SPORT,How it can benefit you, and your children!

is played by millions of people across the country. From Ar-chery to Rugby the UK is one of the most diverse sporting nations in the World. Many participants play sport be-cause its their hobby. To oth-ers, it is a lot more important than just a casual hobby.

Ultimately it should be recognised that sport often gets misconstrued to the no-tion that people only play sports as an act of general health and fitness, improving general stamina and physi-cality. Of course it does not go unnoticed that sport has countless health and phys-ical benefits and the impor-tance of this is highly valued. However, in a vast society with numerous factors that can impact on daily life, sport has the ability to high-ly contribute to the well-be-ing of an individual, physi-cally, mentally and socially.

Within the hustle and bustle that fills our current community, many people struggle with structure in their lives, from family break ups, job instability and other con-tributing circumstances. In a demanding society, it may be hard for these individuals

to feel valued and to have some stability in their lives. Sport in general, specifically team sports is a great escape from all of this. Team sports has a myriad of interplaying factors that can contribute toward the well being of an individual from engaging with team players. The basic skillsdeveloped within team sports by far exceed mere-ly physical benefits. Being part of a team provides a sense of community where-by you are valued as an in-dividual, where team mates are reliant on you both at training and during games. This gives an individual a

sense of importance, mak-ing them feel wanted.Therefore, when being part of a team, an individuals absence from training or a game can impact everyone else on the team. Where they are not only missing out on important training and an improvement of skill within the sport but the absence of an individual is felt by the team members and coach-es. Being part of a team de-velops a sense of community which in turn highly contrib-utes to allowing people to develop personally, building confidence and self esteem.

‘With almost 50% of families experiencing a divorce, it is not just adults that experience the instability. The children in these families

will also have to deal with circumstances changing within the family home. So how

does sport benefit the children in these families?’

Sport

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One of the great benefits of being within a sporting community for children and teenagers is being able to engage with adults, through building positive and valua-ble relationships. This can be very important, especially when these relationships are not easily obtained within the family home. If there is an absence of a valued re-lationship from an adult role model who can positive-ly impact on a child, many children/youths can thrive to form a relationship that will allow them to grown and de-velop personally. While par-ticipating in sport under the supervision of these adults (coaches) the children learn how to navigate safely be-tween right and wrong dur-ing their interaction with their coaches and peers. Wheth-er it is how to make a new member of the team feel welcomed or how to con-solidate your teammates after losing a game, the chil-dren learn how to effectively deal with these emotions in a safe environment. Some children are unfortunately held back from playing sport normally as a punishment due to their poor behaviour in other aspects of their life such as school. Stopping children from participating in sports is actually a way of preventing them improv-ing their poor behaviour. Therefore, the children who are in most need of help in de-veloping and improving their social and behaviour skills, are actually not benefiting

from the positive outcomes that sport can provide. How-ever, to help improve indi-viduals with bad behaviour, participating within team sports can help generate discipline within the confines of the sport and outside of sport. As well as developing a succinct ability to commu-nicate effectively with both team mates and coach-es, overall allowing them to improve their social skills. Links have been found that show engagement in sport

has been proven to increase the amount of years indi-viduals stay in education. Not only were these individ-uals found to stay in educ-tion longer they were also found to be consistently achieving above average grades. One of the similari-ties found is that they tend to set themselves high tar-gets. This illustrates athletes have confidence and belief in themselves that they will reach their targets, there-fore working hard to make sure these are reached. This suggests that due to the discipline athletes engage with within their sport, it can then transfer into their work

ethos and ethic allowing them to strive towards high academic achievement. In relation to high academic achievement in correlation with sporting practice, is the notion that peers, tutors and coaches can highly scaffold the individual with their prior/expert knowledge within the chosen field. This is a compul-sory technique drawn upon when recognising the needs of an individual and how that can be catered for in order for them to improve. This idea can be evident within both academic achievement and sporting achievement in developing outstanding progress and achievement.

Education

‘Numerous studies have proven that there is a positive

correlation between academic

achievement and students who

participate in sport’

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suggest that companies and organisations look for more than solely academic achievements. In addition, personal attributes can in-deed make an individual highly valued within a suc-cessful company, whereby they can capitalise on their qualities and showcase them within their organisation. “The key assets I look for in an employee is that they are driven, work well as part of a team and have good social skills. Throughout the years I have noticed that the majority of people that I’ve employed, fitting this criteria have either played or been part of a sports team”. This shows that companies with-in our society, demand in-dividuals that can illustrate the qualities gained from in-volvement within sports, such as team work, communica-tion skills and confidence.

