an effective tool that can be used to pull resources together to fight diseases. Research by the World Health Organization has shown that regular physical activity affords people numerous physical, social, economic and mental health benefits.

The benefits of participating in sports go beyond the individual level into the community domain. Young people interact extensively with other people in their community through participating in sports activities. This not only improves the social disposition of individuals, but also the socioeconomic status of the community.

Sports encourage students to develop organizational skills that are useful both in the field and in the classroom. Sports inculcate skills such as concentration, hard work, planning and creativity. Development of high self-esteem and confidence is one of the social benefits of participating in sports. Despite the numerous benefits, sports have negative effects too. Negative effects of sports include injuries and poor coaching.

In all sports activities, measures are put in place to avoid injuries. However, risks involved in sports are many and even with safety measures put in place injuries happen. Poor coaching can have adverse effects on the behavior, attitudes and motivation of young people. Some coaches and instructors are aggressive, abusive or argumentative.

A coach with these qualities instills them in players and they express these traits in their behaviors. Sports are important in the society because they improve the overall quality life, foster social inclusion and help to eradicate anti-social behaviors in young people. In addition, they improve the health status of individuals thus promoting their well-being.

Ahmadi, H. (2010). Complementary Effects of Sport on Health . New York: Strategic Book Publishing.

Coakley, J. (2004). Sport in Society: Issues and Controversies . New York: McGraw Hill.

Delaney, T., and Madigan, T. (2009). The Sociology of Sports: An Introduction . New York: McFarland.

France, R. (2008). Introduction to Physical Education and Sport Science . New York: Cengage Learning.

Hastie, P. (1998). Applied Benefits of the Sport Education Model. Journal of Physical

Education, Recreation & Dance , 64(9), 24-26.

Holt, N. (2008). Positive Youth Development through Sport. New York, NY: Routledge.

Sharkey, B., and Gaskil, S. 92007). Fitness and Health . London: Human Kinetics.

Shulman, J., and Bowen, W. (2011). The Game of Life: College Sports and Educational Values . New Jersey: Princeton University Press.

Theokas, C. (2009). Youth Sport Participation: A View of the Issues. Developmental Psychology, 45(2), 303-306.

Woods, R. (2011). Social Issues in Sport . New York: Human Kinetics.

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Movement, Play, and Games—An Essay about Youth Sports and Its Benefits for Human Development

Miguel nery.

1 Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Tecnologia, Universidade Europeia, 1500-210 Lisboa, Portugal

Isabel Sequeira

2 Self-Psicologia e Psicoterapia, 1150-278 Lisboa, Portugal

Carlos Neto

3 Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-004 Lisboa, Portugal

António Rosado

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The acknowledgment of the qualities and features of the world is made through the body, movement, and imagination. During their development, children learn new skills, complexify their thoughts, and become more autonomous. The progressive increase in motor repertoire in children reflects a more unified and solid self. Nowadays, there is a generalized restriction of the movement of children. It starts at home when parents establish rigid and/or phobic attachments with their children; it can be also observed at school which is more and more based on rigid learning rhythms and obsessive ideas about students’ performance, and finally in urban areas where free and outdoor play has considerably decreased during recent decades. The current lifestyles in Western societies resulted in a decrease in play among children. The culture influences the dominant types of psychopathology and, during childhood, mental suffering is often expressed with the increase (turmoil) or decrease (inhibition) of the body movement. Sports are underpinned by movement and play; they are a powerful tool in health promotion and an excellent way to assign meaning to movement. This work is an essay about the importance of play and youth sports in child development.

1. Introduction

This essay article addresses the importance of play and youth sports in child development. We focus mostly on early stages of sport engagement, when play should be the core activity of childhood. Different theoretical approaches are considered, including child motor behavior, sports sciences, psychology, and psychoanalysis. The manuscript is divided into three parts, and each one of them is divided into its main topics and sub-topics.

PART I is dedicated to child development, and aims to provide a general framework for the upcoming sections. We start with a brief review of early phases of child development (psychomotor development), before moving forward until the beginning of more structured sport practice. A special attention is provided to the body as a means of self-expression and communication with others, and to different types of play (and its development) during childhood. It includes topics such as body, attachment, motor behavior, and play.

PART II—entitled Actual Constraints on Child Development—focuses on recent issues that constrain child (natural) movement, and have negative impact on their development. Despite the impressive economic development in the last half century in Western societies, with considerable positive impact on child health and education, modern lifestyles face new obstacles. Among these is a severe decrease in physical activity and play among youngsters. We describe how child movement and (free unstructured) play have become less accepted in settings such as home, school, and street. Later, we focus on the analysis of problems that result from it. We do not intend to make an in-depth analysis of child psychopathology; the focus is on the difficulties mostly expressed through the body (although related to overall development). We divided such problems into opposite poles related to a lack or excess of movement.

Finally, in PART III, we focus on the role of sports in child development. Here, we analyze the symbolic meaning of sports, and how it may contribute to fostering healthy development. This final section aims to provide a reflection about the use of sports as a tool to tackle issues. To do so, we start with a brief description of three models that emphasize the role of sports in child development. Although being generally perceived as a social good, engagement in sports is not always positive, and can also become a source of suffering due to different types of abuse existent in this context. We briefly address some types of violence and abuse that may be found in sports, and the increasing importance of safeguarding. We finish with a reflection about the potential of sports as a tool to promote healthy development (when properly conducted).

2. PART I. Child Development. Play and Motor Behavior

Play is a key element in child development. The body, movement, and the imagination are very important means for children to explore and progressively understand their environment. The body includes both “somatic” and “relational” parts, and these are interconnected. The somatic part of the body relates to the maturation process, musculoskeletal system, and physiology, and it is mainly approached by scientific areas such as biology, chemistry, and some disciplines of medicine such as neurology and pediatrics, among others. On the other hand, the relational part of the body relates to attachment (affect, emotions, and feelings) between the child and his/her significant others and environment, and it is mostly approached by scientific areas such as psychology, psychoanalysis, and social sciences.

The body must be understood based on an integrative perspective that considers both somatic and relational parts, their interconnection, and mutual influence. We consider the tangible part of the body, but with extensions that go beyond its physical limits, through the attachment and connections established during the personal history of the individual, and the development of his/her autobiographical memory [ 1 ].

The development of neurosciences shed some light on these topics; it is now widely accepted and more deeply understood that the mind is underpinned by a biological structure that cannot be ignored [ 2 , 3 ]. Considering that both attachment and physical maturation contribute to the development of the individual—and both play an important role in healthy development—we briefly summarize some ideas that underpin the forthcoming reflection.

2.2. Attachment

There is considerable evidence of the influence of attachment on child development, including the styles of attachment and personality development [ 4 ], the negative outcomes of deprivation [ 5 ], healthy and psychopathological development [ 6 ], and mentalization and development of self [ 7 ].

Humans have a long childhood period, and babies are born incredibly dependent on their caregivers (contrary to other species, including several mammals). The British pediatrician and psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott—who dedicated most of his clinical activity to children—once stated that “there is no such thing as the baby”, along with “a baby alone doesn’t exist. What exists is always a nursing couple” [ 8 ]. This iconic sentence of the psychoanalytic field relates to the total dependence of the baby, and alerts us to the need to think about the baby within this relation/attachment (mother–baby dyad). We are born with a considerable potential, but we take much time to become autonomous. The developmental endeavor of becoming autonomous (and the degree of its success) greatly depends on the type (and quality) of the attachment created between the baby and its caregivers.

A mother and child-centered framework is established through the process of the development of the self. The emotional, neurological, and structural puzzle that provides the infant for his future connections is constructed from this plan. Therefore, each person’s attachment style will be determined by the responsiveness, contingency, and persistence of their mother’s replies to their bond requests.

Humans are born with a bonding mechanism that allows them to connect with a caregiver and, from this relationship, develop a connection with the rest of the world. Therefore, the body is the locus of secure bonding expression, the safe place. When a baby feels cherished, he perceives his body as a secure haven. Secure attachment bonds offer emotional support, safety, and availability throughout a human’s developmental history, particularly during trying times and significant moments of change. Infants who are securely attached can anticipate their caregivers’ availability, comprehension, and responsiveness thanks to attachment events. They will consequently feel secure and confident.

According to attachment theory, the stable nature of the attachment bond serves as a vital “emotional buffer” and is essential for completing developmental tasks in adolescence, such as adjusting to bodily changes, developing one’s own identity, or making goals for the future. The baby or toddler can begin to act in ways that involve exploring his environment by feeling secure and confident thanks to the safe bonding response. Initially, the main caregiver figures, followed by additional characters, the world space, and so forth.

The body serves as both the place and the agent of discovery and exploration. The physical body, with its limitations and potential, is a place and agent of pleasure and pain. Bowlby’s initial choice of protection as a “principal” biological function is no longer necessary, as noted in Bowlby’s final collection of lectures from 1988. Instead, the multiple advantages of attachment—such as feeding, learning about the environment, self-regulation, and social interaction—all contribute to its conveying an evolutionary advantage. According to this theory, attachment is not seen as a symptom of immaturity that needs to be overcome, but rather as a normal and healthy trait of individuals throughout the lifespan.

The Attachment Behavioral System

An “attachment behavioral system” is hypothesized to contain attachment behaviors. To characterize a species-specific system of behaviors that result in certain predictable consequences, at least one of which contributes to survival and reproductive fitness, Bowlby [ 9 ] borrowed the behavioral system notion from ethology. Inherent motivation is a part of the behavioral systems idea.

Children are believed to form attachments to others regardless of whether their physiological demands are satisfied, so there is no need to see attachment as the result of any more fundamental processes or “drive”. Evidence demonstrating that attachment is not caused by links with food, as suggested by secondary drive theories (e.g., [ 10 ]), supports this theory, as was already indicated [ 11 , 12 ]. The infant chooses the actions that are most appropriate for that situation and with that caregiver. As they grow, children have access to a wider range of approaches to proximity and learn which ones work best under what conditions. In fact, as Sroufe and Waters [ 13 ] noted, this organizational perspective aids in explaining stability in the face of both developmental and environmental changes.

Murray [ 14 ] established the concept of “affiliation”, according to Bowlby [ 9 ], p. 229: “Under this heading are classified all indications of friendliness and kindness, of the desire to accomplish things in partnership with others”. As a result, it encompasses a far wider range of behaviors than attachment and is not meant to include conduct that is focused on one or a small number of specific figures, which is the characteristic of attachment behavior. Thus, the organization of the biologically driven, survival-promoting desire to be sociable with others is referred to as the social system . The likelihood that people will spend at least some of their time with others is a significant expected result of activating this system.

Whenever it comes to what initiates behavior, what stops behavior, and how behaviors are organized, studies of both humans and other primates clearly demonstrate distinctions between the attachment and sociability systems [ 15 , 16 ].

When a child is secure, they want to play and engage socially, so, when a youngster is happy and certain of his or her attachment-whereabouts, they search for a playmate. Additionally, once they find the playmate, they want to interact with them in a playful manner. So, as a conclusion, a secure attachment allows the toddler to feel secure and to explore and places the body as central. Through the lifespan, it will allow engagement in play and sports. The usage of the body replays the early playful moments with primary caregivers.

2.3. Motor Behavior

The development of motor behavior heavily depends on maturation. The exploration of the surrounding environment by children requires movement, which is a key element in child development. Babies develop within their mother´s uterus for as long as possible; however, when they are born, despite their innate skills, they are still very “incomplete” and totally dependent on external support. From the rudimentary movements and basic skills of the baby, to the possibility to execute more complex and intentional movements (with higher capacity to act on the surrounding environment), children progressively develop (with more or less harmony) their motor skills, cognition, and language. During the early stages, children considerably increase their motor abilities; in a short period of approximately two years, they learn how to reach and grasp, to sit, to stand and walk, and to chew and talk [ 17 ]. Here, the action/movement of the body should be understood as a way of expression (speech), in which an increased physical coordination and motor competency/domain reflect a more unified self.

Through movement, children progress from the total dependency of early childhood to a more active functioning of exploration of the environment. To crawl and, later, to walk are examples of remarkable conquests made by toddlers and allow the first movements away from the secure base (mother). These movements symbolically relate to the earlier essays of autonomy [ 18 ]. The motor development allows new opportunities for children to learn about the surrounding world, and the flourishing motor skills instigate developmental changes in perceptual, cognitive, and social domains [ 19 ].

