The word “sport” is usually used to describe a particular activity undertaken for the purpose of pleasure, competition or exercise and often involving athletic events, although it may also refer to a set of related activities such as gymnastics, swimming, fencing, tennis, golf and weightlifting. Sports are popular all over the world, but they vary significantly from discipline to discipline, with major sub-disciplines including ice hockey, American football, rugby union. Sports are structured around a specific type of activity or game and competitions between competitors. A wide variety of different equipment is used during sports, including clothes, equipment and protection tools such as pads, shin guards and elbow pads. Some sports may also require specific skill-sets such as sprinting, kicking or throwing.
To participate in any sports activity, whether it is a strenuous task or not, requires considerable skill and can therefore be a difficult task for children and young people. Whilst the skills required to make sports an enjoyable way of getting exercise, young people often find it hard to engage in these intense physical activities for several reasons. First, most young people want to engage in a physical activity that requires minimum effort and can be enjoyed by everyone, rather than being a lonely activity.
For children and young people, especially at a young age, the idea of joining a team, playing a sport or indeed engaging in any physical activity can often be very daunting and exciting at the same time. Most young people want to play sport, but when they start school, they are often forced to choose sports that are not compulsory. It is very common for sports clubs to request sport activities that are not compulsory on their members. It is not uncommon for many youngsters to be actively encouraged to join sports clubs in order to build self-confidence and social status.
As well as building self-confidence, the element of competition can help children in many different ways. Young people need to have a reason to succeed in sports; this usually involves the development of skill. As well as skill, they need to be motivated by something aside from winning the game. This can be a result of improving social status or simply the attainment of a trophy. Building up the self-esteem can help children to be persistent in their chosen sport and should lead them to becoming skilled at a young age.
As well as developing skills through sport, children who play sports should also receive an adequate amount of physical fitness during their weekly or monthly activities. Most sports involve a fair amount of running and sprinting which requires a great deal of stamina. It is important for children to develop a decent amount of stamina early on in their childhood and to regularly maintain this skill through teenage and adulthood.
Many parents are concerned about the sports activities their children are engaging in. It is important for parents to consider the benefits and disadvantages of various sports activities. For example, some of these sports can be extremely detrimental to a child’s long term health. There are many different types of physical fitness routines that should be involved in the daily lives of children. A child who chooses a sport wisely can use this skill for the rest of his/her life.