Wittering goes on to argue “I believe this has a lot to say about the person. A: It means they are not lazy B: Shows they are used to being part of a team C: Because being a team player they are more likely to have social skills and are able to deal with differ-ent situations thrown at them in the correct manor”. Within a team working environment it is evident that those skills are easily transferable and highly valued by employer.

Wittering concludes, “All of these skills are transferable in the work place, learning from experience that indi-viduals involved with sport tend to work better within my business therefore mak-ing them more employable”.

The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth carried out by the U.S Bureau of Labour Statistics found that males aged 32 that participated in sport within their schools were paid over 30% higher wage than men the same age who did not partake in sport. The reasoning behind this could suggest that the mentality and mind set that is embedded through sport can positively effect their working success. Individu-als with this current sporting mind set (with a history of sport) can therefore utilise the skills and confidence they have adopted within them personally into other

aspects of their lives such as education and work. Therefore, people who have adopted these skills through their involvement with sports can then use these as a strength within the progres-sion of their individual career.

Jason Wittering, owner of a successful chain of a Mobil-ity shops explained why he thinks people who play and have played sport tend to be more employable: “Sport to many people is seen as a hobby, and it is! But from this hobby, valuable attributions/attributes to the individuals personality can be made”. This suggests that sport can in fact highly impact on ones personality and allows them to stand out from the crowd. Wittering goes on to say “Having owned my business for over 10 years its safe to say I’ve held my fair share of interviews, from outstanding to awful! When an applicant has reached the interview stage it has already been established that they have the correct academic skills that the job entails so the next step is to find out what makes them better than the rest”. Ultimately this would

‘It has become ev-ident that the skills

developed at a young age through sports can play a fundamental part

within their employ-ability in their future, this is something that cannot be taught in an academic envi-

ronment alone’

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Although it has been evi-denced that a child’s ac-ademic achievement is of-ten significantly enhanced through partaking in sport-ing games and activities, the child’s progression with-in that activity is often cele-brated within their own fam-ily. Sporting games allows children to demonstrate and display their own pas-sion outside the academic confines of school. Parents are able to watch their child display confidence and ex-cel in something that plays an important role within their life. Without the display of sporting games, parents of-ten do not get the oppor-tunity to watch their child strive in something that has enriched them socially as well as building their confi-dence and self esteem. In a growing society of work-ing parents, often children do not get the chance to showcase their own talents that are not academical-ly written on a report. How-ever, sporting games allow parents and children to de-velop frequent interaction that in turn develops strong relationships where togeth-er they’re becoming in-volved with each other out-side of the family household.

Sport is also fun for the indi-viduals taking part, because if they were not having fun

while playing sport they would not be able to reap the full benefits that sports has to offer. Of course sport can enhance academic achievement, self belief and social skills, I could go on. However, the core principle to remember is that sport allows children to engage with friends and ultimately

have fun. Being involved in a team is a catalyst for in-dividuals involved to make new friends, not only the athletes but also the par-ents/guardians and spec-tators who may form friend-ships from watching training and games every week.

Teenagers benefit social-

Social

‘Sport is not just an escape from every

day stress’

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Youths that partake in sport-ing activities tend to ex-hibit higher involvement in community activities during adulthood, showing that the social aspects gained through partaking in sport can last a lifetime. This is thought to be due to the fact that the individuals playing sport during their youth, are able to pick up vital person-ality traits such as teamwork. They are also more accept-ing of people from different backgrounds and ethnicity due to interactions they may have with them while partic-ipating. It should be widely recognised that working in collaboration with different sporting communities can often break barriers regard-ing ethnicity, gender, race and culture. It gives many the opportunity to socialise with a vast spectrum of peo-ple, something that within the social norm may not be achieved but within sport it addresses this and unites people. The skills of toler-ance and respect that are founded within the dynam-ic sporting community can enrich you as an individual and act as a valuable life skill that can be transferred within all aspects of life.

Communities have realised that providing sporting op-portunities for children and teenagers can actually posi-tively benefit the wider com-munity. A good example of this is over in America, where basketball courts in a de-prived neighbourhood were kept open late during the long summer nights, during this time the juvenile crime rate dropped by over 50%.

ly from playing sport as the environment it provides enables them to learn a healthy sense of competi-tion through a positive team oriented environment. This skill can then be transferred to other aspects of the indi-viduals life, allowing them to cope better outside of sport as competition can regularly be a part of school or work life. This partnered with the ability to solve interperson-al conflicts and work well as a team member, sport can teach much more than

just the physical playing as-pect. Within sport you are more than likely to be faced with defeat at some point. Sport allows individuals to handle the defeat by look-ing at ways to improve their performance for next time, rather than giving up or showing unacceptable be-haviour. This perseverance can then be transferred outside of the sporting en-vironment and help indi-viduals positively with their dealing of day to day life.