As described, during the early stages of their lives, children progressively increase their motor repertoire because of both maturational and interactional processes with their environment. The acquisition of these motor skills, along with cognitive development and construction of psychic apparatus, occurs through play activity [ 20 ], which is internally motivated and has a symbolic feature that promotes wellbeing and pleasure.

There are several types of play; these develop and evolve during childhood. The different types of play are not mutually exclusive; actually, they frequently overlap, but one of them tends to be more active/present during a certain period of child development, based on his/her degree of psychic structure. So, different types of play are related to different types of internal functioning. This is the reason why children with different ages tend to choose different types of play which are more in line with their stage of development. During childhood, new types of play overcome the preceding ones, which requires new skills. There are several taxonomies of play; these vary based on different scientific approaches and disciplines. This is a possible definition from developmental psychology:

Play is often defined as activity done for its own sake, characterized by means rather than ends (the process is more important than any end point or goal), flexibility (objects are put in new combinations or roles are acted out in new ways), and positive affect (children often smile, laugh, and say they enjoy it). These criteria contrast play with exploration (focused investigation as a child gets more familiar with a new toy or environment, that may then lead into play), work (which has a definite goal), and games (more organized activities in which there is some goal, typically winning the game). Developmentally, games with rules tend to be common after about 6 years of age, whereas play is very frequent for 2- to 6-year-olds [ 21 ].

According to Pellegrini [ 22 ], play has four domains: social, locomotor, object-directed, and pretend. Games come later and are more demanding from a social point of view.

Play is very important during child and self-development; there is solid scientific evidence corroborating this [ 23 ].

2.4.1. Social Play

Social play is part of the interaction between children and adults (typically parents), and between children and other children. Peek-a-boo play is one of earliest forms of play, in which babies and their parents engage in interactions characterized by some of the hallmarks of play, such as unpredictability, vocalizations, expectations, and positive affect. The quality of the social interaction between children and their parents strongly influences the competence of the children in future interactions with peers and others, due to the social learning and nature of the attachment between parents and children [ 22 ].

From a psychoanalytical standpoint, peek-a-boo is based on presence/absence, and relates to the need to be sought and found, as well as the role of being seen in the development of the self. By playing this, children progressively try to elaborate and symbolize the absence, which is a fundamental acquisition for their future social and academic endeavors [ 24 ]. Toddlers are thrilled when their parents hide behind a sweatshirt and ask aloud where the baby is, and then they put down the sweatshirt and show their happy face for “having found” him/her. Fragments of this type of play remain during childhood, although it may appear in different manners such as turning lights on and off, or later in the hide and seek game.

2.4.2. Locomotor Play

Locomotor play comes later, and the child’s body is more actively involved; it includes a dimension of physical vigor, and consists in exaggerated and non-functional behaviors and behavioral sequences. According to Pellegrini [ 22 ], there are three sub-types of locomotor play, with different age peaks: (1) rhythmic stereotypies (infancy), (2) exercise play (preschool years), and (3) rough-and-tumble play (middle childhood). Locomotor play has physical, cognitive, and social benefits, and there are some gender differences, with boys being more prone to engage in this type of play, especially exercise play and rough-and-tumble play. Although rough-and-tumble play is a sub-type of locomotor play, due to its importance in future sport activities, we describe it with more detail. Rough-and-tumble play is frequent among juvenile mammals (mostly among males), and has an important impact on physical and psychological development. It consists in play fighting (very different from real fighting). Children wrestle, climb over each other, and roll around, among other similar behaviors. Besides developing strength and physical skills, it also allows participants to assess other´s skills and physical strength [ 22 , 25 ]. Rough-and-tumble play fosters both psychological development and social skills; more specifically, it helps children to learn the limits of their strength, to find out what other children will and will not let them do, to develop social relationships due to the change in roles and sort out personal boundaries, and, also importantly, burn off energy and decrease tension.

2.4.3. Object-Directed Play

In object-directed play, children use objects (extensions of their bodies) when playing; they discover novel uses for objects, and these can be used in exploration, in play (with objects), in construction, and in tool use [ 26 ]. The use of objects is connected with social network and group structure.

2.4.4. Pretend Play

Pretend play—also called imaginative play or dramatic play—happens when children use their imagination to enact scenarios (experienced, seen, and/or fantasized). It may progress from solitary to social pretending with others, and according to Pellegrini [ 22 ] there are four components of pretending: (1) decontextualized behavior, (2) self–other relations, (3) sequential combinations, and (4) object substitution.

Pretend play is rooted in early interactions with adults, especially the child’s mother (attachment), and may be exclusive to humans. It becomes more intense with the rise of the Oedipal complex. This type of play allows the possibility of movements towards identifications, the deeper acknowledgement of sexual differences between boys and girls, and other important aspects of construction of the identity [ 24 ]. Here, children enact different roles (e.g., super-hero, princess) within an interpersonal scenario with peers and other important figures. This type of pretend play allows children to dramatize his/her inner world, speaking about him/herself through others. Some gender differences should be noticed; boys and girls tend to choose different characters, which becomes more pronounced at this stage.

The definitions of play and games differ; the latter develop later in childhood, are governed by specific rules based on deduction [ 27 ], and the aim is usually to win. During childhood, children tend to have an idealized idea of their parents, and perceive them as omnipotent entities who know everything, and are able to solve any problem. This (normal) idealization is rooted in the need to feel safe in the face of anxieties (and vulnerability). In healthy development, the idealization (and illusion) progressively decreases, allowing children to abandon their omnipotence (self-centered interpretation of the world) and to incorporate social norms and rules, provided by social order; as a result, children can then access more abstract thinking. In this phase, the game emerges; it reflects a higher differentiation between psychic structures (id, ego, superego), and is underpinned by both competition and measurement of skills between the participants (peers function as a mirror).

Play (and later, games) have an important role in child development. Play allows—among other things—the expression of internal conflicts (some of them normal, others more prone to become psychopathology), and children change from passivity to activity, allowing them to act upon their surrounding reality. The later engagement in games is more demanding; due to their standardized characteristics, to properly engage in games, children must submit to social rules and norms. We consider that the earlier forms of play and games—along with specialization of basic motor skills—underpin sport activities. More on this topic will be discussed later.

2.4.5. Importance of Play in Natural Environments

Despite its benefits for child development, the amount of time spent by children on outdoor free play (unstructured activities) has considerably decreased in current societies [ 28 , 29 ], contributing to more sedentary lifestyles, disconnected from the natural world [ 30 ].

Unstructured outdoor play has several benefits in child development, health, and wellbeing, including physical development, self-regulation and attention, communication and social development, cognitive development and creativity [ 29 ], and imagination and reasoning abilities [ 31 ]. Outdoor play also contributes to fostering physical exercise (and energy bust), to improve social and emotional development [ 18 ] and may contribute to establishing rapport between parents and their children [ 31 ]. Due to its benefits, outdoor play has been considered in educational approaches [ 28 , 32 ].

3. PART II. Actual Constraints on Child Development

3.1. settings.

Nowadays, mostly in Western societies, child movement is frequently (and early) not accepted and contained. The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to the decrease in child movement due to lockdown and other preventive measures that resulted in a decrease in outdoor areas to play, and increased the physical distance between people [ 33 ]. In their review article, Kourti et. al. [ 34 ] suggest that play habits changed during the COVID-19 pandemic (and teachers were concerned about it); the authors analyzed 17 articles from Europe and North America, and concluded that outdoor play decreased during the pandemic, while indoor play and videogames/screen use increased. However, even before the pandemic, some contexts were identified in which child movement was already being felt as unacceptable. Here, we highlight three of them.

3.1.1. Home

At home, within the family environment, when parenting styles lead to insecure attachment styles, the natural movement of infants—which is associated with (normal) aggressiveness, dirtiness, excitement, and noise—is perceived as uncomfortable to some parents [ 24 ]. The normal movement of children is poorly understood and contained by an external environment that aims to impose excessive order and tidiness, going in the opposite direction of children’s needs. When this happens, as submission is gradually imposed, children (especially male) are pushed to become “good”: quiet, clean and “well-behaved”. Here, when children behave accordingly, their submission tends to be reinforced by parents (and, as a result, the opposite behavior is rejected). For girls, it is expected, even in an unconscious way, that they behave, stay quiet, and play with dolls or house tools.

The increased (and often excessive) use of electronic devices among children also contributes to the decrease in play. These devices keep children quiet in front of a screen; it becomes very useful when parents wish for their children to demand less attention from them. The high number of children who cannot be seated at the dinner table with their parents (and perhaps siblings) without having an electronic device to play is impressive. Despite the positive aspects of technology, the excessive use of electronic devices by children is a red flag regarding their healthy development. The stimulus of electronic devices is excessive. This aspect leads to a growing necessity of fast pleasure and immediate reward. In an older child, the world is “expected” to be pleasurable and satisfying. So, frustration and need for continuous reward are a predicable factor of anxiety and aggressiveness among older children.

According to Desmurget [ 35 ], the excessive use of electronic devices by children may result in negative outcomes regarding their physical health (obesity, heart diseases, lower average life expectancy), behavior (aggressiveness, depression, anxiety), and intellectual skills (language, concentration, and memory). Some major international organizations have also focused their attention on the impact of excessive use of electronic devices by youngsters [ 36 , 37 ].

3.1.2. School

The first major separation of children from their nuclear families and homes occurs when they go to school. Even those children who have been in kindergarten before going to school now have to face a more structured and demanding environment. Children face challenges such as the need to develop their skills, to learn school material (within a specific time), to make friends, and to progressively become less dependent of adults—to grow. Obviously, attachment issues have a strong influence on their success in these demanding tasks.

School is a very important context and allows children to grow and develop their skills. However, their natural movement is also often poorly understood and tolerated. Children are often asked to keep quiet, and to listen to a teacher for long periods of time, in an environment often marked by an obsessive analysis of school performance (grades) and accumulation of material rather than fostering understanding [ 18 , 38 ]. Education has become more technical and “pseudo-cumulative”, with emphasis being placed on “skill acquisition” rather than fundamental knowledge and fostering the development of the capacity of children to think about themselves and how the world works.

Today´s school asks children to carefully listen to what their teacher tells them; however, children are being raised in a world where the value of words has decreased considerably over time, and children are constantly a target of visual, immediate, and short-term stimuli (electronic devices, social media, and others). As a result, the opportunities to appreciate silence, to contemplate, to feel, to listen and be listened to, and to have relationships with an adult caregiver that foster thinking about how the world works and thinking about themselves (which is time consuming), have decreased [ 24 ].

3.1.3. Outdoor (Street)

The lack of play in cities and streets is also a constraint. During recent decades, outdoor (street) free play has been gradually replaced by standardized and artificial activities [ 39 ], in which children are oriented by adults in predefined and goal-oriented activities. Free time has become a paradox; children are often asked to do something in time periods that are supposed to be free (and include the possibility not to do anything). Laziness among children is often necessary and important; when children feel bored, they tend to use creative solutions to amuse themselves. This often allows games and play to arise. In urban areas (where most families live), the presence of children playing on the street has significantly decreased. They mostly live locked at home and are transported by adults from point A to point B all the time. Today, the street, perceived as a place to play with other children, practically does not exist.

Parents, schools, and urban areas often have difficulties to contain and to provide meaning to child movement. The natural benefits of play are being replaced by artificial programs (often seen at school) to “teach empathy”, to “develop social skills”, and/or to “learn about emotions”.

3.2. Psychopathology

The verbal skills and the capacity of children to access symbolic thought, when compared to adults, are, obviously, lower (and still under development). When play decreases among children, psychopathology tends to arise [ 39 , 40 ]. Clinicians who work with children often observe infants’ difficulties being expressed through their bodies. We do not intend to cover child psychopathology in detail; for the purpose of this article, we divided the problem into two groups: children whose (normal) aggressiveness becomes inhibited (lack of movement) and, at the opposite pole, those whose who are characterized by excess of movement (due to the lack of containment).

3.2.1. Lack of Movement: Inhibition of Aggressiveness

Inhibited children tend to be more submissive, formal, and “hyper-mature” (behaviors often reinforced by their parents and teachers), kinds of mini-adults who lack spontaneity and have difficulties with imagination and fantasy. These children are usually perceived as well-behaved and a role model at school but have difficulties in making friends and in free spontaneous play.

