Sports & School
Students playing sports while they are in school is a topic that many educators and parents have discussed. Some people believe that sports take away focus from the class room and sports are just becoming to risky for kids to play. Others believe that sports are great for teaching children how to work together and a good way to get them involved with there peers. As current and future educator what is your opinion on students playing sports.
In my past life I was a recruiter for Internet companies and I noticed whenever someone indicated they played sports in college on their resume, invariably they exhibited qualities you might associate with success in their sport (discipline, competitiveness, team-orientation, etc.). Of course there are many other ways a student can develop these qualities but competitive sports is one way. So long as the student is motivated to play (rather than taking part to please their family), I think it can be a great way to keep kids focused on school (assuming there are grade standards associated with the privilege of team membership).
ReplyDeleteYou are right about the fact that many people do not consider playing sports as applicable enough for a resume but sports are a great way to teach discipline and working together as a whole as you mentioned in your comment. It is sad that some kids are pressured to play sports by their families and students should only play sports if they are self motivated.
DeleteOh, gosh. This is a tough one. Personally, I played sports throughout elementary school, mostly as extra curricular activities. I never really developed a passion for any particular one. I would say the goal of me playing sports as a child was simply to develop in areas like character and sportsmanship. So my opinion on this matter is not coming from a die hard sport fan. I certainly think sports are vital in our children's development and they should all get frequent opportunities to participate. There are crucial skills learned through sports that cannot be gained from any other outlet.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, there are aspects of the sports world that have really given me pause in recent years. The politics, the money, and the risks are compounding problems. These issues are causing us to think twice about whether we even want our kids to participate: which is ridiculous, isn't it? Sports should be a part of everyone's daily life. Sport is natural and beneficial in so many ways (socially, physically, entertainment, etc.). The debate is a valid one and until we agree on a common goal, it will continue.
My two year old son has insanely accurate aim with anything he throws, which is everything right now. Whether he excels at sports or not, I want him to regularly participate in a healthy sports environment. The best I can do is stay aware and knowledgeable on trends and research.
I agree with your post 100 percent. I also played sports through school and played while I was an undergraduate. Sports taught me many life lessons and was beneficial to me but it is becoming more and more politics and that is taking a lot of the fun away from the game and a lot of the lesson being taught because everything is about a dollar now. Its pretty cool that you mentioned our son. I hope he excels at whatever path life leads him on
DeleteI think that spots are great for kids growing up. I feel like spots includes kids in something and adds more to their lives, but it is not the end of the world if they do not play. I do feel like it is important to have children involved in something like band, team sport, or anything that would build skills. Being part of a team teaches social skills and team work. A lot of time sports help keep kids off of the streets and out of trouble. Without extra curricular activities kids can find unproductive things that could get them in trouble.
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