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Other communities have also benefited from mak-ing sport more accessible to youths, especially in de-prived areas. This reiterates the notion that sport is more than just a platform for physi-cal development, it is an out-let for every individual and their independent needs.

This trend is also prevalent within the United Kingdom, where the organisation Sports England, a well known charity, is funded by The Na-tional Lottery. They promote cohesive aims to “create a behavioural change in young people by helping them find a sport they love and want to be part of for a long time”. The organisation

is concentrating on involv-ing 14-25 year olds in at least half an hour of sports a week. Sports England recognises the positive difference sport can make in individuals and therefore selects clubs, teams and sporting organisations. These selected are believed too benefit the communities sporting involvement from their grants enabling these establishments to grow and involve more Individuals.

An individual within a team learns the value of team-work and diversity in a very much hands on way. This en-ables the individual to get a better understanding of who they are within their group, leading to a higher under-

standing of their self. It is in-evitable that while being an athlete at one point or an-other you are going to have to deal with failure or disap-pointment. Sport helps the in-dividual to learn how to deal with these difficult situations professionally and maturely. Self confidence is often im-proved when an individual is part of a team by setting goals then achieving them, especially in youths and this can go on to help them in other aspects of their life.

Taliaffero’s research suggest that sport can even help prevent suicide in youths when compared to non ath-letes due to the athletes ex-periencing minimal levels of hopelessness and suicidal thoughts. This is supported by research showing that adults who exercise tend to have a more positive and a bet-ter outlook on life due to the exercise alleviating many forms of depression. The stu-dent athlete is thought to be more psychologically resil-ient, therefore helping them recover from problems more efficiently according to Bart-ko and Eccles. The conclu-sion made from this is that people who play sports can get away and forget about their problems while partici-pating. Furthermore, young people that are engaging in sporting activities are also surrounded by a support group such as coaches and teammates that know them well and can spot/help them

‘Exercise can improve an

individuals outlook on life’

50 | April 2015 | Parents

deal with any issues if need-ed, giving them a sense of belonging. This highly bene-fits young people with peers who negatively impact on their life and can often steer them down a nega-tive path. Whereas within a sporting environment, you are surrounded by individ-uals who are all collabora-tively advocating a positive peer culture. This enables individuals to grow and de-velop as independently but with the support and nurture from peers who can make a positive impact. If a sporting group are cohesively striv-ing toward an ultimate goal, the relationships that are built within this can under-pin good practice of com-munication skills which in turn benefit every individual.

Access Sport is another char-ity working in and around London, Bristol and Man-chester. Its aim is to give children in disadvantaged areas access to a wide range of local sports. They recognise and value the power of sport to help tack-le social exclusion, inactiv-ity and other issues in areas where help is most needed. The way they achieve this is by donating cash to inspira-tional community volunteers who have set up and run local sports clubs. As well as the financial support these volunteers have access to

expert advice and network-ing helping to create thriving clubs enabling more people to get positively engaged.

One of Access Sports suc-cess stories is Abdul, he is now 18years old and a member of one of the box-ing clubs in London that has been his saviour. After the ri-ots in 2011 in Tottenham he was named in the Evening Standard as on of the top 12 “most wanted” from the London riots. Living in Hack-ney on the NorthWold Estate he first started getting himself involved with trouble at the age of 13. Abdul soon joined a gang due to being bullied at school thinking that that would help him fight against the bullies, sticking up for him self. Upon hearing the news he was in the top 12 most wanted he had a epipha-ny and realised this isn’t the life he wanted to lead after appearing in court. Abdul found himself recommend-ed to the Access Sports’s boxing club in London. Since attending the club Abdul has met MBE James Cook. James soon became a pos-itive role model to Abdul which was something he had been lacking in his life.

This is the kind of story that Access Sport and other sporting charities are trying to replicate as they want to help young individuals pos-itively through sport. The in-clusion of these vital charities and organisations within de-prived areas, demonstrate a wealth of benefits that are elicit within their chari-ties goals and aims for the outcomes of young people. Abdul’s story significantly highlights the importance of how sport has acted pos-itively against the troubles within his own daily life. The provision these organai-sations have put in place demonstrate and recognise the needs of the youths that they attract and they sys-tematically plan initiatives to combat their own social circumstances through an outlet of sport. Although the charity is unanimous in their approach to improving the daily lives of youth, it must be recognised that the sport young people are engaged with is actually the catalyst for improving the social cir-cumstances of many young people. Yes the charity and organisations have made the sports accessible but again it is the collaboration and co-hesive approach and disci-pline within the sport that en-ables young people to thrive within that environment.