Inhibited children are much less often signaled at school (where many cases of primary diagnosis are spotted) because they do not disturb adults. The preoccupations around these children are often connected with their difficulties with peers (e.g., bullying victimization), a sudden (and not expected) break in their academic performance, or abrupt change in behavior. The expression of normal aggressiveness often fails in submissive children, not allowing them to be properly assertive. The parents of inhibited children (especially boys) often seek sports activity for their children, expecting them to learn there how to defend themselves (e.g., fighting sports), or to make friends to compensate for the loneliness felt at school due to peer rejection.

3.2.2. Excess of Movement: ADHD and Related Issues

The opposite pole to inhibited children are those children who cannot calm down and are constantly excited and hyperkinetic. In these cases, the movement is disorganized and expresses internal conflict and/or nameless threats. The excess of excitement (that should not be confused with normal motor activity) often reflects a poorly harmonious evolution in child development. Inhibited children often have problems with expressing normal aggressiveness; on the other hand, hyperkinetic children (mostly boys) often have problems related to lack of containment. These children are often labeled as suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Interestingly, these children tend to behave differently if they are alone, with parents, in school, or with someone who they do not know. Their behavior also differs considerably when they are with peers (more agitated) or in a one-on-one situation with an adult (they tend to regulate more easily), especially a male figure. Finally, very stimulating environments and situations in which children are freer to control their learning rhythms, and situations in which they are being paid to do tasks, also contribute to the ability of ADHD children to regulate themselves [ 24 ]. These variables allow us to think about the role of internal working models in ADHD, as well as the importance sports may have in the regulation of these children; those (especially boys) who have difficulties in impulse control and affect regulation often find sports a positive environment, and may strongly benefit from such activities.

The benefits of sports for children at both poles will be described in more detail later in this essay.

4. PART III. Role of Sports in Child Development

4.1. how sports foster healthy development.

Sport participation fosters overall wellbeing of children [ 41 ]. Efforts have been made to develop models to describe how sports foster human development. Here, we briefly describe three proposals, based on different approaches, and considering different variables.

4.1.1. Developmental Model of Sport Participation

The Developmental Model of Sport Participation (DMSP) is based on theoretical and empirical data, and aims to describe the processes, pathways, and outcomes related to the participation of children and adolescents in sports [ 42 ]. The DMSP considers the importance of appropriate training considering the age of the participants and their physical and psycho-social development. It identifies three trajectories towards grassroots and elite performance: (1) sampling years (age 6–12), (2) specializing years (age 13–15), and (3) investment years (age 16+). The DMSP considers early diversification (taking part in different sports) to foster the development of general motor skills. It also calls attention to the benefits of a high amount of deliberate play, and a low amount of deliberate practice, during sampling years.

4.1.2. Personal Assets Framework

The Personal Assets Framework [ 43 ] aims to describe the mechanisms of positive youth development in sports. This model considers that sport experiences should be analyzed based on three dynamic elements: (1) type of activities (What?), (2) quality of relationships (Who?), and (3) setting (Where?).

According to Côté, Murata, and Martin [ 41 ], the type of activity emphasizes the need to tackle early specialization due to its negative impacts on children (see [ 44 ]), and to foster play during childhood while progressively increasing practice as youngsters grow older and approach adolescence. The quality of the relationships includes interpersonal relationships, team dynamics, and the broader social environment; different types of relations (attachments), such as adult–child, child–child (peers), child–club, individual, and group relations, should be considered. Finally, the settings include structures that provide physical support for the sport activities.

4.1.3. Long-Term Athlete Development

Long-term athlete development is a developmental model underpinning a considerable amount of research, that aims to foster participation in sports and physical activity throughout life, by describing what people should be doing at certain ages, in sports. The idea of doing the right things at the right time, in sports participation, is described in nine stages, from childhood to adulthood, divided by gender. The stages consider the physical, intellectual, cognitive, and moral development of the individuals within each category, and are divided into: (1) Active Start (age 0–6), FUNdamentals (age 6–9), Learning to Train (age 9–12), Training to Train (age 12–16), Learning to Compete (age 16–18), Training to Compete (age 18–21), Learning to Win (age 20–23), Winning for a Living (age 24+), and finally Active for Life (any age). The first three stages are mostly focused on physical literacy and development of basic motor skills through play; these underpin further endeavor in sports, from being active in life to competition [ 45 ].

Despite their differences, all three models overlap regarding the need to foster free play during the early stages of athlete development, and describe its benefits for motor, social, and psychological development. Children (especially boys) easily engage in sport activities, and these can play an important role in child development.

4.2. Maltreatment and Abuse in Sports

Sports are generally perceived as positive, and their potential benefits for children are well known; as a result, parents, teachers, and physicians, among others, often foster the engagement of children in sport activities. However, participation in sports may also result in negative outcomes; despite the potential to foster human development, several types of abuse may occur during sport activities. Abuse in sports settings has been studied—especially in the last couple of decades—including research on bullying [ 46 ], coach emotional abuse [ 47 ], early specialization [ 44 ], sexual abuse and harassment [ 48 ], and different types of interpersonal violence [ 49 ], among others. The results of the studies, as well as the public knowledge of some major scandals, called attention to the need to protect young athletes from abuse. Safeguarding in sports has progressively become a growing concern.

When parents leave their kids in sport clubs, they expect them to be in a safe environment, and engaged in a positive activity with peers, regulated by a responsible adult. However, as stated before, different types of abuse may occur. Some children may be (re)victimized in sports, rather than finding a healthy environment that helps them to grow and overcome their difficulties. We can then ask, are sports positive for children?

4.3. Does the Engagement in Sports Foster Child Development?

The right answer to this question is probably that sports are a very powerful tool to foster human development, and children may find many positive opportunities to develop physical and emotional skills, and to improve themselves constantly. However—and despite their potential—the quality of the engagement in sports greatly relies on the quality of the relationships (attachments) established with significant others within this setting (and with sport itself). We can conclude that merely practicing sports cannot ensure positive outcomes, but if sports activities are properly conducted and adapted to children’s developmental stages, then sports can be an outstanding tool to foster positive development of children and youth.

Being a competent child´s sport coach is high skilled and demanding activity. These coaches must have knowledge about sports training, but also about child development. To become a role model, these coaches must understand the children´s needs, and always focus their attention on their best interests.

4.4. Understanding Sports

Those who are/were athletes, and even those who do not practice sports and prefer to merely watch, are often excited by the accomplishments of athletes, or become profoundly sad and disappointed when their admired athlete or team loses a match/game. People often celebrate a point/goal/win in enthusiastic ways, rarely seen in other areas of their lives. Sports promote fights and disputes, but also companionship between people. The passion is often used as an explanation to explain such apparently weird behaviors. Besides that, sport activities are universal, which calls attention to their importance. Actually, sports are an ancestral activity, deeply rooted in all cultures, underpinned by play, and include corporeality and intra- and interpersonal relationships within a competition setting. Sports have been studied by several scientific areas, with different aims and methods. Historical analyses of paintings on the walls of caves, artifacts, and manuscripts, among other records and sources of information, describe how sport activities have always been spread all over the world, and have always had an important social role [ 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 ]. There seems to be a common base for most sports; modern sports are underpinned by the ancient ones and—despite some differences due to geographical, cultural, and chronological variables—there is a considerable overlap between them.

Sport sciences have focused their attention on improving the performance of athletes (including many efforts of sport psychology). However, other approaches focused mostly on understanding sports, by analyzing their social and symbolic aspects; among these are included sociology, anthropology, and social psychology. Regarding psychoanalysis—perhaps surprisingly—there is a lack of research on sports [ 54 , 55 ]. The involvement and participation in sports are not purely rational; unconscious drives and life and death instincts play an important role that helps to understand why humans become involved in sports, and the reason for the great amount of pleasure from such activity [ 56 ]. To better understand sports and their “passion”, we must look at the symbolic meanings of sports activity. The psychoanalysis approach to sports considers topics such as aggressiveness, narcissism [ 54 , 57 ], sexuality, and attachment themes throughout the human life cycle [ 57 ], among others.

Basic Elements of Sports

Sports are not easy to define and include under the same concept. Several operational definitions and taxonomies have been proposed, and none of them is totally satisfying. We do not intend to develop such a conceptual discussion. For the purpose of this article, we will adopt a definition that—despite its limitations—has received a large consensus. The European Sports Charter ([ 58 ] https://rm.coe.int/16804c9dbb (accessed on 1 January 2023), in Article 2, defines sport as: “all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim at expressing or improving physical fitness and mental well-being, forming social relationships or obtaining results in competition at all levels”.

Despite the differences between different sports (and sports definitions), they are all underpinned by three basic elements: (body) movement, play, and competition (games).

(a) Movement

Sports result from the specialization of basic movements such as walking, running, jumping, kicking, grabbing/throwing, diving, climbing, etc. As a result, the body plays a major role in sports activities. Extension materials should also be considered (these are often used in child play); here, the body receives a “new part”, an extension, perceived as a continuity of the body itself (hockey or tennis are good examples).

The observation and analysis of the movement should not be based exclusively on sports techniques based on a musculoskeletal approach; it should also include the imprints from the psyche. The way children move and perceive their body is strongly related to their psychological development and attachment issues. Sports should therefore be perceived as an important area to provide meaning to movement, through a relation with another (bond). This is particularly important for youth sports training and young children who might suffer from inhibition of aggressiveness, ADHD, and other related issues.

Sports occur in a context of play with rules (games). They are underpinned by competition, and include ludic, symbolic, and pleasurable aspects. The understanding of the symbolic features of sports (and their potential to transform), as well as the working models of children, allows is to use sports in the service of child development. Sports allow the sublimation of aggressiveness in adequate ways, as well as impulses and unconscious desires.

(c) Competition

Competition is inherent to sports, and the engagement in these activities allows children to express normal aggressiveness. By playing sports, passiveness is turned into activeness, and children may symbolically domain others, and simulate their destruction (fantasy). The unconscious elements involved in sports may be expressed in adequate and progressively integrated ways (rather than being projected and acted out).

The binomials inside/outside, activity/passivity, and attack/defense interconnect and mutually influence each other. Many sports symbolically relate to attack and defense, to kill or die. The notions of space, territory, and target (own and opponents) should also be considered when analyzing sports. Besides motor skills, cognitive and spontaneous domains also play an important role and should not be ignored. The cognitive domain relates to planning and discipline; the representation (thinking and imagining) of an action before acting and the discipline to execute an action plan are always present in sports and extend to other areas of children’s lives (such as school). The spontaneous domain relates to freedom, to a creative flow, complementary to the cognitive domain.

4.5. Positive Outcomes

Here, we aim to analyze the use of sports as a tool to foster child healthy development. To do so, we divided the positive outcomes of sports into three major categories: (1) assigning meaning to body movement, (2) corporeality, fantasy, and play, and (3) ethics: positive identifications and sense of belonging. These areas are discussed and analyzed in the following.

4.5.1. Assigning Meaning to Body Movement

The brain has seven primary process emotional systems: SEEKING, SADNESS, FEAR, LUST, CARE, ANGER and PLAY; these are strongly linked to psychiatric disorders. The PLAY/JOY system stimulates young animals to engage in physical activities such as those described in rough-and-tumble play (wrestling, running, chasing each other), which helps young mammals to learn social limits and develop impulse control. If children do not play (or play less than needed), the development of their brain may be impaired, resulting in consequences in their maturation [ 3 , 59 ]. According to Panksepp [ 40 ], the increasing prevalence of ADHD among children may be related to the decreased opportunities for preschool children to engage more often in natural self-generated social play, because this type of play facilitates behavioral inhibition, while psychostimulants reduce playfulness.

When children are medicated for ADHD, many decrease their motor activity, but tend to feel apathy [ 24 ].

