How can sports help academics
Sporting triumphs and academic success are two things that you don’t always hear in the same sentence. It seems that we are very quick to draw the contrasts between the two rather than to look at how these two fields may, in fact, benefit each other. The prevailing view is that these fields typically hinder rather than help one another.
So, how do sports help academically? Recent studies have shown that sports play a fundamental role in academic success due to its brain-boosting benefits and tendency to develop desirable skills such as communication, discipline, teamwork, and leadership. All of these traits undoubtedly aid students with their schoolwork.
Sports and Academia
Far too often, we hear the same fears perpetuated about sports and academia. Parents fret that if their children become too engrossed in sports and focus too much of their attention in that area, then their academic performance will inevitably deteriorate as a result. But does this argument hold any water?
In this blog, we will investigate the many ways that playing regular sports can benefit students when it comes to their studies, and also a few ways in which it may be limiting students. Let’s get into it.
How do sports help academically?
Ever since sports were first instituted back in 776BC during the inaugural Olympic Games, sports have been on a meteoric rise. They now form a vital part of our society and have become a staple element of our children’s education.
It’s a powerful resource that helps us to break down barriers and provide a level playing field between people from all walks of life. But with that being said, does it help our kids when it comes to their school work, or does it hold them back and create an unnecessary distraction from their education?
According to several studies, sports are, in fact, a huge help when it comes to academics for several reasons. Let’s look at each of the benefits that can be found by accompanying school studies with sports.
Increased brain development and cognitive health
Sports and physical exercise play an essential role in our brain function. Exerting yourself in physical activity helps to stimulate chemicals in the brain that help to improve the overall health of our brains and increases the blood flow that our brains receive. New neural pathways are formed, which lead to enhanced brain functions, such as a boost in memory, concentration, and problem-solving–all of which will have a benefit in an academic environment.
Improved mood and mental health
Mood and mental health play a key role in our ability to learn. If we feel down or distracted, it becomes challenging to apply ourselves to school work and excel academically. Sports stimulate the production of natural endorphins in the brain, which impacts our mood and focus.
If students have an improved mood, then their academic performance will typically improve as a result of them being more focused and energized to tackle their school work.
Sports teach discipline
Athletes must listen and adhere to the coach’s rules and follow their commands if they want to be a part of the team. The ability to develop discipline and accountability for your actions also plays a massive role in academic success. Being able to listen to the teacher’s commands, sticking to deadlines, and showing enough self-discipline to study and do your schoolwork instead of procrastinating will undoubtedly lead to improved school performance.
Teamwork & communication skills
In sports, teamwork is the key to success. School is no different.
If a student is to be a success in their school work, then it is paramount that they learn how to communicate with other students and work together as part of a team. Not only because some subjects require team projects, but because collaborative working/studying has profound benefits on productivity. Students need to learn how to work hand in hand with students and teachers alike while being able to communicate their problems and questions.
Leadership
Not only is leadership a fundamental skill in sport, but it’s an extremely valuable and sought after skill that employers look for. Being able to motivate yourself and others is a fantastic trait to have and is one that is quickly learned while playing a team sport.
Taking an active interest in helping others and accepting ownership of your ability to assist other students’ learning will only help to improve students’ academic performance.
Emotional developments
An often understated benefit to playing sports is the power it has to help students develop emotionally. Sports provide an excellent platform for students to grow their self-esteem and to find some self-belief that they may have been lacking before.
Coaches teach their students how to deal with negative emotions such as anger, frustration, and stress. All of these can lead to poor performance in sports, but they also lead to low-quality school work. If a student can learn how to understand and harness these feelings in a healthy way, then there is a far lower chance that they will negatively affect their schoolwork.
On top of this, sports can provide a great avenue for students to relieve stress productively. Depending on what age the students are, there are a whole host of distractions and temptations that stand in the way of their studies. Sports is by far one of the best ways for them to take their mind off things.
Motivation
Success breeds success. When we do well in one area, these efforts typically manifest themselves in many other aspects of our lives. Performing well in sports and being a good teammate can often help students motivate themselves to excel in their studies.
In addition to this, sporting excellence can also attract the attention of colleges looking to offer scholarships to certain students. They typically require students to achieve specific academic grades to qualify for entry, which can, in turn, provide extra motivation to do well in their studies.
Can sports hinder academic success?
Here are a few of the potential negatives playing sports can have on academic success.
Pressure
Performing in both sports and schoolwork can create a lot of pressure for a student. Some schools put a very high value on sports, and often students can begin to feel encumbered by the burden of playing for a sports team. When you couple this with assignments and looming exam dates, it can lead to students failing academically.
Lack of interest in schoolwork
Sometimes the allure of sports can overshadow the importance of academics to children. Let’s face it, for many of us, playing sports is far more appealing than sitting in a library reading books. It can be difficult for some students to step away from the field and back into the classroom, creating a big distraction and ultimately hindering their grades.
Schools should combat this by encouraging them to balance both of these properly, and, when necessary, penalizing students for favoring sports over their schoolwork.
Academic benefits of sports
Sports are well known to provide a myriad of psychological and physiological benefits to us all. Not only due to the exercise that we perform when we play them, but also the skills that we must learn and use if we are to be successful in the sport.
According to this study that was conducted by the University of Kansas, they found that 97% of student-athletes graduated from high school. This was 10% higher than students who did not take part in any sport at all. The same study even goes on to show that those that participated in sports had a higher G.P.A than their non-sporting classmates.
However, sports must be implemented correctly if they are to have a positive effect on a student’s schoolwork. This largely comes down to how well a school, teachers, and coaching staff manage their students and foster an environment whether both sports and academics can thrive together. But more importantly, parents must instill the right attitude towards sports and academics by reinforcing the importance of both in the child’s life. If we as parents align the priorities right, our kids will follow accordingly. Set a good example and you’ll see the rewards in your child’s academic and athletic performance.
Thanks for reading!
How do sports help academics?
Sports play a fundamental role in academic success due to its brain-boosting benefits and tendency to develop desirable skills such as communication, discipline, teamwork, and leadership. All of these traits undoubtedly aid students with their schoolwork.