‘After being named in the Top 12 Most Wanted he had to find a pathway to

change’

‘Sport can be the catalyst needed for

improvement’

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since the age of ten, he only recently realised the stabili-ty and impact that the sport offered when he found him-self in need of it the most.

Andrew’s sporting history is centered on his involve-ment in team sports such as Football, Rugby and Crick-et. Since developing an ap-preciation for the value of sports he has recently found himself immersed within the growing UK culture that is American Football. Within his first year University Andrew was intrigued by the growing trend of American football within the UK and fancied his chances at trying yet anoth-er team sport. Having pre-viously captained a rugby team demonstrating excel-lence within the physicality of the sport but also exception-al leadership both on and off the field. Loch informs us that the role of a captain allowed him to develop outstand-ing leadership skills, a disci-pline in controlling players and ultimately a feeling of strength. Therefore, he soon recognised in order for him to grow and progress within his sporting life, he would try another team sport that of-fered a different spectrum of needs and skills to aid his pro-gression. Of course Andrew realised the importance of attending University was to gain greater knowledge in higher education, but he was also keen to reengage with sports. From his prior knowledge regarding the im-pact of sport on him, he was keen to seek involvement within the wide range avail-able sports teams at Universi-ty. Loch became fascinated

A young sportsman, Andrew Loch (22) , fell victim to the unfortunate circumstance of his parents divorcing at the age of 15. During this peri-od his father left the family home leaving Andrew dev-astated and anxious which in turn had a knock on effect on his academic achieve-ment. During this difficult time Andrew found himself engrossed with sporting ac-tivities within his school and wider communities, which allowed him to escape the

turbulent transition he was faced with. Andrew goes on to explain “during this time in my life, sport offered a release from the stress and anxiety from the ongoing divorce at home”. Andrew commented upon to lack of quality time spend with his fa-ther explaining that “having teammates and coaches who knew me well enough offered me support and re-assurance when I felt alone”. Although Andrew has been playing sport competitively

Andrew’s Story

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with the diverse skills set of the sport saying, “American Football is physical as well as strategic and the com-munication plays a far more important role than in any other sport I have played”.

Andrew’s story is a prime ex-ample of how being part of a team and engaging with sports can act as an out-let for problems of daily life. He goes on to say “I get a feeling of self belief, accom-plishment and release when I run out on the pitch. I forget all the problems that I have going on within my daily rou-tine, and playing American Football allows me to unwind and clears my head”. An-

drew goes on to conclude that American football “un-leashes a superhuman inside of me which kicks in as soon as I put my lid on. It really and truly gives me a sense of empowerment and I whole heartedly engaged with the sport making me feel invinci-ble”. In a private discussion with Andrew he was able to discuss that his confidence has developed predomi-nantly through being im-mersed in the sporting world. Andrew goes on to explain he sincerely values the new friends he has made through being part of the American Football team, saying “I am lucky, I have made life-long friends, some of which

I am currently living with”.

Within Andrews’s final year at University he was chosen to represent the team as chairman, whereby he was able to showcase his valua-ble skills. Throughout the prior two seasons he generated a wealth of sporting achieve-ments and was celebrated as a valuable team player, who was hands on in the de-velopment of the team and was constantly willing to go the extra mile. It was down to his reliability and commit-ment that he was favoured for the role of chairman with-in the Carnegie American Football Team. Andrew ex-plains, “I was solely respon-

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ing physical accomplish-ments within the rules of the sport but he has generated a wealth of skills that can be utilised within his future ca-reer. Andrew has also been able to look retrospectivley at the development and im-pact that sport has had upon peers and new members to the team. Andrew goes on to explain “I have enjoyed

sible for the organisation of training sessions, bootcamp, recruitment of team players and the social aspects of the team. I worked in close liaison with the University’s Sports Union and coaches to ensure that the organisation of the training season was delivered promptly”. This il-lustrates that Andrew has not only acquired outstand-

watching my peers and new members of the team im-prove and excel within the seasons. More importantly I have seen a difference in guys when they put their kit on and the sudden growth of confidence that is shown on the pitch. Whether they kick, catch or pass the ball they seem to release frustration and stress whilst doing so”.

After finishing his final sea-son Andrew looks forward to transferring the skills he has learnt throughout his involvement in sports and delivering them with-in his chosen career path.With Andrew’s numerous personal qualities that sell him as a valuable individual, Jason Wittering would agree he has the desirable attrib-

utes that make him stand out from the crowd with-in the employability sector.

With the levels of physical activity in the UK declining and a more couch pota-to lifestyle becoming the norm, children around the country should be encour-aged as much as possible to get into sport by parents,

teachers and community workers. For improved health benefits but also the partici-pation in sport can improve academic behaviour, cogni-tive skills and be a gateway to providing social interac-tion, achievement while en-hancing mental well being.

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