Rough-and-tumble play is also very common in childhood, especially among males; it contributes, among other aspects, to the development of social skills and capacity to increase concentration [ 60 ]. Both types of play described here underpin sports. Considering the actual decrease in play and generalized restrictions to movement among children, sports clubs became even more important to allow children to play (and move). If training is properly managed, and playfulness overcomes the development of specific motor skills, sports clubs can play a major role in assigning meaning to movement. The developmental models of young athletes overlap in the need to emphasize play and unstructured activities in early phases (see the section How Sports Foster Healthy Development). Unfortunately, many coaches of young athletes overemphasize the need to win in the short term, rather than focusing on the playfulness of sports, and on the development of children’s motor repertoire during their early training phases. Panksepp [ 40 ] proposes that play “sanctuaries” for children who suffer from ADHD should be established as an alternative for psychostimulants that reduce play. The author considers that this action would foster frontal lobe maturation and promote the healthy development of pro-social minds.

However, it is not only children who are hyperkinetic who benefit from sports. Those children who have difficulties in expressing normal aggressiveness and become too submissive may also find in sports an important setting to tackle their difficulties. Aggressiveness is natural and important; children should learn how to use and integrate it in proper ways (e.g., assertiveness). When aggressiveness is not integrated, and is turned towards the self, difficulties can arise. These children may become too mechanical, functional, and (pathologically) normative [ 61 ]. Children who suffer from obesity, dyspraxia, impairments in lateralization, and tics may also benefit from their engagement in sport activities, because they enhance body scheme and spatial–temporal representation, improve physical skills, and allow them to express aggressiveness in adequate ways.

Many difficulties of children are expressed through the body, and modern lifestyles contribute to the decrease in free play and constraint of movement. Sports can play an important role in stimulating play and movement of young children, fostering their motor, social, and psychological development. To do so, training practices should consider age appropriate activities, including free play and unstructured activities in early stages. The specialization of motor skills should be gradual, with training focused on enhancing performance, and coaches should be (more) aware of the needs of the children. In those cases of children who are inhibited or hyperkinetic, it is important understand their movement as a reflection of their internal world (and conflicts).

4.5.2. Corporeality, Fantasy, and Play

Advances in technology have brought major developments and improved the quality of lives worldwide. However, the virtual experience has also supplanted a large amount of embodied experience, which makes involvement in sports (playing) an important way to stay connected with a deep and ancestral part of human life [ 62 ].

Sports have a connection with psychoanalysis due to both considering interrelationships among intrapsychic, interpersonal, and social realms [ 57 ]. Involvement in sport activities includes the use of body expression (motor skills), within a ritual that considers both internal and external rules to regulate it (Freudian id, ego, and superego). According to Free [ 56 ], the overall system of allowances and prohibitions in sport activities may be perceived as an analogy to the Oedipal complex; most sports allow the symbolic physical expression of unconscious desires for maternal possession (which can be seen in the efforts to conquer territory, to score goals, to penetrate lines), but also require internalized discipline associated with parental authority (super ego). The pre-Oedipal functioning relates to indulgence, libido, and aggressive instincts, while the post-Oedipal regards aspects such as maturity, discipline, submission to social reality, and norms.

The internal working models of children influence how they perceive sports, and how they engage in such activities. The questions about “what” and “how” children play should be considered.

What a child plays is related to the sport chosen by him/her. What does the child try to symbolically express by playing that sport? How a child plays is related to the type of attachments he/she establishes with sports, peers, coaches, and competition. Some children do not allow themselves to win (due to the unconscious fantasy of destroying the other by doing so), while others cannot stand to lose (felt like a dangerous attack to their self-esteem). Learning how to “play the game” is very important for youngsters who engage in sports. By playing the game, we refer to learning how to relate to others in a positive way. More on this is developed in the next section.

4.5.3. Ethics: Positive Identifications and Sense of Belonging

According to Bonovitz [ 63 ], sports play an important role in the need for adolescents to search for idealization and idealized objects, for example, sport stars, allowing them to identify with these heroes, and foster their efforts for further separation from their parental figures. This positive idealization and identification reinforce the sense of identity of youngsters, within a social environment outside their families, and not directly linked with them.

By identifying with their sport heroes, youngsters may seek self-improvement and personal transcendence. In a broader sense, this is an ethical perspective of the utility of sports, that may work as a significant means to foster the identification with a competent, strong, fair, and resilient person, who works hard on a daily basis to overcome obstacles and become a successful hero. This perspective overlaps with the idea of the Jungian archetype of the hero [ 64 ].

Sports activity relies mostly on self-improvement and self-monitoring. There is the underpinning idea of competition: the best win and become champions— Citius, Altius, Fortius — Communis (Olympic Motto—Communis em 2021 [ 65 ]). The pursuit of things of value within a social setting (that include cooperation, rivalry, and competition) is important, and relates to the idea of a hierarchy. Hierarchies between people foster people to improve themselves so they can reach their goals and achievements. The idea of the champion is based on someone who is able to achieve something special; to do so, those who want to become champions must adopt the carpe diem ideal of using every day to improve him/herself (following a plan, with predefined goals). Although winning a game/competition is important, and athletes should focus their attention on it, and give their best to be successful, that game/competition is “just” one part of a much wider endeavor, that inevitably includes victories and losses, glory and frustration. This is a metaphor for life, and that is why winning each game is important but, at the same time, it is not. In the end, what might be important to teach children through sports is that the whole process, the whole sport life, is the most important, and to enhance the chances of being successful, one must learn how the world works, and how to play well with others.

Hierarchies result from the need to create a social organization, based on perceived value of their elements, that organize social relations. Hierarchies and power are frequently (and wrongly) associated with coercion and abuse. It is the misuse of power (abuse) that makes hierarchies non-functional: when elements arise from another factor rather than competence, then the hierarchy becomes tyrannical. The ideal of sports is to promote the best, based on their skills and competence, regardless their background, country, or any other factor that is not competence. Poor coaching perceives hierarchies wrongly, and tends to organize youth sport activities around two opposite poles: (1) flat hierarchies, and (2) win-at-all-costs mentality. Both approaches have flaws.

Flat hierarchies, considering that everyone wins despite their performance, are usually justified as a way to avoid negative feelings of frustration among youngsters, resulting from not being the best/champion. This approach is frequently fostered by those who consider competition a negative thing. We will try to explain why this approach is wrong.

First of all, if there is no competition, then we are not talking about sports. Competition is part of sports (and life in general). Avoiding competition is not a good strategy (especially in a long-term perspective) because it does not push children forward in order to pursue their goals. When this approach is undertaken, children see themselves as the Dodo Bird in Alice in Wonderland: despite their performance, everyone wins, and everyone has presents. When adults tell children that they win, no matter what they do (and their result), and that everything they do is always fantastic, children perceive their accomplishments as fake, and the judgement of adults as not reliable. This continued approach may contribute to the poor development of narcissism of narcissism, and the consequent feeling of not having real value. In these situations, children tend to remain in a pre-Oedipal state, not facing the social rules and personal limitations, and not being encouraged to expand their skills. The idea of keeping children in a non-confrontational ideal world does not allow them to grow up and accept their own (and others’) flaws and limitations. Here, it is important to have the role of the masculine, that helps to separate children from their protective mothers, and foster their endeavor to conquer unexplored territories.

Avoiding competition is a poor approach; however, the opposite pole of winning at all costs may not be the best option either. When adults teach children that winning at all costs is the thing to pursue, they are missing the point of the utility of sports. It is important to explain to children that the most important thing is to learn how to play the game. This does not mean that winning the game is not important, but it is more important to learn how to develop cooperation and to compete in the long term. The most important thing is to pursue this long-term goal (and sometimes to sacrifice short-term goals of winning the game) because the present competition is just a piece (and the beginning) of something bigger, longer, and more important.

Children should be trained not to necessarily win isolated games, but to improve their performance and become better, game after game (like in life). This idea is underpinned by the Olympic Motto and relates to the development of character or an attitude towards life, based on pursuing valuable things and playing well with others (in sports and life), which will increase the possibility of having success in life. To do so, sometimes one needs to sacrifice present satisfaction (winning now), and to progressively learn how to delay pleasure and build solid endeavors. By success, here, we refer to the improvement of relationships with others, by learning to metaphorically “play the game”, which will result in more positive relationships with peers, adults, and the whole community. To be successful is to learn to develop strategies to go well in life in the long term; to do so, children must identify themselves with role models not solely based on their skills, but mostly on their attitude towards sports and others.

Besides fostering active engagement over passivity, intense involvement in sports also provides a feeling of community and sense of identification [ 66 ]. According to Free [ 56 ], formally organized games and sports are reality-adapted play (post-Oedipal) that foster mutual identification between athletes, and observing rules is more significant than the victory itself. Peer relations become more and more important as children grow, peaking in adolescence, and engagement in sports can also play an important role here.

5. Conclusions

Sport activities include topics such as motor behavior (movement), unconscious motivation, conflict, and fantasy. In sports, youngsters find a way to express themselves; they allow them to confront their limitations while, at the same time, they have a huge potential for transcendence and improving resilience.

Considering the decrease in free and outdoor play in Western societies, sports become more and more important to provide meaning to child movement expressed through their bodies. Sports can be a powerful tool to foster human development. To do so, it is important to understand the relational dynamics of children, the quality of their attachments, and to know how to interpret the symbolic meaning of their behaviors. This humanistic approach to sports is the opposite of a considerable part of modern youth sports training, focused exclusively (and obsessively) on sports performance and competition. The obsession with sports performance among youngsters (as often happens at school) contributes for poor sport practices, and makes sports less fun for the athletes.

Despite the enormous potential of sports to foster child development, the quality of sport experience depends largely on the type of attachments and relationships established between the youngsters and other stakeholders in their sports environment: coach, peers, parents, club, and community. The active and continued engagement in sports fosters motor, social, and (healthier) psychological development, and should therefore be considered in youth education.

Funding Statement

This research received no external funding.

Author Contributions

Investigation, I.S.; data caution, C.N.; conception, M.N.; methods, A.R. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Data availability statement, conflicts of interest.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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• Open access
• Published: 21 May 2024

The bright side of sports: a systematic review on well-being, positive emotions and performance

• David Peris-Delcampo 1 ,
• Antonio Núñez 2 ,
• Paula Ortiz-Marholz 3 ,
• Aurelio Olmedilla 4 ,
• Enrique Cantón 1 ,
• Javier Ponseti 2 &
• Alejandro Garcia-Mas 2  

BMC Psychology volume  12 , Article number:  284 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

Metrics details

The objective of this study is to conduct a systematic review regarding the relationship between positive psychological factors, such as psychological well-being and pleasant emotions, and sports performance.

This study, carried out through a systematic review using PRISMA guidelines considering the Web of Science, PsycINFO, PubMed and SPORT Discus databases, seeks to highlight the relationship between other more ‘positive’ factors, such as well-being, positive emotions and sports performance.

The keywords will be decided by a Delphi Method in two rounds with sport psychology experts.

Participants

There are no participants in the present research.

The main exclusion criteria were: Non-sport thema, sample younger or older than 20–65 years old, qualitative or other methodology studies, COVID-related, journals not exclusively about Psychology.

Main outcomes measures

We obtained a first sample of 238 papers, and finally, this sample was reduced to the final sample of 11 papers.

The results obtained are intended to be a representation of the ‘bright side’ of sports practice, and as a complement or mediator of the negative variables that have an impact on athletes’ and coaches’ performance.

Conclusions

Clear recognition that acting on intrinsic motivation continues to be the best and most effective way to motivate oneself to obtain the highest levels of performance, a good perception of competence and a source of personal satisfaction.

Peer Review reports

Introduction

In recent decades, research in the psychology of sport and physical exercise has focused on the analysis of psychological variables that could have a disturbing, unfavourable or detrimental role, including emotions that are considered ‘negative’, such as anxiety/stress, sadness or anger, concentrating on their unfavourable relationship with sports performance [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ], sports injuries [ 5 , 6 , 7 ] or, more generally, damage to the athlete’s health [ 8 , 9 , 10 ]. The study of ‘positive’ emotions such as happiness or, more broadly, psychological well-being, has been postponed at this time, although in recent years this has seen an increase that reveals a field of study of great interest to researchers and professionals [ 11 , 12 , 13 ] including physiological, psychological, moral and social beneficial effects of the physical activity in comic book heroes such as Tintin, a team leader, which can serve as a model for promoting healthy lifestyles, or seeking ‘eternal youth’ [ 14 ].

Emotions in relation to their effects on sports practice and performance rarely go in one direction, being either negative or positive—generally positive and negative emotions do not act alone [ 15 ]. Athletes experience different emotions simultaneously, even if they are in opposition and especially if they are of mild or moderate intensity [ 16 ]. The athlete can feel satisfied and happy and at the same time perceive a high level of stress or anxiety before a specific test or competition. Some studies [ 17 ] have shown how sports participation and the perceived value of elite sports positively affect the subjective well-being of the athlete. This also seems to be the case in non-elite sports practice. The review by Mansfield et al. [ 18 ] showed that the published literature suggests that practising sports and dance, in a group or supported by peers, can improve the subjective well-being of the participants, and also identifies negative feelings towards competence and ability, although the quantity and quality of the evidence published is low, requiring better designed studies. All these investigations are also supported by the development of the concept of eudaimonic well-being [ 19 ], which is linked to the development of intrinsic motivation, not only in its aspect of enjoyment but also in its relationship with the perception of competition and overcoming and achieving goals, even if this is accompanied by other unpleasant hedonic emotions or even physical discomfort. Shortly after a person has practised sports, he will remember those feelings of exhaustion and possibly stiffness, linked to feelings of satisfaction and even enjoyment.

Furthermore, the mediating role of parents, coaches and other psychosocial agents can be significant. In this sense, Lemelin et al. [ 20 ], with the aim of investigating the role of autonomy support from parents and coaches in the prediction of well-being and performance of athletes, found that autonomy support from parents and coaches has positive relationships with the well-being of the athlete, but that only coach autonomy support is associated with sports performance. This research suggests that parents and coaches play important but distinct roles in athlete well-being and that coach autonomy support could help athletes achieve high levels of performance.

On the other hand, an analysis of emotions in the sociocultural environment in which they arise and gain meaning is always interesting, both from an individual perspective and from a sports team perspective. Adler et al. [ 21 ] in a study with military teams showed that teams with a strong emotional culture of optimism were better positioned to recover from poor performance, suggesting that organisations that promote an optimistic culture develop more resilient teams. Pekrun et al. [ 22 ] observed with mathematics students that individual success boosts emotional well-being, while placing people in high-performance groups can undermine it, which is of great interest in investigating the effectiveness and adjustment of the individual in sports teams.

There is still little scientific literature in the field of positive emotions and their relationship with sports practice and athlete performance, although their approach has long had its clear supporters [ 23 , 24 ]. It is comforting to observe the significant increase in studies in this field, since some authors (e.g [ 25 , 26 ]). . , point out the need to overcome certain methodological and conceptual problems, paying special attention to the development of specific instruments for the evaluation of well-being in the sports field and evaluation methodologies.

As McCarthy [ 15 ] indicates, positive emotions (hedonically pleasant) can be the catalysts for excellence in sport and deserve a space in our research and in professional intervention to raise the level of athletes’ performance. From a holistic perspective, positive emotions are permanently linked to psychological well-being and research in this field is necessary: firstly because of the leading role they play in human behaviour, cognition and affection, and secondly, because after a few years of international uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic and wars, it seems ‘healthy and intelligent’ to encourage positive emotions for our athletes. An additional reason is that they are known to improve motivational processes, reducing abandonment and negative emotional costs [ 11 ]. In this vein, concepts such as emotional intelligence make sense and can help to identify and properly manage emotions in the sports field and determine their relationship with performance [ 27 ] that facilitates the inclusion of emotional training programmes based on the ‘bright side’ of sports practice [ 28 ].

Based on all of the above, one might wonder how these positive emotions are related to a given event and what role each one of them plays in the athlete’s performance. Do they directly affect performance, or do they affect other psychological variables such as concentration, motivation and self-efficacy? Do they favour the availability and competent performance of the athlete in a competition? How can they be regulated, controlled for their own benefit? How can other psychosocial agents, such as parents or coaches, help to increase the well-being of their athletes?

This work aims to enhance the leading role, not the secondary, of the ‘good and pleasant side’ of sports practice, either with its own entity, or as a complement or mediator of the negative variables that have an impact on the performance of athletes and coaches. Therefore, the objective of this study is to conduct a systematic review regarding the relationship between positive psychological factors, such as psychological well-being and pleasant emotions, and sports performance. For this, the methodological criteria that constitute the systematic review procedure will be followed.

Materials and methods

This study was carried out through a systematic review using PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews) guidelines considering the Web of Science (WoS) and Psycinfo databases. These two databases were selected using the Delphi method [ 29 ]. It does not include a meta-analysis because there is great data dispersion due to the different methodologies used [ 30 ].

The keywords will be decided by the Delphi Method in two rounds with sport psychology experts. The results obtained are intended to be a representation of the ‘bright side’ of sports practice, and as a complement or mediator of the negative variables that have an impact on athletes’ and coaches’ performance.

It was determined that the main construct was to be psychological well-being, and that it was to be paired with optimism, healthy practice, realisation, positive mood, and performance and sport. The search period was limited to papers published between 2000 and 2023, and the final list of papers was obtained on February 13 , 2023. This research was conducted in two languages—English and Spanish—and was limited to psychological journals and specifically those articles where the sample was formed by athletes.

Each word was searched for in each database, followed by searches involving combinations of the same in pairs and then in trios. In relation to the results obtained, it was decided that the best approach was to group the words connected to positive psychology on the one hand, and on the other, those related to self-realisation/performance/health. In this way, it used parentheses to group words (psychological well-being; or optimism; or positive mood) with the Boolean ‘or’ between them (all three refer to positive psychology); and on the other hand, it grouped those related to performance/health/realisation (realisation; or healthy practice or performance), separating both sets of parentheses by the Boolean ‘and’’. To further filter the search, a keyword included in the title and in the inclusion criteria was added, which was ‘sport’ with the Boolean ‘and’’. In this way, the search achieved results that combined at least one of the three positive psychology terms and one of the other three.

Results (first phase)

The mentioned keywords were cross-matched, obtaining the combination with a sufficient number of papers. From the first research phase, the total number of papers obtained was 238. Then screening was carried out by 4 well-differentiated phases that are summarised in Fig.  1 . These phases helped to reduce the original sample to a more accurate one.

Phases of the selection process for the final sample. Four phases were carried out to select the final sample of articles. The first phase allowed the elimination of duplicates. In the second stage, those that, by title or abstract, did not fit the objectives of the article were eliminated. Previously selected exclusion criteria were applied to the remaining sample. Thus, in phase 4, the final sample of 11 selected articles was obtained

Results (second phase)

The first screening examined the title, and the abstract if needed, excluding the papers that were duplicated, contained errors or someone with formal problems, low N or case studies. This screening allowed the initial sample to be reduced to a more accurate one with 109 papers selected.

Results (third phase)

This was followed by the second screening to examine the abstract and full texts, excluding if necessary papers related to non-sports themes, samples that were too old or too young for our interests, papers using qualitative methodologies, articles related to the COVID period, or others published in non-psychological journals. Furthermore, papers related to ‘negative psychological variables’’ were also excluded.

Results (fourth phase)

At the end of this second screening the remaining number of papers was 11. In this final phase we tried to organise the main characteristics and their main conclusions/results in a comprehensible list (Table  1 ). Moreover, in order to enrich our sample of papers, we decided to include some articles from other sources, mainly those presented in the introduction to sustain the conceptual framework of the concept ‘bright side’ of sports.

The usual position of the researcher of psychological variables that affect sports performance is to look for relationships between ‘negative’ variables, first in the form of basic psychological processes, or distorting cognitive behavioural, unpleasant or evaluable as deficiencies or problems, in a psychology for the ‘risk’ society, which emphasises the rehabilitation that stems from overcoming personal and social pathologies [ 31 ], and, lately, regarding the affectation of the athlete’s mental health [ 32 ]. This fact seems to be true in many cases and situations and to openly contradict the proclaimed psychological benefits of practising sports (among others: Cantón [ 33 ], ; Froment and González [ 34 ]; Jürgens [ 35 ]).

However, it is possible to adopt another approach focused on the ‘positive’ variables, also in relation to the athlete’s performance. This has been the main objective of this systematic review of the existing literature and far from being a novel approach, although a minority one, it fits perfectly with the definition of our area of knowledge in the broad field of health, as has been pointed out for some time [ 36 , 37 ].

After carrying out the aforementioned systematic review, a relatively low number of articles were identified by experts that met the established conditions—according to the PRISMA method [ 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 ]—regarding databases, keywords, and exclusion and inclusion criteria. These precautions were taken to obtain the most accurate results possible, and thus guarantee the quality of the conclusions.

The first clear result that stands out is the great difficulty in finding articles in which sports ‘performance’ is treated as a well-defined study variable adapted to the situation and the athletes studied. In fact, among the results (11 papers), only 3 associate one or several positive psychological variables with performance (which is evaluated in very different ways, combining objective measures with other subjective ones). This result is not surprising, since in several previous studies (e.g. Nuñez et al. [ 41 ]) using a systematic review, this relationship is found to be very weak and nuanced by the role of different mediating factors, such as previous sports experience or the competitive level (e.g. Rascado, et al. [ 42 ]; Reche, Cepero & Rojas [ 43 ]), despite the belief—even among professional and academic circles—that there is a strong relationship between negative variables and poor performance, and vice versa, with respect to the positive variables.

Regarding what has been evidenced in relation to the latter, even with these restrictions in the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the filters applied to the first findings, a true ‘galaxy’ of variables is obtained, which also belong to different categories and levels of psychological complexity.

A preliminary consideration regarding the current paradigm of sport psychology: although it is true that some recent works have already announced the swing of the pendulum on the objects of study of PD, by returning to the study of traits and dispositions, and even to the personality of athletes [ 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 ], our results fully corroborate this trend. Faced with five variables present in the studies selected at the end of the systematic review, a total of three traits/dispositions were found, which were also the most repeated—optimism being present in four articles, mental toughness present in three, and finally, perfectionism—as the representative concepts of this field of psychology, which lately, as has already been indicated, is significantly represented in the field of research in this area [ 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 ]. In short, the psychological variables that finally appear in the selected articles are: psychological well-being (PWB) [ 53 ]; self-compassion, which has recently been gaining much relevance with respect to the positive attributional resolution of personal behaviours [ 54 ], satisfaction with life (balance between sports practice, its results, and life and personal fulfilment [ 55 ], the existence of approach-achievement goals [ 56 ], and perceived social support [ 57 ]). This last concept is maintained transversally in several theoretical frameworks, such as Sports Commitment [ 58 ].

The most relevant concept, both quantitatively and qualitatively, supported by the fact that it is found in combination with different variables and situations, is not a basic psychological process, but a high-level cognitive construct: psychological well-being, in its eudaimonic aspect, first defined in the general population by Carol Ryff [ 59 , 60 ] and introduced at the beginning of this century in sport (e.g., Romero, Brustad & García-Mas [ 13 ], ; Romero, García-Mas & Brustad [ 61 ]). It is important to note that this concept understands psychological well-being as multifactorial, including autonomy, control of the environment in which the activity takes place, social relationships, etc.), meaning personal fulfilment through a determined activity and the achievement or progress towards goals and one’s own objectives, without having any direct relationship with simpler concepts, such as vitality or fun. In the selected studies, PWB appears in five of them, and is related to several of the other variables/traits.

The most relevant result regarding this variable is its link with motivational aspects, as a central axis that relates to different concepts, hence its connection to sports performance, as a goal of constant improvement that requires resistance, perseverance, management of errors and great confidence in the possibility that achievements can be attained, that is, associated with ideas of optimism, which is reflected in expectations of effectiveness.

If we detail the relationships more specifically, we can first review this relationship with the ‘way of being’, understood as personality traits or behavioural tendencies, depending on whether more or less emphasis is placed on their possibilities for change and learning. In these cases, well-being derives from satisfaction with progress towards the desired goal, for which resistance (mental toughness) and confidence (optimism) are needed. When, in addition, the search for improvement is constant and aiming for excellence, its relationship with perfectionism is clear, although it is a factor that should be explored further due to its potential negative effect, at least in the long term.

The relationship between well-being and satisfaction with life is almost tautological, in the precise sense that what produces well-being is the perception of a relationship or positive balance between effort (or the perception of control, if we use stricter terminology) and the results thereof (or the effectiveness of such control). This direct link is especially important when assessing achievement in personally relevant activities, which, in the case of the subjects evaluated in the papers, specifically concern athletes of a certain level of performance, which makes it a more valuable objective than would surely be found in the general population. And precisely because of this effect of the value of performance for athletes of a certain level, it also allows us to understand how well-being is linked to self-compassion, since as a psychological concept it is very close to that of self-esteem, but with a lower ‘demand’ or a greater ‘generosity’, when we encounter failures, mistakes or even defeats along the way, which offers us greater protection from the risk of abandonment and therefore reinforces persistence, a key element for any successful sports career [ 62 ].

It also has a very direct relationship with approach-achievement goals, since precisely one of the central aspects characterising this eudaimonic well-being and differentiating it from hedonic well-being is specifically its relationship with self-determined and persistent progress towards goals or achievements with incentive value for the person, as is sports performance evidently [ 63 ].

Finally, it is interesting to see how we can also find a facet or link relating to the aspects that are more closely-related to the need for human affiliation, with feeling part of a group or human collective, where we can recognise others and recognise ourselves in the achievements obtained and the social reinforcement of those themselves, as indicated by their relationship with perceived social support. This construct is very labile, in fact it is common to find results in which the pressure of social support is hardly differentiated, for example, from the parents of athletes and/or their coaches [ 64 ]. However, its relevance within this set of psychological variables and traits is proof of its possible conceptual validity.

Analysing the results obtained, the first conclusion is that in no case is an integrated model based solely on ‘positive’ variables or traits obtained, since some ‘negative’ ones appear (anxiety, stress, irrational thoughts), affecting the former.

The second conclusion is that among the positive elements the variable coping strategies (their use, or the perception of their effectiveness) and the traits of optimism, perfectionism and self-compassion prevail, since mental strength or psychological well-being (which also appear as important, but with a more complex nature) are seen to be participated in by the aforementioned traits.

Finally, it must be taken into account that the generation of positive elements, such as resilience, or the learning of coping strategies, are directly affected by the educational style received, or by the culture in which the athlete is immersed. Thus, the applied potential of these findings is great, but it must be calibrated according to the educational and/or cultural features of the specific setting.

Limitations

The limitations of this study are those evident and common in SR methodology using the PRISMA system, since the selection of keywords (and their logical connections used in the search), the databases, and the inclusion/exclusion criteria bias the work in its entirety and, therefore, constrain the generalisation of the results obtained.

Likewise, the conclusions must—based on the above and the results obtained—be made with the greatest concreteness and simplicity possible. Although we have tried to reduce these limitations as much as possible through the use of experts in the first steps of the method, they remain and must be considered in terms of the use of the results.

Future developments

Undoubtedly, progress is needed in research to more precisely elucidate the role of well-being, as it has been proposed here, from a bidirectional perspective: as a motivational element to push towards improvement and the achievement of goals, and as a product or effect of the self-determined and competent behaviour of the person, in relation to different factors, such as that indicated here of ‘perfectionism’ or the potential interference of material and social rewards, which are linked to sports performance—in our case—and that could act as a risk factor so that our achievements, far from being a source of well-being and satisfaction, become an insatiable demand in the search to obtain more and more frequent rewards.

From a practical point of view, an empirical investigation should be conducted to see if these relationships hold from a statistical point of view, either in the classical (correlational) or in the probabilistic (Bayesian Networks) plane.

The results obtained in this study, exclusively researched from the desk, force the authors to develop subsequent empirical and/or experimental studies in two senses: (1) what interrelationships exist between the so called ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ psychological variables and traits in sport, and in what sense are each of them produced; and, (2) from a global, motivational point of view, can currently accepted theoretical frameworks, such as SDT, easily accommodate this duality, which is becoming increasingly evident in applied work?

Finally, these studies should lead to proposals applied to the two fields that have appeared to be relevant: educational and cultural.

Application/transfer of results

A clear application of these results is aimed at guiding the training of sports and physical exercise practitioners, directing it towards strategies for assessing achievements, improvements and failure management, which keep them in line with well-being enhancement, eudaimonic, intrinsic and self-determined, which enhances the quality of their learning and their results and also favours personal health and social relationships.

Data availability

There are no further external data.

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Peris-Delcampo, D., Núñez, A., Ortiz-Marholz, P. et al. The bright side of sports: a systematic review on well-being, positive emotions and performance. BMC Psychol 12 , 284 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-01769-8

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Essay on Importance of Sports in Human Life 500 Words PDF

Essay on importance of sports in human life.

Essay on Importance of Sports in Human Life 500 + Words (Download PDF) – To understand the importance of sports, you have to love sports. Apart from physical and mental development by playing, there is a special contribution to intellectual development. We all must play some game or the other, so let’s know the importance of sports through this essay.

We play different types of sports by which we are entertained as well as every part of our body, muscles, etc. work smoothly and we feel the energy in our body.

By playing, the blood circulation in the body is proper. Therefore, as much as food, drink, sleep, air, etc. are essential for a human being, playing is equally essential. In fact, sport is a form of exercise. Sports are absolutely necessary for human beings.

For Sports Competition

The importance of sports has increased a lot in the present era. The field of sports has widened due to competitions. It is because of competitions that today the whole world has become a playground. Everyone is competing to become proficient in the sport of their interest. This competition takes a person to the world level. These competitions have given birth to sports like the Olympics, World Cup, etc.

Development of Friendship

Games are about connecting two hearts. In these games, the losers and winners get hugged in the end while playing with great competition. However, at whatever level it is played, it is played in the spirit of friendship and brotherhood. Only friends play any game, big or small.

Today, the field of sports has become very wide. It is proving to be a good means of making cordial relations with a nation. First of all, players shake hands with other players on the field. Then the national president makes interrelationships.

At the school level, when the players go to play at the district, province, and country-level, then mutual love, brotherhood increase among them. The loser congratulates the winner and tries to progress through practice to win in the future. Therefore, sports are symbols of friendship, fraternity. By participating in various sports, the relationship of the players also increases a lot.

Read also – Essay on ideal student

Disciplined Life

The rules set in the game have to be followed. One has to follow the orders of the operators, guides, and teachers. So the standard of living of the player automatically becomes disciplined. In a society too, the player is friendly, soft-spoken, and tolerant.

Where victory increases his enthusiasm, defeat makes everyone tolerant. He doesn’t shy away from winning. Losers are not afraid of defeat. For them, defeat is equal to victory. A player is passionate, hardworking, and laziness, indolence, fatigue do not come near him.

He stays away from jealousy and discrimination. In fact, human-human love relations are formed through games. He respects others and gets respect from himself.

Achievement of Fame and Honor from Sports

Sports not only bring respect to the players but also increase the name and fame of the country, society, and caste. In the current sports competitions, local, national, and international level prizes are announced. It is considered an honor to receive them.

Each gets its own honor by awarding more and more medals in the Olympic Games. Players also get individual respect. There is an influx of people congratulating the player on winning the game. He is honored in different ways by different organizations.

The school-level and local level player also gets respect in the same way and he always gets blessings and affection from his elders, which gives him spiritual strength.

Sports Entertainment

Sports have been a major means of entertainment since ancient times. Even today, the public community enjoys watching the players playing. The game entertains the spectators a lot.

Nowadays all types of games played at the national, international level are broadcast by radio and Doordarshan, which are enjoyed by the audience and the audience openly. The big playground is packed with spectators. The spectators are helpful in increasing the enthusiasm of their players by clapping.

Read also – Essay on education should be free

Increase in Health

Sports give a lot of exercise to the players. This makes them healthy both physically and mentally. Sports where both the player and the spectator are entertained. They’re both also have health benefits.

The player is always physically and mentally healthy. If the child is given opportunities to play from time to time from childhood, then he can never become unhealthy.

Sports like football, volleyball, cricket, hockey, kabaddi, etc., complete the development of every part of the body, due to which the player continues to develop continuously. A healthy mind resides in a healthy body. Therefore, his intellectual development is done through sports.

In today’s era, the progress of a country can be measured by sports. The game is developing more and more in every developed country. Due to this, they get more and more medals in international competitions. Therefore, we should also encourage them to produce the best players in our country. For this, children should be given sports exercises from childhood, so that their physical, mental, and intellectual development continues.

Download PDF – Click Here

Q&A. on Importance of Sports

What is the importance of sports in human life.

Answer- Any kind of sport is beneficial for both the physical and mental health of the child. Sports are helpful in helping children improve their academic performance and teach them the value of teamwork, moreover, sports can help strengthen bones and muscles.

What are the benefits of sports?

Answer – An international sport makes a good relation of one country with another country. Sports also have their own health benefits such as weight loss, muscle building, however, they also encourage healthy decision-making such as not drinking alcohol and not smoking.

What is the value of the game?

Answer – A sport can teach values ​​like team building, fairness, discipline, equality, inclusion, perseverance, and respect to anyone.

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Sports in My Life, Essay Example

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The impact of sports on my life has been very powerful.  Many people might have a hard time understanding how dedication to athletics can be one of the most important aspects of life. For me, the combination of self-reliance and team-effort has made it much easier to go through the various trials and tribulations of life. I have learned how to respect others while also pursuing my own ambitions and goals. I have learned how to without being full of myself and how to lose without becoming angry or sad. These things may seem trivial in comparison to other life-lessons such as those that have to do with earning a living or raising children. However, the experiences I have had in sports have made me a stronger and more confident person. Because playing a sport often involves overcoming adversities such as stiff competition or injury, I believe my life in sports not only shows that I have faced challenges and bested them, but that in doing so I’ve learned knowledge and processes that could help others face the challenges in their lives.

The best way for me to share my experiences and knowledge that have been gained from playing sports is to describe the process of how to overcome a serious physical injury. As an athlete, no other obstacle can be considered more difficult or important than how the athlete deals with physical injury. While there are many ways to deal with a mental setback, such as a loss or a “slump,” the situation is much more complicatedwhen you are dealing with a physical injury. This is due to the fact that physical injuries also involve mental challenges that must be dealt with at the same time that the body is recovering. The mental challenges of an injury spring form the fact that when a player is seriously injured he or she must also deal with a potential loss of confidence in relation to the sport they play. For example, if a baseball player is hit with a fastball and is injured badly enough that he or she must leave the game, the player must deal not only with a physical wound, but with the completely logical fear they may have when they next face a fastball in a game. It is perfectly natural for a person to want to avoid any place or situation that has previously caused them injury. In order to continue as an athlete, one must overcome this perfectly natural anxiety. This is why love for sports can be a powerful motivator.

Before I explain my own personal experience with injury and the process that I used to overcome the setbacks associated with injury, bot mental and physical, it is important that I briefly describe my history with sports. This is an important part of the recovery from injury process in two ways. First, a long-standing love for sports enabled my body to be in good condition to that recovering from a serious injury would be as easy as possible. Second, my passion and enthusiasm for sports made it much easier for me to deal with the mental challenges associated with a loss of confidence or an obstacle of fear. This is because I started with athletics at a very early age and therefore had already had many experiences with feeling anxiety or even fear in relation to playing and being the best athlete that I could be.

My own participation in team sports began when I was four years old. My sport was soccer. I was a very good soccer player and twice finished the season as my team’s highest scorer. Additionally, teams that I played on won the school championship in four different seasons. My first challenge in sports had to do with my age. I began playing on the Junior varsity team when I was still one year younger than the rest of the players on the team.So many of the older players did not like the fact a younger guy came and played with them very well as they all believed that only they should play on the team as they were the bigger boys. During this period, I continued to hone my skills and I took the attitude of the other players as an inspiration to excel and make myself into a better athlete. However difficult this challenge was, it was less of a hurdle than facing a serious injury, but dealing with it helped lay the ground for my ability to recover from a serious injury.

My process for overcoming injury is therefore a process that can be used for other setbacks and challenges in life. The process begins, as I have just describes, with an early and enthusiastic commitment to the sport. So, in order to overcome any kind of adversity, the first step is to put yourself in contact with your life experiences that have helped you face challenges previously. My personal story of how to overcome a serious physical injury begins when I broke my arm only three days prior to an important semifinal game. A person who did not have a long experience as a team player might have simply sat out the semifinal game, feeling inadequate because of their injury. In my case, having a long commitment to the sport of soccer and the team I played for, allowed me to rise above the injury.

The next step in the process of how to overcome an injury in sports is to seek out good medical attention for the injury and determine exactly what the risk in continuing to play while injured is. No matter how much you want to support your team, it is only foolish to do anything that might result in permanent injury. In this regard, I visited a doctor and asked them to put a light cast on my arm so that could still play in the semifinals. The doctors were able to do this for me, so I had full confidence that I was physically fit to [play in the game. This is very important because it influenced my mental and emotional attitude. With the light cast, I still felt protected, but not “weighed down” or otherwise awkward. I also felt that I had taken strongenough precautions that I could still give one-hundred percent out on the field.

The third step in the process, after finding the motivation to go on playing, and making my body safe, was to overcome the actual physical limitation that was put on me because of the cast. Luckily, the limitations that were caused by the cast were minimal due to the fact that soccer rarely involves using the hands. I realized that all the feeling that I had about being “weird” or uncomfortable on the field were actually mental obstacles rather than physical obstacles. While a physical challenge needs a physical solution, a mental challenge, even one based on physical things, requires a mental solution. Therefore, the thing that I needed to do in order to overcome the oddness of wearing a cast on my arm while playing soccer was to develop a mental technique for playing as freely as if I was not wearing a cast. To do this, I practiced visualizing that the cast was a part of my body and not an artificial constraint.

The next step in the process of overcoming a serious injury in sports was to practice playing through the injury. This requires keeping a careful balance between playing at full capability and protecting your body from further injury. When I practiced playing in the cast, I reconfigured my playing style to minimize the use of my injured arm. This process was actually much easier than I had expected. It required only preventing me from being skittish or over compensating with the other (good) side of my body. I had to be aware of the other players on the field in such a way as to not accidentally smash my hurt arm into someone. This actually resulted in my becoming a stronger player because it widened my vision and awareness on the field. Of course, everyone has heard stories about the way that blind people or deaf people develop their remaining senses to a higher level as a way to balance out the loss they have in another area. This is similar to the way that I learned to use my body while playing in a cast.

While I have addressed several steps in the process of how to play through and injury as an athlete, one extremely important step in the process remains and that is the step of overcoming potential emotional barriers that are associated with the injury. Emotional challenges are different than physical or mental challenges and are sometimes far more difficult to grapple with. For example, I had several emotions going through me due to my broken arm. The most powerful emotion was extreme disappointment. I was worried that all of my hard work and practice would be for nothing because I would miss playing in the semifinal game. Another emotion I experienced was anger. Finally, a more hidden, but no less powerful, emotion that I experienced was shame. I was actually embarrassed that I had injured myself so badly. It seemed as though the injury was a sign that I was not a very good player or that I had somehow brought the injury on myself through a lack of skill.

As strange as it may sound, I discovered that the best way to deal with these kinds of emotional challenges was to meet them with mental solutions. That is to say, I simply applied the use of logic to my emotions and examined them in a rational light. This is what some people call “detachment” and I think this is the most important step in the process of overcoming an injury in sports. For example, when I rationally examined my disappointment, I found a ready answer which was: keep trying to play despite the injury. When I looked at my anger, I realized that there was no-one to actually be mad at, so the anger was pointless and unproductive. When I examined my sense of shame rationally, I realized that athletes of all abilities and accomplishment suffer injuries. What makes someone a good athlete is bouncing back from injury.

The process I have described about how to deal with a serious injury in sports is one that can also be applied to other kinds of challenges. By separating the physical, mental, and emotional levels of a challenge, it is easier to grapple with it. By remaining grounded in past confidence and personal ambition it is easier to overcome any type of obstacle. By combining all of the elements that I have mentioned above, it is likely that any type of challenge or hardship can be mad less difficult, if not speedily overcome. In my case, the process resulted in our team winning the championship and my personal ability for soccer getting much stronger

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Essay on Sports and Health

Students are often asked to write an essay on Sports and Health in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Sports and Health

Sports and health.

Sports play a crucial role in maintaining our health. They help in strengthening our muscles, improving endurance, and boosting our immune system.

Physical Benefits

Engaging in sports makes our heart and lungs stronger. It also helps in maintaining a healthy weight, reducing the risk of obesity.

Mental Benefits

Sports not only improve our physical health, but also our mental health. They help in reducing stress and improving mood.

In conclusion, sports are essential for a healthy lifestyle. They keep us physically fit and mentally strong. So, let’s play sports and stay healthy.

250 Words Essay on Sports and Health

Introduction.

Sports play an indispensable role in maintaining physical and mental health. As a holistic approach to wellness, they foster discipline, teamwork, and resilience, transcending beyond mere physical activity.

The Physical Health Benefits of Sports

Participation in sports promotes cardiovascular health, improves muscular strength and endurance, and enhances flexibility. Regular physical activity can help maintain a healthy weight, reducing the risk of obesity, diabetes, and other lifestyle diseases. Sports also stimulate the production of endorphins, the body’s natural mood lifters, promoting a sense of well-being.

Mental Health and Sports

Beyond physical health, sports contribute significantly to mental health. They serve as a natural antidote to stress, anxiety, and depression. The focus required in sports fosters mental agility, improving cognitive functions such as memory and concentration. Furthermore, the social interactions in team sports can foster a sense of belonging, boosting self-esteem and confidence.

Sports and Long-term Health

The health benefits of sports extend into long-term health outcomes. Regular physical activity slows the aging process, enhances the immune system, and reduces the risk of chronic diseases. Additionally, the discipline, time management, and goal-setting skills learned through sports can translate into healthier lifestyle choices.

In conclusion, sports offer a multifaceted approach to health, integrating physical, mental, and social aspects. Encouraging participation in sports from an early age can foster a lifelong commitment to health and wellness. As the adage goes, “A healthy mind in a healthy body” epitomizes the profound connection between sports and health.

500 Words Essay on Sports and Health

The interplay of sports and health.

Sports and health are two intertwined concepts, each influencing the other in profound ways. The relationship between these two entities goes beyond the surface-level understanding of physical fitness, delving into psychological and social aspects of health.

Physical Health and Sports

Engaging in sports is synonymous with physical activity, which is a primary factor in maintaining good health. Regular physical activity helps in controlling weight, combating health conditions and diseases, and improving overall bodily functions. It promotes cardiovascular health by reducing risks of heart disease and hypertension, and aids in maintaining healthy bones, muscles, and joints.

Sports also contribute to better sleep patterns. The physical exertion during sports activities enhances sleep quality by promoting deeper sleep cycles and helping in falling asleep faster. This is critical for body repair and regeneration, thereby improving overall health.

Sports and Mental Health

The benefits of sports extend to mental health as well. Participating in sports can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. The physical activity stimulates the production of endorphins, the body’s natural mood lifters, leading to feelings of happiness and relaxation.

Moreover, sports can enhance cognitive functions. It improves concentration, helps in better decision-making, and boosts memory. These cognitive benefits are not only immediate but also help in maintaining cognitive health in the long run, reducing the risk of cognitive decline as we age.

Social Health through Sports

Sports foster a sense of community and belonging, which are vital for social health. They promote teamwork, cooperation, and mutual respect, teaching valuable social skills like communication and conflict resolution. Participating in sports can lead to the development of lifelong friendships and a sense of shared identity, thereby enhancing social well-being.

Challenges and Considerations

Despite the numerous health benefits, sports also come with potential risks. These include physical injuries and the psychological pressure to perform, which can lead to stress and burnout. It’s essential to balance the competitive aspect of sports with the need for physical and mental well-being.

Proper training, adequate rest, and a supportive environment can help mitigate these risks. It’s also crucial to remember that while sports can significantly contribute to health, they should be part of a broader approach to health that includes a balanced diet, regular medical check-ups, and mental health care.

In conclusion, sports play a fundamental role in promoting physical, mental, and social health. They offer a holistic approach to health, addressing various aspects beyond mere physical fitness. However, it’s important to approach sports with a balanced perspective, considering the potential challenges and risks. With the right approach, sports can undoubtedly be a powerful tool for enhancing overall health.

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Premium Content

• MIND, BODY, WONDER

Why the world's oldest sport is still one of the best exercises

Few physical activities can match the cardiovascular benefits of running. It’s also good for your muscles, bones, and mind—and can help you live longer.

When it comes to cardiovascular exercise, running is in a class of its own.

It's a sport that has endured millennia—the oldest and once only Olympic event   was a sprint known as the stadion, but its practical benefits date back to prehistoric times.

"In order to hunt and survive, humans had to develop the ability to run millions of years ago, so it's engrained in who we are as a species," says Alyssa Olenick, an exercise physiologist at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. "Over the centuries, it's grown into one of the most popular and accessible worldwide sports for both elite athletes and everyday people."

Today, some 50 million Americans regularly engage in the activity that appeals to both the old and young alike and is about   as popular   among women as it is among men.

( Oral contraceptives may help lower the risk of sports injuries )

"Across all age groups, running helps to improve cardiovascular fitness and reduce overall mortality, to manage weight, to improve bone density and muscle strength and coordination, and to reduce stress and improve mental health," says Danielle Ponzio, an orthopedic surgeon at the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia and a co-author of running-related research .

For Hungry Minds

Though running isn't for everyone—people with certain medical conditions may need to pursue non-weight-bearing exercises such as swimming —it's a sport that benefits its participants as much today as it would have helped runners in ancient times.

Unparalleled cardiovascular and respiratory benefits

The most consistently studied benefit of running is improved heart health. It does this, in part, by making the heart "a stronger, more efficient pump," says Allison Zielinski, a cardiologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the co-director of the sports cardiology program at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine. A stronger cardiac muscle, she explains, improves one's cardiac output —a scientific measurement of how much blood the heart can pump in a minute, which healthcare providers use to gauge the strength and efficiency of a patient's cardiovascular system.

Zielinski adds that running also affects one’s autonomic nervous system—the body’s network responsible for regulating involuntary physiological processes such as digestion and respiration—by reducing one's resting heart rate. This is significant because studies show that every 10-beat-per-minute increase in one's resting heart rate is associated with a 16 percent increase in mortality risk.

Such improvements in cardiovascular performance are among the reasons the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recognizes running as a "vigorous-intensity" activity—the health agency's highest measurement of aerobic exercise.

Running has also been shown to improve circulation, causing " favorable changes in your blood vessels, including increased capillary density and improved endothelial reactivity—something known as vasodilation," Zielinski explains.

Research shows that running improves lung capacity and performance as well. It accomplishes this, in part, by improving the maximum rate at which one can utilize oxygen—a measurement known as VO2max. This measurement reflects the maximal amount of oxygen-rich blood someone can pump out of their heart and deliver to their muscle to drive movement, says Olenick.

Living longer and better

This has a direct association with improved all-cause mortality as "even a small increase in VO2max can have meaningful improvements in long-term health," says Olenick. But it's only one of many markers of longevity associated with running.

One landmark 15-year study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology,   for instance, found that running for even five to 10 minutes a day resulted in an average three-year life expectancy gain. Duck-Chul Lee, a co-author of the research and a professor of physical activity epidemiology at Iowa State University College of Human Sciences, says these benefits are accomplished, in part, because "running reduces the risk of many diseases and conditions including coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes."

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A nother longitudinal study found runners had a 39 percent lower mortality rate and experienced less physical disability than non-runners. Running has also been associated with decreased LDL cholesterol levels and improved blood pressure .

( Pickleball is everywhere. Here's why the fast-growing sport is good for your health )

The activity is good for muscle growth and increasing bone density, which is especially important for older people. "As we age, we tend to lose muscle mass and bone density," says Ponzio, "and weight-bearing exercise like running is an effective way to counter these losses." Indeed, one study shows that long-distance running in particular increases biological markers of bone formation.

Because of these and related benefits, "running can reduce your risk of developing osteoporosis and arthritis," says Austin "Ozzie" Gontang, a clinical psychotherapist and the director of the San Diego Marathon Clinic in California.

Healthy weight management is another quality-of-life advantage associated with running. One reason for this is that running at even a moderate pace of five miles per hour (many runners run in excess of 12 mph) burns 590 calories per hour in a 154-pound person, which is as much or more than any other CDC-measured physical activity including swimming, weightlifting, bicycling, or playing basketball. "Running is a powerful tool for burning calories and is crucial for weight loss and maintenance," says Gontang.

In this regard, it's also helpful that running increases energy expenditure and boosts one's metabolism by helping the body metabolize fats and carbs , "both during exercise and after we eat," says Olenick. In similar fashion, running has also been shown to help with healthy blood-sugar regulation.

Mental health advantages

Running's mental health plusses are no less intriguing. "Running can be done on your own, but often has a social component as well, whether it's running with a friend or being part of a running club or virtual community," says Karmel Choi, a clinical psychologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. "This adds to the emotional benefits by reducing isolation and increasing a sense of support and motivation."

The activity can also be good for depression. Choi points to a recent study that found that individuals with depression who started running regularly "recovered at similar rates to those taking antidepressants." She's published supportive research and notes that her team estimates that if someone swapped just 15 minutes of sitting for 15 minutes of running each day, they could "reduce their risk of depression by as much as 26 percent." Part of the reason for this is because running has been shown to release "feel-good hormones like endorphins and dopamine , that have been linked to better mood, reduced stress, and even the 'runner’s high,'" Choi explains.

Beyond helping one feel better, running is associated with improved cognitive function. "Running can boost brain function by enhancing memory and learning capabilities," says Gontang. He says this occurs because running increases blood flow to the brain and stimulates the production of a molecule known as the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), "which supports the growth of new neurons and protects existing brain cells."

Getting started

Perhaps most compelling of all is that there are very low costs and almost no barriers of entry associated with participating in the sport. "Running can seem intimidating because it sometimes seems like people need all the latest watches or gear or tools or shoes to participate, but people can simply start with a road or trail near them, and often things they already own," says Olenick.

To get started, begin slow and then work up to higher and higher fitness levels.

"Try and make it easier to increase physical activity in your daily life and within the context of daily activities you're already doing such as parking a bit further from the grocery store or taking the stairs at work," suggests Rajesh Vedanthan, a physician and population health scientist at NYU Langone Health in New York City. From there, he suggests briskly walking around the block before attempting jogging and then running.

Even after getting used to the movement, Lee suggests alternating running laps with walking or jogging laps. Adopting proper form and posture is also recommended. "Keep your head up and look forward as you run to align your spine," offers Gontang. He also says it's important to keep your shoulders relaxed and to keep your elbows at 90 degrees and to "avoid overstriding."

Developing a running schedule, finding a running buddy (the family dog counts!), and setting realistic and measurable goals are additional ways of staying motivated and keeping yourself accountable. "Proper shoe type and fit are also important," advises Ponzio.

As you go, she suggests listening to your body, avoiding doing too much, too quickly, and varying your surroundings, terrain, and destination. "Eventually, sign up for some races as the adrenaline of being part of something bigger with a community of like-minded runners is really so special," she says. "It keeps runners coming back for more."

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Helen Keller’s Ability to Communicate: Overcoming Barriers of Speech

This essay about Helen Keller focuses on her ability to communicate verbally despite being deaf and blind. It details her educational journey with Anne Sullivan and her experiences at the Perkins Institute for the Blind and the Horace Mann School for the Deaf. Keller learned to speak using the Tadoma method, where she felt the vibrations and movements of a speaker’s lips and throat. Through years of practice and perseverance, she improved her speech clarity and used her voice to advocate for the rights of people with disabilities. The essay emphasizes that while Keller’s speech was challenging for some to understand, it played a crucial role in her public advocacy and efforts to impact social policies related to disability.

How it works

The narrative of Helen Keller’s life stands as a poignant testament to the indomitable spirit of human resolve and the capacity to surmount profound disabilities. Born in 1880 in Tuscumbia, Alabama, Keller encountered deafness and blindness at a mere 19 months old, likely stemming from scarlet fever. Despite these formidable impediments, Keller emerged as a beacon of advocacy for individuals with disabilities, a prolific author, and a potent force for social change. A query often pondered within the chronicles of her extraordinary odyssey is whether Helen Keller possessed the ability to articulate speech.

Keller’s odyssey towards communicative prowess commenced under the mentorship of Anne Sullivan, her lifelong guide and confidante. Sullivan introduced Keller to the manual alphabet, a variant of tactile sign language wherein letters are delineated upon the palm. This modality initiated Keller’s foray into the realm of communication, yet it merely constituted the inaugural phase.

Keller’s educational trajectory underwent a profound transformation upon her enrollment at the Perkins Institute for the Blind, subsequently followed by the Horace Mann School for the Deaf. At Horace Mann, Keller embarked on acquiring oral speech proficiency through the Tadoma methodology, wherein she tactically positioned her digits upon the speaker’s lips and larynx to discern the reverberations and articulatory motions associated with speech. This haptic feedback, coupled with her personal elocutionary regimen, facilitated Keller’s cultivation of oral articulation.

The voyage towards mastering speech proved arduous for Keller. Her nascent endeavors at verbalization were marred by perceptual challenges stemming from her auditory deprivation, thus impeding her enunciation and diction. Nevertheless, through tenacity and assiduous practice, she exhibited marked improvement. By palpating her own pharynx during vocal exercises, Keller acquired the acumen to modulate her vocal timbre and enunciate words with greater lucidity. She devoted extensive periods honing her oral delivery, ultimately enabling her to engage in verbal discourse and even deliver public addresses.

Keller’s capacity for verbal expression represented a remarkable triumph in light of her disabilities; however, it warrants acknowledgment that her speech was not invariably intelligible to those unaccustomed to it. Individuals who spent substantial time in her company could decipher her articulation more adeptly, having grown accustomed to her idiosyncratic mannerisms. Despite these impediments, Keller’s vocal articulation facilitated her resonance with a broader audience, enabling her to champion the cause of disability rights and empowerment on a global scale.

Her public endeavors constituted a pivotal facet of her advocacy endeavors. Keller delivered impassioned oratories and galvanized campaigns aimed at fostering awareness and garnering support for the American Foundation for the Blind. Her capacity to articulate verbally, coupled with her literary oeuvre, constituted indispensable tools in her endeavors to effectuate societal reforms and reshape prevailing perceptions pertaining to disability.

In summation, Helen Keller’s adeptness in oral communication epitomized a hard-won skill that she wielded efficaciously in dismantling barriers confronting individuals with disabilities. Her saga transcends mere linguistic triumph; it encapsulates the expansive vistas of communication beyond conventional modalities. Keller’s narrative serves as a potent reminder that with requisite support and unwavering resolve, the impediments to communication can be surmounted, enabling individuals to disseminate their ideas, aspirations, and voices across the expanse of humanity.

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Helen Keller's Ability to Communicate: Overcoming Barriers of Speech. (2024, May 28). Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/helen-kellers-ability-to-communicate-overcoming-barriers-of-speech/

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Human remains found in Kane County believed to be missing woman

KANE COUNTY, Utah ( ABC4 ) — Kane County officials believe they have found the remains of a woman who disappeared six months ago, according to a Tuesday press release .

On Monday, an individual riding an ATV spotted clothing on the side of the road in the Duck Creek Ridge area and alerted the Kane County Sheriff’s Office. The individual who contacted the police was familiar with a missing persons case connected to the area and thought the clothing might be relevant.

Deputies arrived on scene and located human remains by the clothing with the help of K-9s.

Officials said they believe the remains belong to Courtney Townsend due to “evidence on scene,” however, the remains will be transferred to the Utah State Medical Examiner’s Office for official identification.

Townsend’s mother reported her car stolen on November 16, and three days later it was located south of Duck Creek. The vehicle “appeared to be stuck on some rocks and had burned,” the release said. On December 2, Townsend’s mother filed a missing persons report for her daughter.

The sheriff’s office said they worked closely with St. George Police over the last six months to locate Townsend, but the search efforts were hindered due to winter weather. Ground searches began in early May once the snow had sufficiently melted.

The investigation is ongoing. There is no further information at this time.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.

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E. Jean Carrol attorney says "all options" are on the table after Trump posts "human scum" rant

• Oops! Something went wrong. Please try again later. More content below

Donald Trump has again denied rape and defamation claims against him by writer E. Jean Carroll, posting a holiday rant that garnered the attention of her lawyer, CNBC reported .

In a Memorial Day post on his website, Truth Social, the former president spent little time dwelling on the holiday itself. His “Happy Memorial Day to All” greeting was swiftly followed by attacks against federal Judge Lewis Kaplan and the woman he was previously found guilty of defaming.

Trump extended his holiday greeting to “the Human Scum that is working so hard to destroy our Once Great Country, & to the Radical Left, Trump Hating Federal Judge in New York that presided over, get this, TWO separate trials, that awarded a woman, who I never met before (a quick handshake at a celebrity event, 25 years ago, doesn’t count!), 91 MILLION DOLLARS for “DEFAMATION.” 

Judge Kaplan presided over the May 2023 case in which a jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing the writer in a Manhattan department store in the 1990s. In January 2024, the judge also presided over another civil defamation case, brought after the former president continued attaking Carroll; the writer was awarded $83.3 million in damages in that case, a verdict that Trump is appealing. 

Carroll’s lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, responded to Trump’s post: “We have said several times since the last jury verdict in January that all options were on the table. And that remains true today — all options are on the table.”

Kaplan had previously told CNBC that lawyers "continue to monitor every statement that Donald Trump makes about our client, E. Jean Carroll.”

The Biden campaign did not miss the opportunity to add its two cents, either, noting on X : “Trump posts Memorial Day message with zero mention of fallen American service members, instead calling those who don’t support him ‘Human Scum.’”

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Fifa handed legal papers demanding Saudi human rights reforms ahead of 2034 World Cup

Fifa risks breaching its own human rights rules by handing Saudi Arabia the World Cup in 2034, according to a legal submission filed at its Zurich HQ.

Rodney Dixon KC, whose clients include the partner of the murdered Jamal Khashoggi, is among specialists demanding urgent Saudi reform as a condition to the deal.

“We are hoping that Fifa will examine these recommendations as they provide a way of genuinely addressing the glaring human rights violations of the sole bidder for the 2034 World Cup,” Dixon told Telegraph Sport as papers were filed to Fifa.

Saudi Arabia, now the only contender to host the 2034 World Cup, will be formally confirmed as hosts later this year. The nation has invested around £5 billion in sport since 2021 as part of the Crown Prince’s diversification of the economy.

However, the Gulf kingdom is regularly accused of “sportswashing”, having been criticised for the 2018 murder of journalist Khashoggi, women’s rights abuses, the criminalisation of homosexuality and the restriction of free speech.

Professor Mark Pieth, who previously worked on policy at the governing body, is also part of a specialist group of experts now setting on a legal paper how Fifa is in line to break its own rules.

“Fifa should not permit Saudi Arabia to host the World Cup if it continues to flagrantly disregard human rights in several areas in breach of Fifa’s own policies,” the paper says.

Since controversies in previously handing hosting rights to Qatar, the governing body developed, with some input from Pieth, a 2017 human rights policy. “Fifa is committed to respecting all internationally recognised human rights and shall strive to promote the protection of these rights,” the relevant statute says.

This policy, the authors of the new paper say, “represents a very positive step forward, but Fifa must now put it into practice”.

Requirements highlighted in the submission to Fifa include:

“Saudi Arabia must immediately release all political prisoners and those who are arbitrarily detained, and that it must treat all prisoners in accordance with internationally recognised human rights standards”

“The judiciary in Saudi Arabia “must be appointed independently by a body not connected to the executive, and must be permitted to carry out their work without undue pressure and influence”

Saudi Arabia “must significantly improve the protection of women’s rights through measures such as criminalising marital rape, ensuring adequate protection from domestic violence, and allowing women to be the legal guardian for their child if it is in the child’s best interests”.

Dixon told Telegraph Sport : “The world cannot pretend that they do not exist like has just happened with the Fury-Usyk fight in Saudi Arabia on the weekend. The silence was deafening about what is happening to so many women, opponents and detainees, those facing the death penalty, human rights defenders and journalists in the country. Fifa cannot fall into the same trap. Our submission seeks as a first step to provide a roadmap for respecting fundamental freedoms and upholding Fifa’s own human rights policies.”

The paper says Fifa “is urged to review and follow these recommendations as part of its consideration of Saudi Arabia’s bid in the coming months”. “It is suggested that an independent monitoring body should be established including those directly affected to oversee the implementation of these and all measures to guarantee fundamental human rights,” the paper adds.

Dixon, of Temple Garden Chambers and The Hague, Pieth, founder of Basel Institute on Governance, and Stefan Wehrenberg, attorney at law, Zurich, are the lead names on the submission.

The Saudi Government was contacted for comment.

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